How many times have you filled your partner’s wine glass without asking? Or maybe they regularly have a large glass of red or a beer waiting for you when you get home from work?
You could be encouraging each other to drink more than you would really like. Working together, you can cut back on your alcohol intake.
Drinking habits
When you live with your partner it’s easy to adopt each other’s habits, without even realising it.
Health Psychologist Martin Hagger says it’s important to look for the ‘triggers’ that bring on your habits: “The obvious one for drinking is having a hard day at work.
“Many people associate alcohol with pleasure and relaxation.”
Triggers can be as simple as time and place.
“You get home from work and it’s 6.30pm.
It’s time to relax and eat, and that’s when your thoughts might turn to that first drink.”
As your behaviours become shared habits, such as splitting a bottle of wine in front of your favourite TV programme, they become harder to change. You reinforce each other’s behaviour,” says Hagger.
“One of you might say you don’t feel like wine that evening, but if the other persuades you with a gentle ‘go on’, your resistance can easily cave in.”
Just for today
Starting today, I will do whatever I can to realise my dreams.
The AA Estcourt branch hosts meetings every Tuesday at Forderville Primary School from 7pm to 8pm. Contact Desigan on 082 849 3014.
The AA Winterton branch hosts meetings every Thursday at the Springfield Church opposite the police station from 7pm to 8pm.
Contact Dolly on 071 688 5330 or Virgilo on 079 688 0432.
