How To Think About Drinking In Middle Age

Have you ever heard of Dry January? My husband and I decided to not drink this month to see if we could go a month without drinking alcohol and it was pretty easy to do actually. And from all the research I’ve read, it was good for our health. 

Enjoying a drink is nothing new, and nothing to feel guilty about either. A shared glass of wine with friends, a brandy in the evening, or perhaps a beer on game day, many people enjoy a cocktail and never worry about it.

However, it’s true to say that while alcohol isn’t always that bad, it’s rarely a totally good thing, either. Sure, it can help you enjoy belly laughs with friends, but it does affect our health, with recent health studies showing there is no real safe limit for alcohol. 

Luckily, if you can control your limit, moderation is a relatively good policy to keep, unless of course you’ve had problems drinking in the past and choose to completely ignore it. Many people choose to quit and see their lives enriched because of that, so if you could live without it, that’s also a fantastic choice to make. 

But how should you think about drinking as you enter and progress into the middle-aged part of your life? In this post, I’ll discuss several wise insights to keep, so you can more easily manage your relationship with alcohol.

1. Consider The Relationship You Have With Drinking

Middle age tends to bring about a profound sense of introspection. We reflect on the journey and know more about who we are than ever before. We’ve also seen a good amount of life and have had the chance to experience many things, so odds are, you’ve gotten a lot of wanton partying out of your system. 

When it comes to drinking, it’s good to assess how your relationship with alcohol has evolved. This might involve good habits, perhaps less helpful ones, and even your tastes. Perhaps you drink less often, but invest in good liqueurs and make delicious cocktails instead of drinking a good amount on game day. It’s also wise to acknowledge any changes in tolerance and recognize that what may have been suitable in your younger years might need adjustment now. I know that my tolerance to alcohol has changed in the last few years. 

Write down in a journal what your thoughts are – you may surprise yourself!

2. Note That Your Health Is All

All bodies undergo natural changes with age, and that makes it increasingly important to prioritize health and well-being. Drinking, when done in excess or when consumed too often, can have adverse effects on both physical and mental health. It can also cause unwanted weight gain, make us fall into worse eating habits, and can age our skin. 

Middle age is the ideal time to adopt a more complete approach to well-being, and considering the impact of alcohol on your body, sleep, and overall vitality, practicing a little moderation, or at least hydrating more when enjoying a tipple with friends, is key. You can also bake in self-care practices, engage in wonderful regular exercise, and be very mindful about drinking and what it does.

Nonalcohol alternatives

When I started my sober curious journey to see if it improved my health and sleeping, I was so happy to learn that there were dealcoholized wines that I could drink when we were entertaining friends. My two favorite brands are Fre (made by Sutter Home) and Giesen Wine from New Zealand. These wines have the alcohol removed and are less calories than regular wine. I haven’t found a dealcoholized red wine that I like yet. If you’re going to try dealcoholized wines, stick to the whites, roses, and sparkling bruts. My husband found a terrific nonalcoholic IPA beer that he enjoys drinking. We have a friend whose cardiologist told him to stop drinking for his heart health and introduced my husband last fall to this IPA, which began our discussion on omitting alcohol and drinking alternative wines and beers.

To be honest with you I have tried non-alcoholic tequila and emptied the bottle in the sink. It was horrible and a waste of 60.00! So I’m sticking to wine until the industry does a better job with the spirits.

3. Be Honest About Your Intake

Of course, you don’t have to write a diary about your drinking habits or turn in a record to some higher authority to enjoy a drink now and then. You can simply enjoy it with your family, and think nothing of it.

But it’s important to be very mindful about your habits and intake. It might be that when you were a little younger, you thought nothing about having a few bottles of wine a week, perhaps a glass in the evening after work, or a little more when celebrating with friends at the weekend. Now we’re a little older, it’s important to be attentive to our habits and never allow ourselves to fall into a negative approach.

For example, if you’ve noticed that you can’t have alcohol in the house or it will be consumed, then you might only purchase a little at a time, or only for events like dinner parties. If you promised yourself you wouldn’t drink one weekend but you did, that’s also something to address head-on. Perhaps you have a family member who has had issues, or you’ve noticed that your intake is increasing, also be very honest about that. If you can be honest with yourself, you can notice trends and ask for help when you need it.

4. Be Mindful Around Your Family

Of course, not all families drink. If you do but they don’t, it’s good to be a little more reticent around them so you can share in the relaxed atmosphere without feeling tipsy. If your family is a bad influence, you can try to avoid going out with them during their more hectic nights.

Sometimes, you may decide to put down a bottle even on a moderately recreational process, because you’ve been through rehab for alcohol with a relative and would rather no longer have it in your life. Or, perhaps you just want to set more of an example at family gatherings like weddings. Then again, perhaps when the kids have gone to bed, relaxing with your extended family and having fun is no big deal.

At the very least, redefining what drinking means to us in these situations, as opposed to just at home, can help us take a more mature view of our recreational habits.

5. Consider Your Changing Tastes

Just as our taste in music, food, and hobbies evolves, so too should our approach to drinking. Middle age often brings a much more refined palate and a deeper appreciation for quality over quantity. This is where drinking can turn from a nice pastime to something more artistic if you want. You could explore different types of beverages, like more unique flavors of fine wines, craft beers, or artisanal spirits. 

 

You might learn the process of brewing, or even invest in a little winemaking. Perhaps you’ll think about pairings more when putting together a delicious cheese board at home. Taking our mature perspective and refined tastes and having fun with them is much better than feeling tipsy, as such an approach can enrich our lives for the better.

With this advice, you’re sure to take a renewed, and healthier, approach to thinking about your drinking habits.

Until next time!