By Reading this title, you might think it’s a little bit sad to diarise every alcoholic drink that you have. But it can be revealing, reaffirming and in some cases the very difference between life and death.
For anyone who regularly drinks alcohol or feels like their relationship with the substance is changing, keeping a journal of your drinking can help you stay closer to whether what you’re doing is problematic or not.
Many of us don’t realise when we’ve crossed the line between drinking in moderation and straying into dependency and addiction. Not until we end up in private addiction rehabilitation, anyway.
By keeping a journal, you can gain valuable insights into your drinking and what’s more, it’s simple to do, affordable and can tell you an awful lot about yourself and your relationship with the hard stuff.
So, before you dismiss the idea, here are five reasons that might persuade you otherwise…
It Helps You Spot Patterns
One of the most useful aspects of writing down each time you drink is that it’ll help you spot patterns emerging. Alongside what you drink and how much you drank, you should include things like the company you were in, how you were feeling that day, and what you did.
You may then start to see that you drink more when you see a certain person, or a particular meeting in your work calendar leads to a heavy night on the booze. It could come from boredom too. Essentially, you’ll start to uncover when and why you drink and by identifyin the patterns you can make conscious decisions around when the circumstances arise again.
It Builds Honesty and Accountability
We can often underestimate how much we drink and not really see it as a problem. After all, what’s the difference between three and five pints, really? Well, quite a lot.
Journaling brings honesty to the surface and by seeing your habits on paper, you can get a realistic look at exactly how much you’re drinking. Often this can be a real powerful motivator for giving up or cutting down.
If that is then the case, it can also be useful for sharing with professionals or even friends to keep you accountable.
It Tracks Progress Over Time
While you’ll potentially be able to track how your drinking may be getting out of control, on the flip side you can also track your progress too. A journal will provide a clear record of how you’re getting a handle on your drinking and it’s improving over time.
Change doesn’t happen overnight and being able to look back you may be able to see that nightly drinking has become an occasional choice and that the average amount your drinking per week is dropping.
Alongside the volume, you’ll start to notice positive trends in relation to things like mood, sleep patterns and energy levels too.
It Strengthens Emotional Awareness
Alcohol is often linked with emotions, whether it’s used to celebrate, relax, or cope with sadness. Journalling encourages you to reflect not only on how much you drank but also on how you were feeling at the time. Did you reach for a drink because you were stressed, anxious, or lonely? How did you feel afterwards?
Over time, you may discover that alcohol is tied to particular emotional states. Recognising this connection helps you develop healthier coping strategies, such as exercise, meditation, or talking to a friend, rather than automatically turning to alcohol.
It Empowers You to Set and Achieve Goals
Finally, having a journal will empower you to keep going and achieve your goals. Keeping a journal will help you set out clear goals and help you work towards specific aims, whether it be having alcohol free days, or reducing units over time.
By recording everything, you can see the goals that are being met, but also find where you may need to adjust.
By journaling you can celebrate the successes, even the small ones, and mark all your achievements. It’s a proactive way to get a handle over your drinking and understand where you’re at with it, whether that be a good space or if you need help. And having that knowledge really is power and a control many can only dream of.
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