Dear Stress Drinkers
We all could use a little relief, but drinking more alcohol isn't the answer.
The news cycle has been relentless—forest fires, plane crashes, and endless war fill our feeds, making it feel like the world is spiraling out of control. It's no wonder so many of us instinctively reach for a stiff drink just to take the edge off.
But alcohol may not be the best tool for the job. In fact, it might even backfire. That’s why I suggest a mindful drinking approach.
Mindful drinking is about making intentional choices regarding alcohol—whether that means drinking less or not drinking at all. Instead of automatically finishing off an open bottle of wine, it’s about pausing to ask:
Will this actually help me feel better?
To be clear, I’m not against alcohol. As a former bartender and bar owner, I’ve served my fair share of drinks. Moderate consumption has long been associated with relaxation and social bonding.1 But in times of stress, alcohol often does the opposite. We end up drinking more.
Binge drinking—defined as five or more drinks in one night—has been shown to increase cortisol, the stress hormone, and even shrink gray matter in the brain.2 That means the extra drink we’re hoping will “take the edge off” could actually make things worse in the long run.
Fortunately, there are better ways to relieve stress than drinking. Many of the things we associate with alcohol—laughing, dancing, storytelling—are just as effective, if not more so, without it. Even simple pleasures like eating chocolate can increase endorphins and help counteract stress.
And if you still want something in your glass, mindful drinking offers an alternative: reducing alcohol through no- and low-alcohol drinks. The good news? These drinks are now more available than ever.
Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the number of non-alcoholic beverages grew by nearly 30%.3 From non-alcoholic beers and wines to complex zero-proof spirits, the industry has evolved far beyond sugary mocktails. You can now find sophisticated non-alcoholic options at Michelin-starred restaurants, grocery stores, and even major events. In fact, this past January in Washington, D.C. we hosted the Mindful Drinking Fest, where attendees sampled hundreds of these drinks firsthand.
At a time when stress levels are high and the world feels unpredictable, having more choices is a welcome shift. Whether you opt for a low-alcohol wine or a non-alcoholic spritz, mindful drinking allows you to enjoy the ritual of a drink without adding unnecessary stress.
We may not be able to control world events, but we can often control how we respond to them. And when it comes to managing stress, we don’t need more reasons to worry—we just need better tools. A good drink, with no- or low-alcohol, can still be one of them.
If you’re experiencing stress-overload right now, there are proven strategies to help. Below is a post with some suggestions from Gloria Mark, author of Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. (I took the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and it did wonders!)
Thank you for this reminder! And I enjoyed Gloria's article which was full of not only suggestions but also explained why activities like journaling, writing down tasks, and breathing work!