With the festive season fresh in our memories, many of us will have recently been around a lot of alcohol and a fair amount of drinking. It’s a time of year when, even for usually occasional and careful drinkers, it’s very easy to let our alcohol intake sneak up without realising that it’s happening. Increasing the amount of alcohol we drink on a regular basis can have dramatic effects on how we feel, and how well our bodies function. We’ve put together a list of some of the tell-tale signs that the amount of alcohol you’re having is too much for your mind and for your body, along with some of the best ways to cut down without having to give up completely.

Symptoms of Drinking Too Much

Weight Gain. It’s not uncommon to put on a few pounds over the holidays, but alcohol can really confound our attempts to shake off the extra weight. Indeed, alcohol works to expand our waistlines all year round. If you’ve been putting on some unwanted weight and can’t see why, there’s a good chance that extra drink on a Friday night is the culprit.

Quality of Sleep. Sleep, as we all know, is an incredibly important part of maintaining the functionality of our bodies and minds. Drinking more than we should can interfere with how well our body recharges while we’re sleeping, and leave us feeling fatigued and irritable. If you’re having trouble with your sleeping, it could well be an excess of alcohol which is keeping you up at night.

Alcohol is a depressant. This means that if we aren’t careful with it, we risk allowing our drinking habits to trigger a clinical depression in us. If you’re experiencing regular lows in your mood, or even a slight but definite decline in your general enthusiasm, then reducing the amount of alcohol you drink might be all you need to put a spring back in your step.

How Much is Too Much?

The government guidelines for alcohol consumption state that neither men nor women should drink more than 14 units a week. That’s 6 pints of average strength beer, or 6 glasses of wine (173ml). Public Health England’s Drink Free Days app is a great way of keeping an eye on how much we drink, and making sure over-drinking doesn’t sneak up on us.

Download for Android here        Download for iOS here

Ways to Cut Down

Work as a Team. It’s really tough to cut down on how much we drink if our significant other is drinking heavily around us. Committing to a change for the better, in terms of how much alcohol you drink, works best when we can encourage our partners to do the same. It makes the job of cutting down a whole lot easier, and you gain the satisfaction of knowing that you and your partner are inspiring each other to a healthier lifestyle.

Smart Social Drinking. When you’re out at the pub or clubs with friends and family, try spacing out your alcoholic units over the night. Enjoying a soft drink, some water or a non-alcoholic mocktail between your alcohol helps you keep in control of your drinking.

Further Health Risks. Many of us are familiar with the health risk we take when we drink alcohol. Drinking in excess drastically increases these risks, and the health complications which often result are varied and expansive. Alcohol-related dementia, high blood pressure, liver problems, heart attacks and cancer are amongst the most common and the most serious.

One You Cheshire East brings all the support, advice and resources that you need to make a healthy change to your doorstep. If you want FREE advice and support to cut back on how much alcohol you drink, get in touch and let’s see how we can help you.