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Whatever your relationship with drinking, it can often feel quite daunting to cut down. Going completely cold turkey works for some and can be their best choice, but it's not for everyone. If you want to cut down (but not necessarily cut out) it can be hard to find a new balance you feel happy with, especially when embarking on a shift for the first time. This is especially true in January, when the good will of new year's resolutions meets glum weather and glummer finances.
Finding ways to successfully cut down on drinking can be a bit of trial and error, at least at first. And frankly, a lot of the advice around cutting down drinking can be frustratingly obvious or useless: "drink less" gets the Biggest Duh Award, while avoiding the pub only works if you are willing and able to cut off that form of socialising. That simply won't work for everyone.
Of course every person will have different goals and limits around their drinking; your method, and if/when you choose to employ it, is totally up to you. The best tip I've ever heard for cutting down while at home is to delay your glass of wine in the evening until after you've cooked and eaten dinner – more often than not, the hankering for wine is satiated by the meal. And when it isn't and you have your wine during or after eating, you're less likely to feel rotten the next day for having a couple. But this is only useful if you are someone who wants to cut down on regular drinking at home and has little use for the solely social drinker.
Luckily for you, we've put in the legwork and rounded up the best pieces of actually useful advice for cutting down on drinking from people who are very familiar with the subject. These are tips that work in different scenarios and for different types of drinkers – from spending time with your pets to taking some sobering selfies in pub bathrooms.
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