Here’s How to Drink Less Alcohol—But Enjoy It Even More饮酒：减量增趣

亚历山德拉·凯 玛吉·西弗 译/王晶 审订/马士奎

Whatever your reasons， if you’ve decided it’s time to approach alcohol with a newfound quality-over-quantity mindset， these tips—a mix of practical hacks and psychology tips—are a great place to start. You don’t need another stiff drink to be happy and fun， but you also don’t need to give up delicious cocktails and yummy wine forever in order to be happy and healthy. There’s a huge expanse of middle ground in there， and finding it just comes down to1 mindful choices and moderation.

1. Don’t include a glass in your wind-down routine

“After a long day at work or with the kids， wine is a quick， easy way to switch gears， but it’s not the best，” says Traci Dutton， sommelier and the manager of public wine and beverage studies at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena， Calif. “Even for someone who works with wine all day， I’ve come to realize that there are far better ways to de-stress. Personally， I often have a big glass of water and go for a walk. Then， later in the evening when I’m relaxed， I can fully appreciate the flavor and experience of my wine， and I know that I’m drinking for the right reason.”

2. Replace drinking （or a drink） with something else

Doing something you enjoy allows you to focus on action （taking a bike ride， for example） rather than inaction （not drinking）. “One of the real difficulties with the resolutions people make is that they’re negative resolutions，” says Art Markman， PhD， a cognitive scientist and psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Negative here refers to goals around elimination， deprivation， or lack. “Instead， figure out what you can do that’s fun and exciting and also will have the side effect2 of your not drinking，” he says. So if you’re hoping to cut down on drinks， instead of focusing on “I’m not allowed to drink X”， think in terms of how you’re going to replace it： a seltzer with lemon， a big glass of water， or herbal tea; or physically choose to do something else： Get outside to walk the dog or take a hot bath.

3. Try mindful drinking

Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean shutting yourself in a room to meditate. You can actually exercise mindfulness while you’re enjoying cocktails. Mindful drinking helps banish that all-or-nothing mentality that often accompanies alcohol; it lets you fully enjoy and appreciate what you’re sipping on without the temptation to over-indulge. How does it work？ Drink your portion slowly and be fully present： Don’t think about downing it and ordering the next round. Notice what it smells like， tastes like， even feels like on your tongue. Note how it makes you feel physically and specifically. Appreciate its flavors （you might notice a new layer to a wine you rarely give a second thought; or suddenly realize you don’t particularly like it）. Is the glass heavy， delicate， fluted3， cold？ Who are you with—are you really listening to them， or are you thinking about what you’re going to eat later？ （Plus， you can’t be mindful if you’re drunk.） It’s not easy， but with time you’ll find that you end up consuming less the more present you are while drinking.

4. Time yourself

As with food， a little ongoing vigilance goes a long way toward reducing consumption. “Aim to make a single drink last at least 45 minutes， and ideally an hour，” says Michael Levy， PhD， a psychologist and clinical success manager at DynamiCare Health， digital platform targeting substance abuse. As you repeat this process， sipping slowly becomes a reflex， rather than something you can do only with the assistance of a timer on your phone.

5. Use a white-wine glass

You’ll pour roughly 12 percent more in a larger glass than a smaller one without even realizing it， according to a study from Iowa State University and Cornell University. And， yes， it’s OK to serve an everyday Cabernet or Chianti in a Chardonnay glass. “It won’t negatively impact the taste of most red wines，” Dutton confirms.

6. Stop worrying about “wasting” drinks

You don’t have to finish every glass of wine you pour or cocktail you’re served. “It’s so hard to get over this instinct， because no one likes to be wasteful or throw money down the drain. But life is too short to drink more than you want to or a beverage you’re not enjoying，” Dutton says. Nor should you feel that you have to empty a bottle of wine the same day you open it. “Most bottles—and this is true even for many sparkling wines—are fine for a day， and sometimes up to a full week if you use a wine stopper and store them in the fridge，” Dutton says.

