Intentional Drinking: How To Drink Better This Bank Holiday Weekend

It’s no secret that I’m partial to a few whiskies. I’m a big advocate of enjoying the things you like, living your best life and reaching your fitness and aesthetic goals.

But alcohol is a very specific beast. It’s easy to have too much of a good thing, especially on a long weekend. Imagine the scene; it’s a lovely, sunny day, and you pour yourself a sensible G&T. But by drink number three, the ratios have completely reversed – your original one-part gin to three-parts tonic is now three-parts gin to one-part tonic. Game over. The night is over before it has begun.

Rinse and repeat for two more nights, and you wake up on Bank Holiday Monday feeling:

• Really unwell – Two or three nights on the bounce, and the hangover hits different.
• Stressed and anxious – What happened last night? How much did I spend? Where’s my stuff?
• Unfit and out of shape – If you’ve been training well recently, you may feel like you’ve undone your good work.

And forget any life admin, exercise or wholesome activities you might’ve imagined yourself doing this bank holiday weekend. These are always the first to take the hit when the hangover keeps you pinned to the sofa.

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be how it goes. Hangovers are not a foregone conclusion. Even better: you can have your cake and eat (some of) it. You can go out, have a few drinks, see friends, let your hair down and you can wake up on Bank Holiday Monday feeling:

• Refreshed and well rested
• Less stressed and anxious
• Fit and healthy

“But how?!” I hear you ask. By drinking intentionally. Here’s how it works.

What is intentional drinking?

Intentional drinking allows you to control how much alcohol you drink and when. Most of us have experienced losing control of our alcohol consumption and its negative effects, made clear by the increasing popularity of the teetotal movement in recent years.

Intentional drinking is more of a halfway house – a method to get you back in the driving seat without having to give it all up.

Not long ago, I decided to improve my own relationship with alcohol. Over the years, I’d had enough nights and weekends where I’d drunk too much, often to the point where I wasn’t even having a good time anymore. So I decided to put that phase behind me.

My new drinking goals were simple:

• To enjoy my life and socialise, but not drink to the point where I would do or say anything I wouldn’t do or say whilst sober
• To not impact the next day negatively

Setting intentions like these is all well and good, but without a strategy to back it up, it’s almost certainly destined to fail. So as with any goal, we start with the why and how.

Why do I want a better relationship with alcohol?‍

Why is it important to you? Some examples might be:

• Better mental and physical health
• Stronger relationships
• Spend less money
• Sleep better
• Perform better at work
• Have more energy to exercise
• Be in awesome shape

So long as they’re solid and meaningful whys for you, they’ll help you stay on track. Revisit them often, but in time you’ll feel these benefits anyway.

How can I keep my drinking under control?

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How will you achieve it? Here are some strategies I use:

1. Start with a soft drink

If you find the first drink goes down too quickly and sets the pace for the rest of the evening, try starting with a soft drink to quench your thirst before saying yes to a beer or cocktail.

2. Set a drinks limit and keep track

This is the definition of being intentional. If you set yourself a limit of four drinks for the night, you’ll slow down and enjoy them more. There’s a thin line between a good amount and too much. By slowing down, you can navigate that much more easily.

When you have your first sip of an alcoholic drink, make a note on your phone and keep track. I also recommend switching between alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic beers or mocktails so you’re not left drinking a glass of water. Make it as easy on yourself as possible to make the best choice in the moment.

3. Tell people you’re taking it slow tonight

This takes no effort, and you can avoid making others feel awkward with pre-planned phrases that are less likely to trigger a negative response. For example, I tend to use: “I’ve got a lot on at the moment, so need to stay in control” or “I find I’m less anxious when I manage my drinking, so I’m keeping it in check”.

I’ve found that I’m naturally drinking more slowly now anyway, and so long as I’m holding onto a drink, people are less likely to give me a new one.

4. Make the most of the next day

When you wake up the next day feeling great, carpe that diem! Get out for a 5km run or lay down a huge workout. Get on top of admin or prepare for the week ahead. The Sunday Scaries are no more.

5. Less is more

It’s easy to feel that we’re missing out by drinking less. But try switching to a ‘perspective of gain’. Almost every night out is made better by not going too far, not getting into an unnecessary argument or spending too much.

Know that you’re gaining, not sacrificing. You get all the good bits, none of the bad, and your life can continue to improve in other areas too.

Reap the rewards

‍Since I switched to intentional drinking, I’m happier, much less stressed, have better conversations, and I’m building deeper relationships with the people around me. I feel clarity in my work and vision for what I want in my life. If it’s true that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it, I guarantee you will react a lot better when you’re not dealing with a horrific hangover.

By reducing how much alcohol I drink, I’ve lost nothing from my life and gained a considerable amount. Of course, there’s still room for big celebrations, the odd stag do or weekend away with mates, but they’re far less frequent, and they’ll be intentional.

You can feel great on Bank Holiday Monday. You can have an amazing weekend, have lots of laughs and come out feeling fulfilled and healthy. You got this.