The ambience of having a beer with friends can be maintained while drinking just about anything, because it's the 'with friends' part that makes it worth doing.
additional positive side effects to cutting back on drinking? My inevitable 5.30am wake-up has enough sleep behind it AND I'm getting back the icon-belly
The optionality of drinkingedmSeptember 17 2011, 12:09:02 UTC
This.
The relaxation comes from allowing time, and choosing to relax into it. Alcohol is a common ritual to permit that in Western societies. But as tatjna says, it's possible while drinking just about anything. At least providing the group isn't into "policing" everyone "keeping up" with the drinking. I didn't drink alcohol at all until I was 28, and even now still only drink it if I want the taste; some social events I'll drink one time, and not the next, and it seems to make very little difference to my experience of the event.
I get that whole wake up in the middle of the night thing after a few drinks, red wine especially. Nowadays I consider 4 drinks of beer or wine significant in it's impact on my life, but I vaguely recall I time when it'd have to be at least 6-7 before I'd notice needing some recovery time.
My guess is that the alcohol has worn off but there's still a whole load of sugar running around. And the more I cut back, the more I notice the side-effects on fewer drinks.
When I go through spells of not drinking, I find it helps to have a delicious alternative beverage to sip (I go for soda water with a splash of lime, YMMV). This keeps the psychological triggers (why don't you have a drink in your hand, people will stare!) from bothering me and prevents people offering and/or asking why I'm not drinking.
Comments 9
But I would say that. ;-)
Reply
additional positive side effects to cutting back on drinking? My inevitable 5.30am wake-up has enough sleep behind it AND I'm getting back the icon-belly
Reply
Reply
The relaxation comes from allowing time, and choosing to relax into it. Alcohol is a common ritual to permit that in Western societies. But as tatjna says, it's possible while drinking just about anything. At least providing the group isn't into "policing" everyone "keeping up" with the drinking. I didn't drink alcohol at all until I was 28, and even now still only drink it if I want the taste; some social events I'll drink one time, and not the next, and it seems to make very little difference to my experience of the event.
Also, mindfulness is good.
Ewen
Reply
Reply
And the more I cut back, the more I notice the side-effects on fewer drinks.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment