Mindful Drinking & Harmful Consumption Pattern Recognition

Posted on February 27, 2024

Written by Peer Educators Andrea Maxwell and Tresha Sivanesanathan

Whether you’re a seasoned partier or just looking for some tips on mindful drinking habits, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll provide some helpful information and resources to help you enjoy a fun time while keeping safety in mind.

What is mindful drinking, and why should I try it?

Mindful drinking is the practice of being aware of your consumption: why you drink, how much you’ve had to drink, and how you feel in the moment. It means taking a pause before grabbing that next drink, having a glass of water between drinks, and more. In short: mindful drinking means drinking safely and with intention.

Though mindful drinking doesn’t necessarily mean drinking less, you may find that when you drink mindfully, you have a better drinking experience, and feel better the next day – who doesn’t want that?

Putting it into Practice: Tips and Takeaways

With all that said, here are some tangible ways you can become a more mindful drinker:

Make a plan: Before heading out, make a note of how many drinks you want to consume; for extra accountability, you can share this with a friend to keep you on track! While you’re drinking, keep count of how many drinks you have, and try to finish your drink before starting another.
Stay hydrated: Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it promotes the loss of water and salts in the body. Alternating between alcoholic drinks and water helps keep your body hydrated and will also help you cut back on how many alcoholic drinks you consume.
Sip, don’t gulp: Part of mindful drinking is being aware of what you’re drinking, and how you feel doing it. Instead of gulping down your drink, take a moment to notice the scents, colours, and flavours.
Take a bite: Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and small intestine, so having a meal before and during drinking can slow down alcohol absorption.
Take your time: Your body can metabolize approximately one drink an hour, and drinking much more in a brief period can lead to sickness or alcohol poisoning. As mentioned above, eating, and alternating drinks with water can help you stay safe. Your liver will thank you!
Choose wisely: Did you know a shot, a can of beer, and a glass of wine all have the same amount of alcohol in them? This is called a standard drink and refers to the amount of pure alcohol in each drink (approximately 14 grams!). Instead of sticking to shots, add some lower-alcoholic variants to the mix – or even better, a glass of water!

Job Aids Complete Package PDF - A STANDARD D R I N K EXAMPLE: A drink containing 40% alcohol would - Studocu

(Image from SmartServe Ontario)

Listen to your body: Starting to feel queasy? It may be time to cut off for the night. Be mindful of your body’s signals and stop drinking if you start to feel too intoxicated or unwell.
Stay in the moment: Instead of focusing on your drink, take the time to engage in meaningful conversations, and be fully present in your experience.

Tips for Tracking your Consumption:

When starting out on your journey to safe and mindful drinking, it may feel overwhelming with the sheer number of resources available. It can also be challenging to find an effective strategy that works well for you. We want to help you find strategies that work well for your schedule and that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Everyone has different circumstances, but tracking your consumption is one of the first steps forward to becoming a mindful drinker. Here are some things to consider before starting to track your alcohol consumption:

Decide what your intentions are by cutting down or stopping drinking and why this might be important for you.
Set specific yearly, monthly and daily goals & stick to them.
Figure out some strategies to control your urges and think about people who can support you in your journey.
Think about some challenges that you may face while trying to complete your goals.
Make sure to reward yourself when you successfully complete a goal.
Always reflect after completing a goal.

Below, we have listed some of the best trackers below that could help you become a mindful drinker.

Using a Mobile Drink Tracking Application

There are many applications on both Google Play & Apple Store that keep track of drinking habits. We recommend CAMH’s “Saying When” App which provides standardized drink ratios, monitors your alcoholic urges, tracks your alcoholic intake, and offers weekly check-ups to see how your drinking patterns have changed. This app is anonymous and provides extension links to CAMH ‘s alcohol use programs. Mobile applications are a great way to ease accessibility and find opportunities to incorporate daily tracking into your lifestyle.

Self-Monitoring Logbook

Journalling is another great alternative to track your alcohol consumption. CAMH has also developed a Self-Monitoring Logbook that you can download on your personal device to keep track of the number of drinks as well as reflecting on the times that you may be urged to drink.

As you start to keep track of the number of drinks and the amount of alcohol that you are consuming, it is important to reflect on this daily on the personal goals that you make. Constant reflection of your goals is an essential strategy to success. As you continue to track your alcohol consumption, here are some questions to consider:

What are some current expectations when you drink?
Why do you have these expectations?
Have your emotions changed after making changes to your alcohol consumption?
Are you finding that your drinking habits are changing your lifestyle?

Recognizing Harmful Consumption Patterns:

Overconsumption or an inability to control alcohol drinking behaviours can lead towards an alcohol drinking disorder. Binge drinking is at a significant health risk that can potentially lead to an alcohol drinking disorder that may affect mood, functionality, and daily activities. It is important to notice these signs before they become an issue.

Signs of Harmful Consumption Patterns:

Inability to control the amount of alcohol consumed
Unable to cut down on alcohol consumption
Consistent craving for alcohol
Consumption of alcohol affects work, lifestyle, and ability to sustain a healthy relationship.
Mood swings/ constantly irritated, depressed or angry.

When Should I Ask for Help?

The best way to recognize when you need help is looking at yourself. If you are feeling low confidence, upset or anxious thoughts, there are multiple resources to help you. Whether you are taking the first steps towards mindful drinking or ready to practice abstinence of drinking, it is always great to get guidance from others. The way to mindful drinking is a journey and it starts with your ability to advocate for your health. We’ve listed some supports below that you can reach out to start on your journey.

SWC Substance Use Support Group: https://wellness.mcmaster.ca/program/realize-substance-use-support-group/

Alcohol Anonymous: https://www.aa.org

Wellness Together Canada: https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-ca/

Resources to manage your drinking practice:

CAMH “Saying When” App: https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/introducing-the-saying-when-app

CAMH Self-Monitoring Logbook: https://www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com/en/teach/Documents/Alcohol%20Reduction%20-%20Self-Awareness%20Workbook_2020.pdf

Mindfulness Drinking Movement Podcast: https://spotify.link/XzdZtgGUZDb

Learn more about mindful and safe drinking:

SmartServe Ontario – Ontario’s training course about alcohol consumption

DrinkSmart – Ontario-based student-led alcohol education program

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction – Substance-use education and

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