To ask what you do on nights when you don't have a glass of wine

[Stuffisperplexing]

I have a glass of wine every single night

Just one (or two)

But I think the reliance on it is unhealthy and I'd like to not drink for a bit

It doesn't help that I have anxiety and low mood and wine gives such a nice dopamine rush

It sort of blows my mind that some people don't drink it at all - I'm quite envious of the self reliance

I get one of my nicest mugs out, male a good cup of tea (not a rushed one which I'm making quickly between meetings) and drink it with maybe a biscuit or two.

I might have a 0% corona beer if I feel like I need something more "alcohol" like. If I drink, I only drink on a Saturday night. I buy the mini wine bottles so I can have one glass and not feel like I have to have more to finish the bottle.

I feel your pain! One of my greatest pleasures in life used to be a nice glass of wine in the evening (well two). The wine had to be nice, at the correct temperature and the glass divine. All part of the pleasure. BUT, from lockdown, I was polishing off half to a bottle nearly every night, falling asleep early and I piled on the weight. I have never worked full time as I run my own business and schedule so it didn't interfere with me work-wise. I wasn't hitting deep sleep or REM sleep and the lack of refreshing sleep was really affecting me, then menopause hit, so I decided to cut it down and have now just about nipped it in the bud. I love reading and wasn't finding time to read a good book or a magazine without falling asleep.
I definitely got a 'taste' for it - I liked a full bodies red with Sunday dinner, a dry rosé or a crisp dry white in summer, and it was hard to give up that dry 'zing' that I loved - I would almost salivate on the way home from work thinking about it - yikes. I realised I was starting to become overly obsessed thinking about it, and finding a replacement was hard as I don't like sweet drinks, but since discovering Kombucha, I think I've just about cracked it. Love this fizzy tea! I also like a firey ginger ale. I also go to bed much earlier now, but that's not problem, it's cosier than my sofa 😁

Arg that sounds stressful - has it improved since?

I like these flavoursome fizzy drinks too. That's probably key - a replacement taste impact

Sparkling water/fruit juice mix?
Alcohol free wine?
Fentimans or Fever Tree sparkling drinks?
Fruit tea?

I like sparking water with squeezed lemon and/or lime ... I also love a few glasses of wine ... welcoming the weekend with a glass or two tonight 🤩

It wouldn't occur to me to drink for no reason say home. We drink with friend at the pub at the weekend or a special occasion. Our evenings are toddler to bed at 7.30, one of us cooks, the other tidies, then we sit and watch something with our dinner at around 8.15. then usually another episode of something before bed at 10

God I know a Friday is a sucky day to start this project

I stopped drinking for 18 months and found that 0% gin and tonic was my replacement tipple of choice. I couldn't find any alcohol free wines that weren't sickly sweet so gin was my go to. Other than that I drank water with either a squeeze of lemon or lime in it and drank it from a wine glass! It made me feel like I wasn't missing out on anything.

It hasn't got any worse thankfully but that is because of drastic changes to my lifestyle and eating/drinking habits. So I'm almost 7st down in weight which is good but please let me be your cautionary tale and don't give yourself that same hard work. If yours is healthy at the moment then count yourself lucky and make the changes now.

I don’t drink a lot now but in the pandemic I got into the habit of a G&T after work most nights. I was working long hours, felt like there wasn’t a lot of fun/joy to be had and it drew a line under the working day.

I switched to Seedlip and tonic and that was a great substitute until life felt a bit less grey!

I never think of having a glass of wine as something to ‘do’.

I drink either filtered water with ice or coffee. Occasionally tea. I don’t much like fruit juices or fizzy drinks.

I can't drink due to medication but I love M& S alcohol free cocktails. There around £2 and they have a really good range of flavours now

I love a glass of San Peligrino water for the less harsh demi gas & usually squeeze half a lemon or lime into a pint of it. If I'm feeling fancy, the additions are ice, half a sliced up cucumber & a little elderflower cordial.

I make tea with a dessertspoon full of dried lemon balm in a teaball if i need to relax, need help sleeping or even just fancy feeling a bit squiffy! It's a useful, potent little herb.

Herbal tea. Especially at this time of year when it's cold. It doesn't really have any calories and they make thousands of flavours and blends. I enjoy buying different ones to try though admittedly some can be a bit hit and miss.

I used to drink just about every other day in the evening, but now I have no idea how I got anything done. I feel blurry after just a glass and can't enjoy yoga/reading etc after alcohol, seems like a huge sacrifice to give up my whole evening and all my me time for just a bit of wine.

I also really enjoy wine OP, so I know exactly how you feel. I could once quite easily have a glass or two every night, but I now try and keep it to Friday and Saturday nights only. Meaning I go Sunday to Thursday alcohol free. I’ve done this for so long now that on those alcohol free nights I literally don’t think about drinking any more. I don’t have any alcohol substitute either as I think it’s best to just not continue that association with having a drinking ritual. I have fresh orange juice with my evening meal.

I’m a big fan of TV so I rather enjoy my alcohol free nights because I know I’m going to be binge watching something good and actually following the plot properly rather than being tipsy and not understanding what’s going on.

Sounds like you're rebelling against yourself - 'Being Good' - why is not drinking being 'good' and drinking is not?

You are an adult, you can enjoy a glass of wine without feeling bad about it. Drinking is not 'bad' inherently. It's just a drink.

It sounds like you have an inner teenager rebelling against an inner parent.

Maybe some counselling would help you untangle that a bit and feel more in control.

I don't drink at all.

Even when I did, I could not stop at 1 and was a binge drinker. Never alone though, only socially and I only ever got really drunk.

Foe desperate situations I do have some valium i bought in Morocco and also some sleeping g pills from gp

But I barely ever take these since lockdown.

I don't drink every night but I do binge on weekends and so try to have more completely alcohol-free weeks.

A good book and something sweet and fizzy is my go-to, while tracking drink-free days on an app for that dopamine.

Then when all else fails I buy a vape...

I actually have a big bag of lemon balm! Do you think it's that good? Will give this a go tonight.

Mocktails herbal teas ginger tea made boiling fresh ginger is lovely this time of year.

https://www.buxtonwater.co.uk/articles/Sparkling-Water-Mocktail-Recipes

I wonder if the wine is stopping me from going wild and eating a tub of ice cream a night.
In my case there's some truth in that.
I think it's a fair question. I used to have a glass every night and decided it probably wasn't a good habit. Alternative fancy drinks didn't fill the slot.
I never had a sweet tooth, didn't eat puddings or cakes but instead of wine (which I actually drink very seldom now) I started having a bowl of posh ice cream or a cup of tea and cake. Wouldn't suit everyone but I have no weight or dietary problems and I really enjoy it.

I really LOVE hot Earl Gray with milk. Weirdly as satisfying and relaxing as wine!

I tend to drink Fri- Sun, but I know I should cut down. The trouble is, I associate alcohol with a treat; it's my marker of the weekend. Along with time for hobbies and nice food, so it's not like I can swap in another 'treat'- it would simply be giving up something I enjoy. I drink herbal tea in work and I don't like fizzy drinks.