Find Your Balance: Justin's Story
A few drinks after work had become part of Justin’s routine. But when he realised it was pushing him over the recommended weekly guidelines, he decided to take action.
When unwinding with a few beers and a glass of wine became his default after work, Justin decided it was time to take a closer look at his drinking. We followed his journey as he used tracking and pre-planning to help him successfully cut back.
How alcohol became the default way for Justin to unwind without realising
While he never viewed his drinking as a problem, he began to recognise that alcohol had become his default way to switch off after a busy day such as a few beers and a glass of wine after work.
While he felt comfortable with his overall intake, he recognised that weekday drinking had become a default way to unwind and wanted to make some changes before those habits became more ingrained, he decided it was time to take a closer look at his drinking.
The first few weeks were challenging and his drinking during the first week didn’t change but a diary made him aware
At the start of his six-week journey, Justin's goal was clear: reduce his weekly alcohol consumption to within the CMOs guidelines of 14 units per week and eliminate weekday drinking altogether. But Justin found the first week hard trying to change his routine at the end of the day and says his drinking habits did not change significantly.
But over time, he began making small but effective changes. During social occasions, he reduced the amount of alcohol he drank and started swapping some alcoholic drinks for soft drinks and alcohol-free alternatives, meaning he could continue to enjoy social events without going over his limit.
Every Sunday he reviewed his diary and logged his drinking. This allowed him to see when he was drinking and pre-plan to allow greater control for the following week.
"The catalyst to reducing drinking was every Sunday when I kept my diary. My habits changed where I basically just started thinking and pre-planning my drinking sessions beforehand."
How diary tracking his drinks allowed him to cut back
With that increased awareness, by the second week, he had successfully halved his unit consumption.
Looking back on the six weeks, Justin is proud of what he achieved. Not only did he reduce his alcohol intake, but he also developed a better understanding of his drinking habits and the situations that influenced them.
Keeping a diary gave Justin the awareness he needed to make lasting changes
Tracking your drinking can help you understand your habits and make more informed choices too.
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