5 Perfect Times To Reassess Your Relationship With Alcohol

Major life changes are natural opportunities to reconsider old habits.

Starting a new job, becoming a parent, moving house, changing your social circle, improving your fitness, recovering from an illness, or entering a new phase of life can all prompt a reassessment.

A habit that suited you five years ago may not suit you now.

Rather than asking, “Is my drinking normal?”, consider a more personal question: “Does my relationship with alcohol support the life I'm trying to build?”

And remember, every person is unique and often assessing your relationship with alcohol is a lifelong pursuit. It often ebbs and flows, but we think these are some of the best times to stop and reflect.

Let's dig into some of the best times to look at your relationship with alcohol.

Moving house

Moving house is one of the best times to form a new habit, because none of the old cues exist for old habits. Research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that this "window of opportunity" lasts for about three months. After that, new routines become entrenched, and your brain builds fresh automatic habits tied to the new space.

If you want to try and drink less, or just have more control with when you drink, why not start some new habits?

Instead of stocking the fridge with beers, why not stock up on CleanCo ready mixed cocktails.

After a break up or divorce

A breakup can be a natural time to reassess your relationship with alcohol, particularly if drinking has become part of how you cope with difficult emotions.

In the aftermath of a relationship ending, it can be tempting to drink more often to manage feelings of sadness, loneliness, stress or uncertainty. But actually, one of the best things to do is pour into yourself with new habits like journalling, meditation and exercise.

Without your ex, you may be able to establish new routines involving less alcohol. This is especially true if you used to drink together.

You don't necessarily need to give up alcohol completely; the important thing is recognising when your drinking habits have changed and deciding whether they still support the life you want to lead.

See it as an opportunity to refresh and move forward positively.

Following a bad hangover 

We've all had them, but sometimes they really are on another level.

Maybe you've done something you regret, or maybe you just feel unhealthy. Whatever the case, a bad hangover can be a great catalyst for change.

Beyond headaches and nausea, a heavy drinking session can leave you feeling exhausted, dehydrated, anxious and unable to concentrate. Sometimes alcohol can sneak up on you and start stealing joy from other areas of your life.

One particularly difficult hangover doesn't necessarily indicate a problem with alcohol, but if you find yourself repeatedly promising to drink less after a night out, experiencing regret about what happened, or losing time and productivity because of drinking, it may be worth taking a closer look at your habits.

Before / After a baby

Welcoming a new arrival is a great time to edit your alcohol habits.

As a woman, pregnancy brings obvious reasons to avoid alcohol, while becoming a parent can also change your routines, priorities, sleep and social life. You're probably not going to want to drink.

After a baby arrives, drinking may feel different when you're dealing with disrupted sleep, new responsibilities and the demands of caring for someone else. It's actually pretty hard on the body.

Taking a moment to consider when, why and how much you drink can help you decide whether alcohol still fits comfortably into this new stage of life. It can also be an opportunity to establish healthier routines and explore other ways of relaxing or managing stress.

Fitness goal

Alcohol can affect sleep, hydration, recovery and overall energy levels, which may make it harder to reach your goals. Naturally, if you're taking a fitness goal seriously, you will end up assessing your relationship with alcohol.

Whether it's a marathon, Hyrox or a weight loss goal, you're going to find the training a lot easier with less alcohol in your system.

Once you set that goal, planning if/when you're going to drink is a great way to gain back control and feel empowered.

Find what works for you

These are great opportunities to reassess your relationship with alcohol, but there isn't one “right” way to change. 

You could reduce how often you drink, introduce alcohol-free days, choose alcohol-free alternatives, or work towards stopping altogether.

The key take away is that you don't have to wait for a crisis to change - you can simply choose to change at any point. These moments provide a clean start point but any time is as good as now.