If you regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week, try these simple tips to help you cut down.
14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 6 medium glasses of wine.
Simple tips for cutting down
Make a plan
Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you're going to drink.
Set a budget
Only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.
Let them know
If you let your friends and family know you're cutting down and it's important to you, you could get support from them.
Take it a day at a time
Cut back a little each day. That way, every day you dois a success.
Make it a smaller one
You can still enjoy a drink, but go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints,or a small glass of wine instead ofa large one.
Have a lower-strength drink
Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV in %). You'll find this information on the bottle.
Stay hydrated
Have a glass of waterbefore youhave alcohol and alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other non-alcoholic drinks.
Take a break
Have several drink-free days each week.
Benefits of cutting down
The immediate effectsof cutting down include:
- feeling better in the mornings
- being less tired during the day
- better looking skin
- feeling more energetic
- better weight management
Long-term benefits include:
Mood
There's a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and hangovers often make you feel anxiousand low. If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking canmake this worse, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally.
Sleep
Drinking can affect your sleep. Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply. So cutting down on alcohol should help you feel more rested when you wake up.
Behaviour
Drinking can affect your judgement and behaviour. You may behave irrationally or aggressively when you're drunk. Memory loss can be a problem during drinking and in thelong term for regular heavy drinkers.
Heart
Long-term heavy drinking can lead toyour heart becoming enlarged. This is a serious condition that cannot be completely reversed, but stopping drinking can stop it getting worse.
Immune system
Regular drinking can affect your body's ability to fight infections. Heavy drinkers tend to catch more infectious diseases.
