How to Be a Mindful Drinker: Cut Down, Stop for a Bit, or Quit

by Laura Willoughby, Jussi Tolvi, Dru Jaeger

It's so easy for "alcohol creep" to set in: the G&T after work to unwind, a social beer with a colleague, a glass of wine (or two!) of an evening.

Add them all up, however, and you might find yourself wanting to rethink those habits. You may be fed up of midweek hangovers, or motivated by health concerns or even budgetary ones. Dry is the New Drunk gives you a day-by-day practical support plan to help you take control of your alcohol intake.

Without preaching or waffling, this book guides you towards more mindful, moderate drinking habits, helping you understand your behaviour and plan your self-moderation goals. It gives you tools to help you track progress, deal with triggers and social stresses, and stay on track for the long term. There are also support strategies for social situations that you can carry through to your day-to-day life all year round - not just in Dry January or Sober for October.

The Club Soda team know what they are talking about, and their methods are tried and tested by the loyal community of mindful drinkers they have built up. Learn how you too can make lasting, successful behavioural change that impacts positively on your social life and lifestyle.

Genres: Nonfiction, Drinking

223 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2019

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the Kindle version of this book. It wasn't really a book but some sort of PDf or something it appeared. You couldn't highlight text or change font size and the size was very small.

In terms of content it was pretty good. I would have characterized this more as a workbook than a book. I didn't do all the exercises but some where helpful. I am interested in being a more mindful drinker, not an abstainer, and I feel like I have a look of good ideas from the book over how I can move the needle on that.

[Sharla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few books now about changing my own patterns of drinking and I found this one to be incredibly helpful. By focusing on mindful drinking, it forced me to think beyond what and how much I'm drinking into the why and the why not.

A book that works very hard to nonjudgemental and open to all sorts of mindful drinking. I would definitely recommend to those things about questioning and changing their habits around drinking.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beneficial self-help book for alcoholics and well as non-alcoholics. There are helpful worksheets at the end of each chapter.

They provide mindful techniques for cravings. I found the techniques good when I applied them to food cravings, as well.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

[Sherree · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's more of a 3.5 but I liked it so decided to go up to 4. I found the tips useful and I will definitely try to be more aware of my drinking as well as incorporating more non alcoholic drinks into my life.

[Kathryn Morelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

was a great read to get my head in the right place. i loved the alternatives, the non judge mental words, and the sharing of other peoples story with an all around sense of community. was great.

[Katelyn Dailey]

This is a good book with really practical suggestions, it was very easy to read and understand.

[Cati Esca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I don’t consider myself to be someone with an alcohol problem, but could see myself developing a problem if I’m not self-aware of my drinking, as I have experienced other addictions and developed unhealthy habits in the past which I’ve had to mindfully work through and unwind. This is a great self-help book that increased my mindfulness, whether I choose to have an alcoholic beverage or not. It also increased my awareness of the wide variety of non alcoholic beverages that I would enjoy in social settings, which feels exciting. I like how it doesn’t put pressure on the reader and just focuses on eliminating the social stigma that comes with not drinking alcohol and offering alternatives and options. Not only will I try these options myself but I will also be an ally for whoever doesn’t want to drink alcohol socially.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Nice formatting and flow. This book is set apart because it welcomes those who want to reduce their consumption based on mindfulness - not just those looking to be sober. The book is equal non fiction and workbook in style. A guide to get you to think and commit to a plan for success, however you define it. The content made me stick with it until the end, but was pretty straightforward and obvious. In the end, maybe we know how to help ourselves and simply just need to do it. 3.5 - worthy of your time with realistic expectations.