Are you searching for how to pace yourself when drinking?! We have literally all been there... When we teeter on the edge of being effortlessly balanced or totally falling face first.
A lot of the time, that comes with the addition of drinking alcohol... And drinking maybe a little too much. Sound familiar?
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When we go out drinking we ooo and awe at the times we pace ourselves perfectly and come home feeling great, sleep great, and wake up looking around wondering why you feel so good!!
Those are the morning we strive for!
As I started to tone down my excessive drinking in my early 20s, and then working in the wine and beer industries later, I learned the KEYS to the city. Especially from watching those at the bars and wineries...
Here you will see the ultimate guide to pace your drinking from the necessary essentials, top tips, and more!
This post is all about how to pace yourself when drinking!
How to Pace Yourself When Drinking
Urge Surfing & Drink Tracking
Have you found that when you are out drinking with friends, it is 100x harder to pace your drinking or drink less?
When we are in social situations it is totally normal to speed up drinking. In fact, studies show just that: we tend to drink more in social situations than when we drink alone.
A really interesting concept is the concept of urge surfing. Urges, and this goes with urges to drink alcohol, usually follow the same pattern:
- They start to rise
- They peak
- Then, they fall
Urge surfing is the idea to observe this wave of craving, solely notice it, and do not take abrupt action against them. We can observe the wave through thoughts, pressures, and even sensations.
When I am out with friends drinking and I notice an urge to grab another drink, it can be challenging to say "Ali, not now." Because of the social pressure and the burning urge!
Though, taking a moment to surf the urge and allow it to pass has given me the grace to slow my drinking.
So, if you are wondering how to pace yourself when drinking, understanding the urges is KEY!
Which bring us to the next point, drink tracking using Sunnyside.
How many times have you been out with your friends and you try to count your drinks? Maybe you guys have a pen out with you and you write it on your arm or tally it on your phone notes. Have you been there?
Studies show that people who monitor their drinking, not only does it reveal that their drinking is higher than they remember, but also using an app to track drinking leads to more control during alcohol consumption.
In my drinking days, we used to track our drinking. The issue was we would boast about how much we drank rather than how well we practiced self control... A little different.
I can still remember the times in those drinking days when I realized how many drinks I had. Not kidding, I would wake up and it could be upwards of 12 to 15 drinks in one night. I just remember waking up and looking at my notes in my phone totally floored *jaw dropped, eyes wide & a loud gasp*.
Drink tracking *should* have the opposite effect: Help you wake up refreshed and at ease when you realize you only had 2 drinks (instead of 12).
The best way to do that is use the Sunnyside app: The #1 alcohol moderation platform that is 96% effective.
Sunnyside not only is a drink tracking app, but it is designed using neuroscience to actually be beneficial (instead of just writing it in your phones notes...). Users find an average of a 30% reduction in weekly drinks.
So, with surfing the urges and tracking your drinking, you can find great success in how to pace your drinking. But, what about something more tangible?
Create a Personalized Drink Plan
The secret on how to pace yourself when drinking? Follow a drink plan. Not just any drink plan, but a personalized drink plan.
Have you ever had plans to go out and all the sudden a light bulb went off in your mind with exactly what you wanted to drink? It was almost like the drink was already sitting in front of you and your eyes completely fixated on its beauty?!
Almost every time that I am actually excited to go out, I have THE drink I want already in my mind. Then, I start to plan around that drink.
How many to have, when to have it, with or without food, before food, etc.
And, that is great and all, but there are also those moments when you have plans to go out and that shiny-drink with a halo does not appear. Yet, you are ready for a drink and a bit "whatever" about it.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR A DRINK PLAN!
The nights when you don't care that much and yet you just want to drink is THE night to have a drink plan.
The urges start to creep in on you, the social pressure sees you teetering on the fence of "whatever", and you get snatched up like a pig in a wolf den. You will wake up on some random couch, wondering what the heck just happened!
Luckily, it CAN be easy to prepare yourself correctly and to PACE yourself drinking...
In fact, I have create the exact thing you need for this moment. The ultimate (and free) intentional drink plan and checklist to ensure you are ready for the evening of drinking (especially when you don't care).
FREE going-out checklist and intentional drink plan!
Sign up to get this FREE guide sent directly to your email! (We promise no spam).
By the time you are going out you will have the exact path you will walk for the evening. You will know how many drinks you will have, what you will have, and even when you want to be home.
This guide is the ultimate way on how to pace yourself drinking successfully. It might seem silly at first, but it takes 5 minutes before leaving. And those 5 minutes can change the whole game.
Proven Pacing Tips & Strategies
As I mentioned, this is the ultimate guide on how to pace yourself drinking. So, let's talk the easy and actionable tips and strategies to pace your drinking (actually doing it this time).
Here are some proven tips on how to pace your drinking:
- Follow the 1/2/3 rule
- Follow the 20 minute rule
- Alternate between soda water and alcoholic drink
- And more!
Read our top tips for how to pace your drinking for easy and actionable ways to stay aligned and grounded on those nights out drinking.
And here are some must-have essentials to pace your drinking:
- Hydrating mixer (or electrolyte pow pow)
- Phone timer
- Drink stones
- Cash & cash only!
- And more!
Yes, you can actually bring things with you (or use before drinking) that will help you learn to pace your drinking, keep you hydrated, and keep you aligned. Read our top essentials for how to pace your drinking here!