不管以何理由，如果你決定以一种新萌发的重质不重量的心态对待饮酒，下面这些结合实用技巧和心理学小窍门的忠告都是很好的开端。你既不需要贪杯烈酒来获取愉悦和乐趣，也不需要为了幸福和健康永远放弃美味的鸡尾酒和葡萄酒。两者之间存在一个巨大的中间地带，只需要谨慎选择、适度饮酒就可以了。

1. 莫将饮酒当作放松方法

“如果一整天都在工作或照顾孩子，小酌一杯可以让你迅速又轻易地进入放松状态，但这并非最好的办法。”加州圣赫勒拿格雷斯通的美国烹饪学院公共葡萄酒和饮料研究室负责人、侍酒师特拉奇·达顿说道，“我已经意识到，即使对终日跟酒打交道的人来说，也有比饮酒好得多的减压方法。就个人而言，我经常喝上一大杯水，然后出去散步。等到晚上迟些时候，放松下来，我可以充分领略葡萄酒的风味和口感，此时饮酒也可以心安理得。”

2. 用其他事情代替饮酒

做自己喜欢的事情可以让人专注于有所行动（比如骑自行车），而不是无所作为（不饮酒）。得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的认知科学家和心理学教授阿特·马尔克曼博士指出，“人们做出的这些决定本身是消极的，这是真正的困难之一”。这里说的“消极”是指那些行为的目标在于消除、剥夺或者缺乏某些东西。他说：“去发现哪些事情对于自己来说既有趣又振奋，还有让你不喝酒的附带作用。”因此，如果你打算少喝酒，不应去专注于“我不能喝什么”，而应该考虑可以用什么东西替代它——柠檬苏打水、一大杯水或是花草茶;或者选择其他体力活动——出去遛狗，或者洗个热水澡。

3. 尝试正念饮酒

正念并不意味着把自己关在房间里苦思冥想。你其实可以在喝鸡尾酒时锻炼正念。正念饮酒有助于驱散酒精带来的“要么喝个痛快要么滴酒不沾”的极端心态;让你充分享受和品鉴正在啜饮的佳酿，而不会使你饮酒过度。如何做到？缓缓品味杯中酒，做到全神贯注：不要想着一饮而尽，然后再点一杯。感受酒的气味、味道甚至舌尖的触感，关注酒带给身体的具体感受，品它的味道（你可能会注意到之前完全忽视的葡萄酒的新层次;或者突然意识到你并不是特别喜欢这种酒）。酒杯分量如何、精致与否、有无沟纹、触感是否冰凉？你与谁共酌——你是否在认真听人讲话，还是在想着一会儿要吃什么？（另外，喝醉的人是做不到正念的。）这并不容易，但逐渐地，你会发现，越是意念集中，最后喝下去的酒越少。

4. 给自己设定时间

就像对待食物一样，保持一定的警惕能有效减少摄入量。专注于治疗成瘾流行病的数字平台DynamiCare Health的心理学家和临床应用主管迈克尔·利维博士建议，“至少把喝一杯酒的时间延长至45分钟，一个小时最好”。不断重复这个过程，小口慢饮就会成为一种本能反射，而不是只能借助手机上的计时器来做的事情。

5. 使用白葡萄酒酒杯

根据爱荷华州立大学和康奈尔大学的一项研究，相比使用小杯子，用大杯子时会无意识地多倒约12%的酒。所以，可以用霞多丽白葡萄酒酒杯盛日常喝的解百纳红酒或基安蒂红酒。达顿证实：“对大多数红酒而言，这不会响口感。”

6. 别再担心“浪费”美酒

你不必喝完每一杯自己倒的红酒或为你端上来的鸡尾酒。达顿说：“要克服这种本能很难，因为没有人喜欢浪费或把钱白白扔掉。但人生苦短，无须喝太多你不想喝或不喜欢的酒。”你也不用觉得酒开了之后当天就得喝完。达顿还告诉人们：“大多数酒——甚至对于许多起泡酒也是如此——存放一天并无大碍。如果用酒塞塞好放入冰箱，有时可以存放一整周。”

（译者单位：中央民族大学外国语学院）