Alcohol and Self Care
Alcohol and Self Care
Alcohol and Self Care
Many people use alcohol as a reward, a way of dealing with stress or an aid to get to sleep, but more often than not, drinking alcohol is doing more harm than good. Using alcohol in these ways can lead to potentially harmful drinking habits that are hard to break.
Alcohol misuse is when you drink in a way that is harmful, or when you are dependent on alcohol. To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, both men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week.
Drinking alcohol can cause of number of issues and can negatively affect your mood, sleep, weight, fitness, mental health, and relationships. As well as increasing your risk of serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, liver disease, pancreatitis, and various cancers. Therefore, drinking less can contribute to improved mental health, better sleep, enhanced appearance, increased energy, and better long-term health.
alcohol & SELF-CARE
Alcohol & Weight
Amongst adults who drink, alcohol accounts for somewhere between 4% and 10% of our total calorie intake. For those of us who are watching our weight, reducing how much alcohol we drink is one way to better manage the number of calories we consume.
Tip: try keeping a drinking diary - recording what you drink for a few weeks may help you understand your drinking pattern and its effects, which can help you set goals to support you to cut down.
alcohol & SELF-CARE
Alcohol & Mental Health
Regular, heavy drinking interferes with chemicals in the brain that are vital for good mental health. Therefore, while we might feel relaxed after a drink, in the long run alcohol has an impact on mental health and can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with.
Tip: avoid reaching for a drink at the end of the day or to cope with situations, and instead, plan an activity that allows you to unwind, like reading, playing a game, gardening, or running.
AlCOHOL & SELF-CARE
Alcohol & Sleep
Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish. This is because drinking disrupts your sleep cycle. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but even just a couple of drinks can affect the quality of your sleep. If you are frequently drinking more than the UK guidelines, by consuming more than 14 units a week, you may find you wake up the next day feeling like you have not had any rest at all.
Tip: remember to spread your units out over the week and take several drink-free days. If you are drinking alcohol, try to avoid it too close to bedtime.
ALCOHOL & self-care
Alcohol & Relationships
Drinking too much and too often can cause or exacerbate all sorts of problems with our physical and mental health, including damaging relationships with our loved ones. Signs that alcohol may be negatively impacting a relationship includes being unable to have a good time together without alcohol, hiding or being dishonest about your drinking, your sex life being affected and your drinking causing conflict.
Tip: there are lots of alcohol-free and lower strength alternative drinks available nowadays, which may help you to reduce or stop drinking alcohol.
It is important to be accurate and honest about how much you drink and any problems that it is causing. There is help available should you want advice or support regarding alcohol, ranging from seeing your GP, speaking to the Bury LiveWell service, or reaching out to local alcohol treatment services.
Smart Apps to help with Alcohol & Self Care
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Drink Free Days (Download on Apple App Store)
Make a pledge to take a few days off and you’re more likely to follow it through and reach your goals. Drink Free Days is for people who like a drink but want some support in tracking and cutting down on the booze. It also helps you understand more about your current drinking and risk levels as it common for people to underestimate how much they drink.
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Drink Free Days (Download on Google Play)
Make a pledge to take a few days off and you’re more likely to follow it through and reach your goals. Drink Free Days is for people who like a drink but want some support in tracking and cutting down on the booze. It also helps you understand more about your current drinking and risk levels as it common for people to underestimate how much they drink.