Has the pandemic changed your drinking habits? So you know

One of the first effects of the pandemic was that most people just started drinking more. Working from home and the first few months of lockdown made it seem like there was no clock, blurring the lines between weekdays and weekends and allowing people to drink more without feeling like it was having an impact would have.

Alcohol companies have benefited from their power during the pandemic and used our stress to their advantage. Speaking to the New York Times, Elyse Grossman, political scientist at Johns Hopkins, said this behavior was dangerous. “It’s not an ordinary product like coffee or pencils. It is the third leading preventable cause of death in the US. “

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While many people returned to their normal drinking habits after getting used to the pandemic, others did not and can still experience changes in their drinking habits even though they return to their offices and lead more normal lives.

Here are some pointers that can tell you whether or not your drinking habits have changed. While these changes may be for the better, once you’ve increased your alcohol consumption dramatically, it’s important to speak to someone and make some changes if necessary to help build a relationship with alcohol that is healthy and beneficial for you:

You drink more than you planned

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Whether you’re alone or with others, you might find yourself drinking more than planned early in the night or getting drunk with no intention of doing that. This could be because these patterns evolved after the pandemic or simply adapted to hanging out in bars now and surrounding yourself with more people. This behavior is especially difficult to avoid, especially as it makes it harder to stop drinking.

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Some things that can help is limiting the number of times you put yourself in this situation, having a glass of water after each drink, being careful about how much you are drinking, and making plans ahead of time so go into the evening with a plan.

Your tolerance limits have changed

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Changes in your alcohol tolerance are to be expected if you drank more or less alcohol during the pandemic. You may find yourself drinking more than you used to be and being surrounded by drunk friends while sober. The opposite could also be the case; Perhaps you have consumed less alcohol in the past few months and now you find that your tolerance is lower and you get drunk much more easily.

To avoid problems, it helps to make a plan in advance and avoid driving when you go out for a drink. Date people you trust and make sure you all have each other’s backs.

You don’t want to drink anymore

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If you just don’t drink the way you did before after the pandemic, that’s fine, even though it may take you and your friends a few tries to find social things that are still fun for everyone. Think about other social plans you can do together, such as exercising, watching a movie, or eating together. The smaller and more trustworthy the group, the more comfortable you will feel about being open and discussing your attitudes towards alcohol use.