How to stick to a 'Dry January': Expert reveals 6 tricks to avoid alcohol and deal with peer pressure to drink

The advice comes from Professor Simon Lenton at Curtin University in Perth
He says planning your response to friends questions ahead of time will help
Avoid getting into rounds, and try to get support from like-minded friends

Published: 04:39 EST, 29 December 2016 | Updated: 11:39 EST, 29 December 2016

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Many of us have indulged in a few too many mulled wines over the festive season.

Now, as the New Year approaches, the promise of sticking to a 'dry January' could help ease the guilt of Christmas excesses.

But anyone who has ever tried to give up alcohol will have had to battle with peer pressure to drink on nights out.

Writing for The Conversation, Professor Simon Lenton, director of the national drug research institute at Curtin University in Perth, gives six tips to stick to your goals.

As the New Year approaches, the promise of sticking to a 'dry January' could help ease the guilt of Christmas excesses. But anyone who has ever tried to give up alcohol have had to battle with peer pressure to drink on nights out

HOW TO DEAL WITH PRESSURE TO DRINK

1 - Expect to deal with peer pressure

2 - Plan your response

3 - Remind yourself of your reasons

4 - Get support from like-minded friends

5 - Stay out of rounds

6 - Leave an uncomfortable situation

It's difficult to find specific research on why our friends put pressure on us to drink.

But there are some general indications from social psychology and sociology regarding conformity and group mentality.

Essentially, we are tribal social animals. From an evolutionary perspective, early humans had to form social groups to hunt, gather food, protect each other and survive.

As a result, we have evolved tendencies to support group cohesion by conforming to group norms and shunning non-conformity.

So if we tend to associate with people who are like us and engage in similar behaviours, and we start doing things in a way that goes against the group norms, such as not drinking in a social situation, this can be a challenge to the acceptability of that behaviour in the group.

As I say to clients in my clinical psychology practice, when you decide you want to cut down or stop drinking, it can be a bit like you are holding up a mirror to your mates that says 'I've decided my drinking needs to change and maybe you should look at your own drinking'.

At an almost unconscious level, they can try and resolve this discomfort by encouraging you to start drinking again, just like them.

Professor Simon Lenton, director of the national drug research institute at Curtin University in Perth says avoiding rounds, having good reasons and getting the support of like-minded people is key to avoiding peer pressure to drink on nights out (stock image)

And of course, even if they might be supportive of your intentions not to drink when they are sober, after they've had a few drinks, they may be more likely to put pressure on you to drink.

Here are some tips for dealing with pressure to drink in social situations.

EXPECT PEER PRESSURE

Don't be surprised if you friends seem to undermine your efforts to cut down their drinking.

They're not necessarily trying to undermine you. They're probably just dealing with their own insecurities about their drinking.

PLAN YOUR RESPONSE

Plan for and rehearse how you will respond before you put yourself in that social drinking situation.

Sometimes having a cover story, such as 'I'm on medication so I need to give drinking a rest' or 'I'm driving', can help in the short term.

REMIND YOURSELF OF YOUR REASONS

Remind yourself of the reasons you are cutting down or stopping drinking.

A strong resolution to change your drinking can be an important part of resisting pressure to drink.

GET SUPPORT FROM LIKE-MINDED FRIENDS

Think about who in the group might be supportive of your decision to change your drinking behaviour and consider making them an ally.

You can speak to them beforehand, explain what you are trying to do, and tell them what you'd like them to do to help deal with any pressure from the group.

STAY OUT OF ROUNDS

In the drinking situation, if people are buying rounds, either stay out of these or buy others alcoholic drinks when it's your turn to shout, but ask they buy you a non-alcoholic drink.

LEAVE AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION

If they persist with putting pressure on you to drink, you can leave the situation. You might want to reflect on whether they are the kind of mates you want to be around when you're trying to change your drinking behaviour.