How Reducing Your Alcohol Intake Doesn’t Have to Impact Your Social Life! 

There's loads of reasons why you may want to enjoy an alcohol free lifestyle, but you may worry your social life takes a hit. Here’s some ideas on how you can still enjoy a buzzing social life, without the booze!

Friday has come around again and everyone is heading out after work for a well earned pint or two. But, wait. You're trying to reduce your alcohol intake and FOMO is kicking in! Well, there's no reason why your social life has to stop if you decide you want to enjoy non-alcoholic drinks and embrace alcohol-free living.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to cut back on your alcohol intake are, we’ve got plenty of tips to help you start. 

Check Out Our Tips for Reducing Your Alcohol Intake 

Setting Drink Limits 

We all know that one drink can often lead to another, and quite quickly you've ended up drinking more than you planned. An easy way to help stop this happening is to set yourself a drink limit and keep count as the evening or day goes on. Or perhaps start the night off with an alcoholic drink and then swap to alcohol-free drinks or non-alcoholic drinks. That way you still feel part of the party whilst keeping that hangover at bay! Mocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails are also a great way of reducing your alcohol intake whilst still enjoying socialising with friends and not missing those key events in the social calendar!

Think About Your After Work Routine 

It can be easy to get into the habit of chilling out with a glass of something after work or heading to the pub with colleagues after a long day in the office. But whilst it's great to socialise with your work pals, think about changing up your routine a little to help reduce your alcohol intake. Perhaps only go to after work drinks once a month or if you are going multiple times a month, switch to alcohol-free alternatives whilst you're there.   

Try Something New 

A drinking habit can be formed because having an alcoholic drink is just “something to do”. Before you know it you’ve had five G&T’s and a headache is on its way! A good way to counteract this is to get some new hobbies or activities in your diary. Join a new club, check out what's going on in your local area, or arrange something with friends that isn't focused around drinking. What about a walk or trying out a new coffee shop? Socialising without alcohol can still be really fun whilst also being better for your health, lifestyle, as well as helping you keep fit! 

Set Realistic Goals 

If you have just started embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle, don't be so hard on yourself at the beginning. Start with realistic goals for your lifestyle as well as your social life, if you drink every day, try cutting down to, say, 3 days. Or if you know you have a big social event coming up, enjoy alcohol free drinks in the lead up to that event so you can enjoy some alcoholic beverages during the event without the guilt! Small steps will make a big difference. 

Be Honest and Think About Your Circle!

It's a good idea to communicate openly with your friends, family, and social circle about your decision to reduce your alcohol intake. Make it a positive conversation and let them know that you're still interested in spending time with them, but you may choose to drink less or not drink at all. Most people will understand and support your decision, you never know they might even join you! When embarking on this journey, seek out like-minded people. 

Hanging out with friends or social groups that share similar interests and values, including those who may also be interested in reducing their alcohol intake, will certainly help. Surround yourself with supportive people and people who understand your decision to reduce your alcohol intake and who respect your boundaries. Avoid negative influences or peer pressure from those who may not understand or respect your choices, there is nothing negative about embracing an alcohol free lifestyle, you can still have a lot of fun!

Decide To Be The Chauffeur! 

A great way to reduce your overall alcohol content, particularly if you are a social butterfly, is to offer to be the designated driver. Volunteering to be the designated driver for your group can be a great way to socialise without consuming alcohol. It's a responsible role that allows you to enjoy the company of your friends while keeping everyone safe. 

Summary

There’s so many benefits to going alcohol free and you shouldn't worry about your social life taking a hit if you are choosing the alcohol-free lifestyle. Research actually shows almost one in three UK drinkers now ‘semi-regularly’ consume low- and no-alcohol drinks, so you certainly aren't alone! 

Fancy making up a mocktail or two? Take a look at our recipes for some inspiration! We have some great ideas for recreating any of your own favourite cocktails by simply substituting the main spirit for our ANON alternative to have a clearer-headed non alcoholic cocktail…ice at the ready!