Learning how to pace yourself drinking can come with two critical things: top-tier tips and the must-have essentials.
We have all been there where we want to go out with our friends, but we DON'T want to wake up the same way we always do... Sound familiar?
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The bliss we can experience by waking up rested, nourished, and in control. I don't know about you, but that is almost always my goal. Especially when going out drinking I NEED to have my ish together and be in the driver seat.
Because we know, when we take the passenger seat things get a little cray cray. And we better not take the backseat! We are not passenger princesses, we are driving queens.
These tips and tricks can show you practical strategies to pacing your drinking, while here you will learn the essential tangible items to help pace your drinking!
A bit of a disclaimer, there seems to lack proven evidence of the essentials to lower alcohol intake. Though, we can come up with some really creative ideas that make sense to us, but are not necessarily "proven".
This post is all about how to pace yourself drinking! Enjoy.
How to Pace Yourself Drinking
How to Pace Drinking Alcohol
A great question that deserves more than one answer. Now, this is not medical advice, simply just my take on drinking that is rooted in ancient texts, theology, and of course my personal experience.
To successfully pace our drinking we must first understand why we are drinking in the first place. In ancient texts and scripture, drinking (wine specifically) is for celebrations, joy, and rejoicing.
Now, notice I did not say drinking is for when you are sad, bored, angry, or insecure. That can be a big difference for some because drinking for joy would mean completely shifting perspectives, and even lifestyle.
For quick tips, you can go here! The essentials below can be a great addition to those tips to give you tangible and practical solutions.
The 7 Essentials to Pacing Yourself
1. Sunnyside tracker app
While this is a tangible item that goes on your phone, is it 100% tangible? That is debatable. Though, the Sunnyside app is the bedrock for learning how to pace yourself drinking, the number one app for mindful drinking!
Whether you want to quit drinking all together or simply get a grip on it, this app has got you covered! So, when you go out drinking either at the bars or at a friends house you have this in your back pocket (literally).
The best part is they use a psychology-based approach to actually help you get a handle on your drinking. It is wild, 97.6% of their users successfully drink less...
2. Water bottle/hydration nation
Are you one of those people (like me) that carries their water bottle literally everywhere, cause same. I drag my bottle around all the time. And the funny thing is, I can tell when I don't have it with me because I get SO dehydrated.
When I leave my water bottle at home, or forget it in the car when I start to feel like the Sahara desert I tend to reach for a drink. Ideally, an ice cold corona with lime usually satisfies my thirst after two or three.
Which I find very interesting that we tend to use alcoholic drinks to satisfy our thirst, even though we might be trying to drink less. I do have to say, sometimes it does work!
So, all in all, I am encouraging to bring you water bottle with you. And if you are reluctant to do so then simply bring a bigger bag with you and place one in there! Almost guaranteed you will thank yourself later.
And maybe even most importantly, a huge cause for our hangovers after drinking alcohol is due large in part to dehydration. Did you know that? Probably, but it's true!
Stay hydrated throughout the night so you are less likely to reach for a drink (and instead reach for some thirst quenching water) and you honor yourself for the next morning.
3. Hydrating mixer
Ok, you might be like "Ali, you literally just said to have water..." Which, yes, but you also need a hydrating mixer. What is that? That is your soda water, your lime juice, your fancy NA soda, literally anything that can help keep that hydration going.
Plus, as you'd see in my tips to pace your drinking, alternating between a soda water and an alcoholic drink is THE BEST idea to balancing your drinking session. It allows you to last longer with friends, stay hydrated, and elegantly dilute your drink.
I also found these really cool non-alcoholic sodas. One is a schisandra berry soda that is meant for relaxation (calling all my nightly wine drinkers) and one is a black lemon soda that is meant for energizing!
If you are going to a friends house, then those sodas are PRIME options to use as a hydrating mixer. You can add a tad of alcohol to the sodas to dilute it a bit, put it over ice and you might just be in love.
If you don't use those sodas, then you can simply use soda water! Add more into your drink as you go, slowly diluting it and pacing your drinking like a boss.
4. Snacks
How often do you go out and by the end of the night you are either at Dominos or ordering Dominos to your house?!
I won't get on the soap box and say why eating when you are drinking is important because I think a lot of us already know this... But, what about just having snacks throughout the evening?
If you are going to a BBQ, then you might not need a snack... You might need more an apple pie kind of vibe.
But if you’re out at a bar, hopping around, or just having casual drinks with friends, having snacks nearby can make a huge difference. They keep that hand-to-mouth motion busy — without constantly reaching for a drink!
Imagine having a couple beers and then looking in your purse at a bag of your favorite potato chips. What would you think? How would you react? Well, in a study it showed that giving people a "priming dose of alcohol" increased their urge to snack (and usually it being fatty foods as well).
Eating while drinking can help to ease the absorption, and if you are eating then you aren't... Drinking!
I get it sometimes where I will be drinking and if I eat as well then I usually get too full to keep drinking anyways. Or least, I pause until it subsides. I've been pacing my drinking all this time, who knew!!
5. Phone timer
One of my tips in my pace your drinking tip guide, I talk about the 20 minute rule. Which you can change that number if you wanted, obviously. But, it is such a powerful trick on how to pace yourself drinking.
Personally, I have not really used this too much. Only in those circumstances when friends are looking to get rowdy quickly. I will take breaks between drinks and it usually ends up being 20 minutes or so.
The strong evidence on this one is lacking, but this is one of those that just. makes. sense. Take your time, sister! Turn your phone timer on for 20 minutes after a drink and guess what... Pull out your snacks, drink your water, and just chill out for a second.
Sometimes that is all we need, just create the space and time for us to chill out. That is what it is all about anyway right? Hanging out? Enjoying life? Anyways...
6. Drink stones
An essential thing to bring to really dive into how to pace yourself drinking is bringing drink stones. Now, listen, we can use cute little stones to help us slow down, be aware, etc.
Using the drink plan below you can easily figure out what your intentions are for the evening and plan your stones accordingly. I love the drink plan, honestly it is what I do in my own mind and decided to put it into an actionable worksheet.
At the end you will have a written statement that will tell you exactly how much you plan to drink, when you will be home, etc.
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7. Cash & only cash
Bring cash, your ID, your phone, and that is it!
The amount of cash you have is the amount of cash you are budgeting for the evening. If you are willing to spend X amount then bring X amount. But, this helps you pace your drinking because once you run out of cash, you're effectively cut off.
This one is a bit harsh, but if you are serious about how to pace yourself drinking, then this can really help you to stay diligent with yourself.
Use the drink plan checklist above and have everything set for yourself before you even leave the house! Know the drinks you want, how many, how much you will spend and more.
Now, these essentials are seriously awesome when you stack them together. Mix and match some ideas and create a killer plan to pace your drinking the next time you decide to go out!