Everything in moderation: Tips on cutting back

Alcohol, sugar, social media, exercise. We’re told that these things are all fine as long as we do everything in moderation. But finding the line between just enough and a little too much for those of us who have an unhealthy relationship with booze can be difficult. If your problem drinking has led you to consider moderation but you just don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right page. We’ve compiled a list of our online tips, resources, and real-life moderation success stories for you when considering cutting back.

Everything in moderation…including our opinions!

Sobriety isn’t your only option when changing your drinking, a point that we make consistently at Club Soda. Sure, for some people, quitting has been the right option. But for many of us, taking a break or trying long-term moderation could be exactly the right approach. While some people might tell you that moderation doesn’t work, that only means that it didn’t work for them. Others’ opinions shouldn’t taint your approach to your personal journey.

Club Soda co-founder Dru wrote a great piece exploring the evidence for moderating and how to develop a moderation mindset in his blog Moderation: Could it help you change your drinking?

Although many of our members do decide that going alcohol-free is the best choice for them, there are plenty of us who moderate our drinking – including me. You’ll find lots of sober-only communities around the internet, but we’re not one of them. Club Soda is a place where everyone is welcome, and we’re committed to helping you change your drinking, your way.

Dru

How others manage everything in moderation

There’s nothing more inspiring than hearing of someone else tackling something you’re considering successfully. At Club Soda, we call these Inspiring Stories.

Co-founder of Club Soda, Jussi, told us a little more about his journey towards moderation in a piece from 2015. Jussi’s moderation journey is a story we all recognise of starting off as a student drinker and how periods of total abstinence interspersed with blackouts and throwing up lead to trying out temperance. Jussi tried to nurture a lifestyle of everything in moderation.

 I also started paying more attention to my health in general: eating better and doing some exercise. Slowly, over the years, I drank less and less, until one day I thought I might take a break again. Importantly, this time it was not because I was worried about my drinking, but because it just felt like the right thing to do.

Jussi

Club Soda member Josie takes the idea of lifestyle to a whole new level. We spoke to Josie, who had set herself drinking and non-drinking days, after a year of successful moderating. Why moderation works for some (hint: it’s a personal journey) explores the tensions and divides between those who choose to quit and those who choose to moderate. Josie sees it as an opportunity to have an open discussion and to make informed decisions.

It gave me permission to try out what was right for me, to test the waters, to find the pattern of behaviour that suits my wellbeing. It also gave me the opportunity to learn about myself and trust my own personal journey.

Josie

Why community support is invaluable, no matter your decision

We’ve come a long way from the ‘all-or-nothing’ thinking of the 90s and that has to be due to the internet and online connection.

Alena

How online connection has shaped a new mindset towards moderation is a topic often discussed in the Club Soda online community itself. So when Club Soda member and author Alena began discussing how she found support for her moderation journey in online connections, we wrote a blog about her insights. For American Alena, researching ways to moderate online brought her invaluable differing opinions from members from across the globe. Sharing her good days, bad days, successes, and accepting feedback from others in Club Soda’s online community incentivised and inspired Alena’s successful moderation journey.

Being part of the Club Soda Facebook groups allow you to join in with conversations that you might not have with people immediately around you. We also host events for our Facebook members such as webinars and alcohol-free wine tastings.

Moderation on the go

If your busy lifestyle is a barrier to giving moderation the consideration you think it deserves, then why not listen to one of our great podcast episodes which discuss this very topic?

Black and white thinking is a barrier to moderation with Stephanie Chivers is a fantastic place to start. Club Soda co-founder Dru talks to habit and addiction coach and long-time friend of Club Soda, Stephanie Chivers. In their discussion, Stephanie addresses why some people need to be abstinent, while moderation is more suited to others. Dru and Stephanie contemplate how language, advice, and respect affect others’ decisions.

As much as we understand that we’re passionate about what worked for us and want to share that with others, it’s important that our bias – or perhaps our black and white thinking – doesn’t put others off trying what they feel might work best for them.

In Drinking in moderation: Sip less, enjoy more, mindful drinking influencers Chase, Caitlin and Sam talk about how they all found their feet with drinking in moderation. They share their top tips for drinking in moderation, and it’s interesting to hear how all three came to cutting back in uniquely successful ways.

Caitlin suggests starting with a break, but going deeper and really considering your relationship with alcohol. This is something our courses can guide you through. Club Soda offers a range of courses for each type of drinker, so whether you’re thinking about quitting, cutting back, or just exploring how to change your drinking, there’s a course out there for you. Putting in the work to explore your behaviour and options can help you create lasting change for yourself.

In the end, the best way to know if moderation will work for you is to try it.