12 Ways to Cut Down on Drinking Alcohol, Smoking Weed or Using Drug

For some people, drinking, smoking weed or using drugs becomes a way of dealing with stress, switching off, managing difficult emotions or simply getting through the day. The problem is that something that starts as a way of coping can gradually become the main way we cope.

It can be useful to ask yourself: What role is alcohol or drug use playing in my life right now?  Are you using more than you intended? Finding it difficult to have a night or weekend without it? Using it to deal with stress, anxiety, boredom or difficult feelings? Maybe you are noticing that it is beginning to affect your relationships, work, sleep, finances or mood? You don't necessarily have to decide that you are going to quit forever. For some people, the first step is simply to cut down and see what changes.

Here are some practical things that can help.

1. Decide what you want to change

Be specific about what you want to do. Perhaps you want to drink less during the week, have more alcohol-free days, stop smoking weed, or take a break from a particular drug.

A vague goal such as “I need to use less” can be difficult to follow. A more specific goal gives you something to work towards.

2. Know why you want to change

Think about what you would like to be different. Maybe you're tired of hangovers, you're spending too much money, your mood has changed, you're not sleeping well, or you're concerned about how your substance use is affecting the people around you.

Write these reasons down. When motivation is low, it can help to remind yourself why you decided to make a change in the first place.

3. Pay attention to your triggers

Notice when you are most likely to want a drink, smoke or use drugs. Is it after a stressful day at work? When you're feeling lonely? When you're with certain friends? At the end of the week? When you're bored or struggling with a particular emotion?

Understanding the pattern is important because it gives you something to work with. You can't always avoid your triggers, but you can start thinking about how you want to respond to them differently.

4. Find other ways to cope

If alcohol or drugs have become your way of relaxing, switching off or managing difficult feelings, cutting down can leave a bit of a gap.

Try filling that gap with things that genuinely help you feel better — exercise, seeing a friend, cooking, getting outside, listening to music, reading, journalling or simply having some quiet time.

The aim isn't to distract yourself from every difficult feeling. It's to give yourself more than one way of dealing with them.

5. Make it harder to use impulsively

If alcohol or drugs are readily available, it is much easier to make an impulsive decision.

Where possible, don't keep large amounts of alcohol at home and avoid having substances easily accessible. Think about the situations in which you are most likely to give in to an urge and make a plan before you are in that situation.

6. Plan for social situations

You may find that cutting down is easier on your own than when you're out with friends.

Think ahead. Decide what you are going to drink, how much you want to have, and what you will say if someone offers you something. And remember: you don't have to use just because everyone else is.

If certain people repeatedly pressure you to drink or use, it may be worth reconsidering how much time you spend around them while you're trying to make a change.

7. Keep track of what you are actually using

It can be surprisingly easy to lose track of how much you're drinking or using, particularly when it has become part of your routine. For a few weeks, write down what you use, how much, when and where. Also make a note of what was happening beforehand and how you felt afterwards.

You may start to notice patterns that you weren't aware of before.

8. Have alcohol- and drug-free days

If you're trying to cut down, experiment with having planned days where you don't drink or use.

Rather than thinking “I'll see how I feel tonight,” make the decision beforehand.

If you find that you repeatedly intend to have a day off but can't manage it, that's useful information too. It may suggest that your substance use is becoming more difficult to control than you realised.

9. Keep yourself occupied

Sometimes the urge to drink or use is strongest when there is nothing else happening. Think about the times of day or week when you are most likely to use and plan something for those periods. Exercise, cooking, meeting someone for coffee, going for a walk, watching a film or working on a hobby can all help create a different routine.

10. Get some support

You don't have to figure this out by yourself. Talk to someone you trust about what you're trying to change. Having someone who knows what you're doing can make it easier to stay accountable.

If you've tried to cut down several times and keep finding yourself back where you started, it may also be worth speaking to a professional who understands substance use.

11. Don't let one slip become a complete setback

Changing your relationship with alcohol or drugs isn't always a straight line. You might have a night where you drink more than you planned or use when you had decided not to. Try to look at what happened rather than deciding that you've failed.

What was happening beforehand? What were you feeling? Who were you with? What could you do differently next time? A setback can give you useful information about what still needs attention.

12. Look at what is underneath the substance use

Sometimes the most important question isn't “How do I stop drinking or using?” but “What am I using it for?” If alcohol or drugs have become a way of managing anxiety, loneliness, anger, stress, boredom or difficult emotions, cutting down may mean learning new ways of dealing with those experiences. That can take time. But the more ways you have to cope, relax, connect and manage difficult moments, the less you have to rely on a substance to do those things for you.

Start with one change

You don't have to change everything at once. Choose one thing from this list that feels realistic and try it for the next week. Pay attention to what happens — not just to how much you use, but to your mood, sleep, relationships and how you feel about yourself.

Sometimes change starts with simply becoming more aware of a pattern.

And if you are finding it difficult to cut down despite wanting to, that is worth taking seriously. You don't have to wait until things become a crisis before asking for help.