Drinking consciously isn’t always saying ‘no’ to another round. It’s simply being mindful and aware of the outcomes of drinking less or more.

If you’re of age, you might find it useful to set yourself a budget before you head to the bar. Drinks are expensive, so if you’re conscious of how many shots you’re buying, it might help you think about how much you’re actually drinking. It will also help you think twice before getting another drink as soon as you finish your last one. And, setting a drink budget can make you slow down while drinking, giving you time to sit, stand and/or dance.

One easy way to set and follow a budget for the bar is to bring a small amount of cash so you’re less likely to mindlessly tap your credit card over and over again. That said, you should bring your credit card or a second piece of ID with you since BC requires two pieces to buy alcohol.

Because the legal drinking age in BC is 19, many first-year students who’ve just graduated from high school are not able to go to the bar, thus the budget trick isn’t really useful. It’s hard to monitor how much you’re drinking when your brother bought you an entire mickey of Alberta Pure, which you keep drinking and drinking just so it’ll taste better. However, there are advantages to drinking under the radar.

For example, if you’ve got this mickey of vodka at home and you’re heading to a house party, you can measure out the amount you’ll want to drink throughout the night and put it into a separate container that you can bring with you. This will encourage you to get only as drunk as you’d planned to when you were sober.
Both of these tactics of setting healthy limits for yourself when drinking could easily be pushed aside once you’re out at the bar or out at that house party. Of course, someone else could give you a beer at the party or you could start tapping your credit card at the bar. Nevertheless, setting intentions before you start drinking so you have something to return to while you’re drinking can be useful.

It’s also always good to remember that you can go to the bar again, or that there will always be another house party. If you set yourself a limit that doesn’t work for you, ride out the night and adjust next time.

Again, drinking consciously is about knowing yourself, looking out for your tomorrow morning self and thinking when you drink