Strategies for Skipping on Alcohol During the Holidays
Hey Angels and Alphas,
With the holiday season bringing us so many good things, from family gatherings to festivities, it’s only natural that it comes with poorly managed nutritional choices. One of those choices is alcohol.
If you’re wondering how to reduce your alcohol intake, you may be wondering exactly how you’re going to manage that considering so many get-togethers with your friends and family will end up revolving around alcohol. For the people committed to a low, or even no-alcohol winter or holiday season, there’s some good news.
There are actually tons of creative ways you can deal with alcohol-centric parties and events and curious people who want to know why you’re not drinking. Below, we explore the best tactics and strategies.
#1 IT ALL STARTS WITH SETTING YOUR INTENTION
Sometimes, all you have to do is be really clear with yourself about what your alcohol plans are. Particularly if you do it right before you set out on one of your family gatherings. Set the firm intention that you’re not going to drink and list out all the benefits of not consuming alcohol.
They’ll be entirely individual to you, but they might include things like not feeling sluggish in the morning, staying true to your fitness goals, not racking up extra calories, and more. Keep the list where you can see it – on the top of your mind.
#2 SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Remember – you can still have fun without drinking. Before your party or family gathering, do as many things as possible to ground yourself and feel comfortable and relaxed so you’re not going to feel like you need alcohol to relax.
This might mean wearing an outfit that makes you feel amazing, connecting with people and focusing on them rather than alcohol, or remembering how much you were looking forward to meeting your friends/family again.
#3 CARRY A NON-ALCOHOL DRINK
This is a big one. One thing that a lot of abstainers start struggling with early is that they get offered a drink and can’t turn it down. But a simple way of avoiding that is to carry around a non-alcohol drink of your choice. People won’t be asking you to drink more if you have a drink in your hand.
#4 BE THE DESIGNATED DRIVER
If you don’t feel like answering all the questions from curious partygoers about why you’re not drinking, this is your simplest solution. If you say you’re going to be the DD for the night, no one will be able to argue with that.
#5 SHARE YOUR REASONS
Some of you will actually like to talk about their choices and why they’re not drinking alcohol, and that’s okay. People will usually understand if you just explain your motivations. If you tell your friends and your family that you’re doing it to prioritize your physical and mental health, nobody is going to be pushing drinks in your hand.
Maybe you’ve even already noticed the positive benefits such as improved digestion, more energy, clearer thinking, and you can freely express all the benefits with other people.
#6 USE TOMORROW’S WORKOUT AS YOUR EXCUSE
Another way to simply deflect any attempts at giving you a drink is to politely explain you’re planning a trip to the gym in the morning. Alcohol will just slow you down, and naturally, it might be a bad idea for you to be drinking. It can also impact your workout results and have you feeling so sluggish that you end up skipping the gym. It’s simply a no-no.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS…
Remember, at the end of the day, you don’t owe anyone an explanation about what you choose to eat or drink. Turning down alcohol at holiday events can end up being pretty tricky, but it’s doable – what’s truly important here is that you’re sticking to your health and fitness goals by drinking less alcohol, and if that’s your plan, you’re definitely on the right track.
