It’s one of the lesser discussed consequences of the last 6 months - the tendency of alcohol to have crept into our everyday evening routines, with wide-ranging implications for both health and wellbeing.
According to Alcohol Change, the number of people affected by this trend, who found themselves drinking twice a week or more during lockdown, rose from 33% to 38% during this period, with one in five doing so as a way to handle stress and anxiety.
With this month marking the start of Sober October – the alcohol-free challenge designed to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support - it’s as fitting time as any to look at ways of resetting our relationship with alcohol to one that is kinder on our bodies, not to mention our finances.
The drive to drink less coincides, quite aptly, with the 31 day Wear it Pink period, which is geared towards spreading the message of breast cancer awareness. With alcohol intake being a potential risk factor for the disease, taking steps to minimise intake is one of the most important preventive steps we can implement as part of an overall balanced lifestyle.
With both these important campaigns in mind, we’re using today to mark the start of a sober AND pink October!!
Helping with this endeavour, and to plug the virtues of having more ‘dry nights’, is drinks brand Clije, who specialise in non-alcoholic mixers that make a perfect (pink) substitute to alcohol.
Clije is created with a unique blend of fruit juices and stevia, for a unique taste that is all natural & refreshing.
In respect of cutting down on alcohol, Dr Bob Patton, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Surrey, said: “apart from the short-term gains to both wallet and wellbeing, research has found that those of us who manage to cut back on drinking at this time are better able to maintain lower levels of consumption in the longer term – even if we didn’t manage to abstain for the whole month.
“Campaigns like this help raise our awareness about our drinking and allow us to consider alternatives, so that when we socialise it doesn’t mean we automatically choose wines, beers or spirits. There is a good deal of evidence that drinking less often, and keeping to the recommended limits when we do, will have tangible benefits to both our psychological and physical health.”
Sponsored by Clije
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