What's your drinking style?

Why do you drink?

Everyone has different reasons for drinking, whether it’s to unwind after a long day, connect with others, or boost confidence in social settings.  

But understanding why you drink can help you make more informed choices about alcohol and build healthier habits.

What are the four common drinking motivations?

1. Socialising

Alcohol is often a big part of social life, from after-work drinks to birthday celebrations. While drinking socially might feel harmless, it can sometimes lead to binge drinking or regularly going over the low-risk drinking guidelines of more than 14 units per week.

If you're often drinking in social settings, it's important to keep track of how much you're consuming and how often you're drinking more than you intended.

Tips for social drinkers: 

• Be mindful of how much you're drinking in one session.
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks.
• Try planning alcohol-free activities like coffee dates, walks, or film nights.

2. Enhancement

Some people drink to enhance their mood or confidence, especially in social settings. It might feel like alcohol helps you loosen up or feel more fun, but these effects are only temporary.  

Drinking for enhancement can lead to a reliance on alcohol to feel good, and might affect your sleep, mood, and mental health over time. 

Tips for enhancement drinkers: 

• Recognise when you're using alcohol to change your mood.     
• Find other ways to boost your confidence: exercise, completing a creative task, or finding a new hobby. 
• Remind yourself that you don’t need alcohol to enjoy yourself. 

3. Conformity 

Saying no to a drink can feel awkward, particularly when it feels like everyone else is drinking.

Whether it’s pressure at work events, parties, or with close friends, drinking to fit in is a common experience. But it can lead to drinking more than you planned or even feeling anxious about saying no.

Tips for conforming drinkers:

• Practice saying no confidently, try phrases like "I'm good for now, thanks" or "I'm taking it easy tonight." 
• Suggest non-alcoholic options or alternate activities
• Remember, you don’t need to drink to feel included. You can still connect, laugh, and have fun without alcohol

4. Coping

Drinking to deal with stress, anxiety, or difficult emotions is common. While alcohol might feel like it helps in the short term, it can actually worsen low moods and stress in the long run, making things harder to manage without it. 

If you're using alcohol as a coping mechanism, it might be time to explore other ways to look after your mental wellbeing. 

Tips for coping drinkers:

• Try other methods to manage your emotions: journaling, talking to a friend, or mindfulness like meditation and yoga can be very helpful. 
• Build habits that support your mental health, like regular exercise or time outdoors. 
• If you're struggling, please consider speaking to a healthcare professional.