How to drink less during the holidays: 5 expert tips to help you cut back on alcohol

The holidays are here, and the booze is flowing. From wine at Thanksgiving dinner to the steady stream of eggnog and festive cocktails at holiday parties to toasting the new year with a glass of bubbly, alcohol-fueled celebrations are clogging your calendar right now. But if you're still haunted by the Ghosts of Hangovers Past or want a head start on Dry January, rest assured: It is possible to get through the season without drinking quite so much.

Looking to cut back on the booze this holiday season? Experts share their top tips.

Plan or attend holiday events where alcohol isn’t the main attraction

“Parties are often centered around alcohol,” says Dr. Stephen Holtsford, medical director at Recovery Centers of America. “Instead, plan active events where the main attraction is something other than alcohol consumption.” That could mean inviting friends over to check out the holiday light displays in your neighborhood (with mugs of hot chocolate at the ready) instead of hosting a cocktail party.

If you're invited to a boozy gathering — say, the company holiday party you know will have an open bar — you can also consider whether or not it's worth attending. Holtsford notes that some people looking to avoid drinking stay away from events where they might be tempted, while others set a limit for how long they'll spend there. You can always drop by for a bit before calling it a night (or heading off for another activity that doesn't involve alcohol).

Consider only drinking on special occasions

Kelly Jones, a performance dietitian for athletes and active adults, advises minimizing your alcohol intake by only drinking on a select few occasions — and not, say, after work on a quiet Wednesday night at home. "Make it a point to skip your usual glass on weeknights or days when you don’t have a function,” says Jones.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines moderate drinking as no more than one alcoholic beverage per day for women, and two or fewer drinks per day for men; binge drinking is having four or more drinks on one occasion for women, or five or more drinks for men. Having eight or more drinks in a week (for women) or 15 or more (for men) is considered heavy drinking.

By steering clear of alcohol on other days of the week, you have a little more wiggle room to indulge during a party (though, again, it's advisable to avoid overdoing it and/or falling into the binge drinking category).

Find an accountability buddy

Think of this as a not-drinking buddy. “Team up with a friend who’s also cutting back and make it a fun challenge to try the best non-alcoholic drinks together,” suggests Dr. Partha Nandi, a gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at Michigan State University.

Whether it’s your spouse, partner, best friend or a co-worker, using the buddy system will help remind you to stay true to your desire to drink less. It's also more fun to sip a Shirley Temple when you're not the only one doing so.

Develop a drinking strategy

Nandi recommends setting a limit (such as just one drink for the night) before starting your evening, but there are even more ways to be strategic.

“I always suggest pushing the first drink back as long as possible,” Stephanie Dunne, a registered dietitian at Nutrition QED, tells Yahoo Life. “Starting with sparkling water or a mocktail reduces the amount of time in which alcohol could be consumed.”

Dunne and Jones both also recommend alternating between one alcoholic beverage and one non-alcoholic drink (either a mocktail, water or some bubbly seltzer to keep things feeling festive). “[This] can reduce total alcohol consumption while also helping keep one hydrated … which is one part of reducing hangover symptoms,” says Dunne.

Embrace the world of mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks

“Experiment with mocktails, non-alcoholic beer and other non-alcoholic drinks at home before the holiday events get started,” Dunne suggests. “There are so many non-alcoholic drink options on the market that each of us has to find the one that we want to drink.”

Dunne says her favorite mocktail is simply a splash of pure, unsweetened cranberry juice mixed into sparkling water. “The tannins in the cranberry juice and the bubbles in the sparkling water give a similar mouth feel to a dry sparkling rosé, without the negative side effects that alcohol can bring. Served in a champagne flute, this beverage is worthy of toasting with,” she says.

Also, while most events will have at least some juice or soda around, you can always opt to BYO other booze-free options.

“If you don’t anticipate non-alcoholic options wherever you’re going, bring a bottle of zero-proof wine or some sparkling water and fill up a wine or rocks glass,” says Jones.