Christmas drinks
Drink less this Christmas and be surprised at the difference it makes.
Most days of the year, you wouldn’t dream of opening a bottle of champagne for breakfast. But for many people, Christmas is different. Or is it?
We tend to associate drinking and social occasions. With lots of parties and get togethers with friends and family at Christmas, people can often drink more than they originally intended.
Understanding the reasons why and when you might be tempted to drink more over Christmas can help you develop strategies to stay within the daily unit guidelines and enjoy the festive season with a clear head.
Manage anxiety
Anxiety is a common reason for Christmas excess. It might be that all of your family are together in a confined space for a long period of time, or that you have an important social gathering to attend. “Christmas can involve high anxiety situations, fraught with the possibility for you to be upset,” says Psychotherapist Mandy Cassidy. Perhaps it feels like drinking can help to manage these feelings but, in fact, too much alcohol can exaggerate the mood you are in, making you feel more anxious.
Find alternative ways to deal with feelings of nervousness. Dr Joan Harvey, a Newcastle University-based Clinical Psychologist, suggests that engaging people and occupying them can help you – and them – feel more comfortable. This might involve getting family to help prepare Christmas dinner or going out for a walk together.
Deal with stress
Whether it’s the office party or a house full of guests, Christmas can make you feel stressed. You might drink more as a way of trying to cope with stress or because you think it helps you unwind after a busy year. Dr Harvey calls this an “avoidance coping”. “It doesn’t work at all and makes things worse,” she says. “It’s better to think about how you can handle the stress differently.”
In fact, alcohol is a depressant, which means that it slows down the brain and the central nervous system’s processes. At first this can make you more relaxed and less wound up, but if you drink too much it can end up making you feel depressed, anxious – and more stressed.
Planning ahead is one way to deal with Christmas stress. For example, you might say to your family in advance that you’re really keen to have everyone around for Christmas Day but would anyone else like to be the host on Boxing Day.
Be realistic
Making sure you have realistic expectations about Christmas is another way to avoid drinking more than you would want to. “People are failing to take time off work when they need to in this economic climate,” says Dr Sarah Jarvis, a London-based GP and member of Drinkaware’s medical advisory panel. “That means they look forward to their time off and might have unrealistic expectations about what Christmas will be like.”
To tackle this, try writing down your idea of the perfect Christmas, suggests Cassidy. When you read it back it’s likely to seem quite ridiculous. Use this to help set realistic expectations of what you want and expect from Christmas.
Take breaks from alcohol
Just because it’s Christmas does not mean drinking too much will not affect your body. Like any other infrequent heavy drinking session, it could damage your stomach lining and liver, affect your mood, skin, weight and sleep and lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Taking breaks from alcohol over the Christmas period can have the effect of lowering or “resetting” your tolerance. This is important because as your tolerance builds up, you need to consume more alcohol to get the same effects, meaning drinking to avoid stress and anxiety over Christmas can be a vicious cycle.
“In January, patients often tell me they want marriage counselling because they have argued over Christmas,” says Dr Jarvis. “It often turns out that they are worried about their partner’s drinking which has led to arguments.
“Not drinking within the government’s daily unit guidelines at Christmas means you risk alienating your friends and family. When, in fact, Christmas should be about celebrating these relationships.”
Indeed, Christmas is very much a time to get together with friends and family, and moderate amounts of alcohol can be an enjoyable part of those celebrations. Planning ahead for when you might be tempted to drink too much, sticking to daily unit guidelines and taking regular breaks from alcohol are all ways to ensure you get to celebrate everything that’s great about the festive period together.
For more information, visit www.drinkaware.co.uk
Tagged in Alcohol Christmas Health Healthy Body