How to Drink Mindfully During the Holidays
- Ingrid Heyerdahl
- 22 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Stress. Celebration. Expectations. Alcohol slips into all of it.
People drink because they want to enjoy themselves. But they also drink because they think they’re supposed to. The dinner invitation. The office party. The family gathering. The airport lounge. The “it’s the holidays, just have one.” It becomes automatic long before you even notice the pattern.
The Christmas season accelerates everything.
More dinners. More events. More glasses poured before you sit down. More rounds you didn’t plan for. More nights where you drink simply because everyone else is drinking.
This isn’t me telling you to quit alcohol.
You don’t need abstinence.
You need awareness.
The problem is not the drink.
It's the automatic yes without a plan.
One night is fine. But patterns compound. And the holidays speed them up fast.
Poor sleep after heavy dinners.
Foggy mornings where you feel two steps behind.
Inflammation from constant overeating.
Energy that disappears while you blame it on “holiday stress.”
A body that enters January already exhausted.
You don’t feel the cost all at once.
You feel it in the new year.
This is a reminder to stay intentional before you slide into that spiral.
Here are simple boundaries that keep you in control:
Alternate your drinks Water, zero-proof, spritzers.
Hold your pace One drink per hour. No top-ups.
Delay the first drink Start with something nonalcoholic. It breaks the automatic yes.
Eat real food first Not snacks.
Choose lower-risk options Spirits hit faster than wine. Champagne hits the fastest.
Decide your limit before you go Clarity now beats impulse later.
Set an exit time Leave before the night shifts gear.
These aren’t restrictions. They’re boundaries that protect your clarity and your energy.
Enjoy the season.
Celebrate.
Connect.
Just don’t lose yourself in the ritual.
Stay intentional. Drink mindfully during the Holidays.
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