Not Drinking Through The Holiday Season?

As I researched information about how to deal with alcohol consumption over the holidays, it became apparent that 99% of the articles or information on the topic is geared towards helping people drink more safely.  Suggestions like, “Don’t drink on an empty stomach,” or “Drink 1 glass of water for every glass of alcohol you drink,” are helpful and important, because no doubt, people will be drinking over the holidays. But perhaps a better solution for many people, is not to drink at all.

Research shows that the average American consumes double the amount of alcoholic drinks over the holidays, primarily the period of time between Thanksgiving and the New Year.  This is due to both an increase in social functions and parties, but also as a strategy to deal with social anxiety or difficult emotions that arise from more time around friends and family for many.  

If alcohol has caused more problems than solutions for you over the holidays in the past, this may be the holiday season to consider abstinence.  Annie Grace, the author of The Alcohol Experiment: A 30-day, Alcohol Free Challenge to Interrupt Your Habits and Help You Take Control, and The Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life, has put together some tips for not drinking through the holiday season: 

The Alcohol Experiment

Participate in the Alcohol Experiment and politely decline by saying you’re doing a 30 day challenge. Whether it’s The Alcohol Experiment, No Drink November, Sober December, or Dry January- most people can respect not wanting to fail a challenge. It can also be an excellent conversation starter and might really benefit those who might be questioning their own drinking.

In and Out

I had a friend who had horrible social anxiety and any time we were attending an event together, he would say- “In and out, just like a robbery.”  This is a philosophy I still follow whenever I know I’ll be at a heavy drinking social event. I show up early, stay long enough to be seen and leave before things start to get messy or uncomfortable.  The holiday season is busy for everyone, so you can easily say you have another commitment and no one will think twice about it.  

Be Our Guest

A great way to stick to not drinking though the holiday season is to be the host. If someone asks what they can bring suggest a side dish, dessert, or alcohol free drink. That way you maintain control of the offerings. Should someone bring alcohol you can politely decline it and ask them to gift it to someone who can use and appreciate it.

Not Drinking Through The Holiday Season

How important are memories to you? To me they are pretty vital. I want to remember all this time with family. By not drinking through the holiday season, I’m able to be present and actually enjoy the festivities. I can actively participate rather than rely on stories and pictures to remind me what happened.

Create New Traditions

If you have holiday traditions that center around alcohol- be it drinking at parties or a rum laden fruit cake- create new traditions. A fun example is a hot chocolate bar- it’s unbelievable the number of flavors you can create. It’s so much fun and most people find they don’t miss the alcohol when there is so much flavor in what they are drinking.

This Will Pass

If not drinking through the holiday season is hard on you, remember that this season will pass. While everyone else is nursing their hangovers from two months of drinking and wondering where the extra weight came from, you can slap a smug smile on your face and know you stayed alcohol free and you feel great.

Treat Yourself

Reward yourself for a job well done. Grab a latte, pop up in front of the fire, and revel in your success.