Summer heat anxiety and mindful drinking
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In many people the summer heat can cause anxiety (see here), it sometimes happens to me and I feel like the odd one out when everyone is loving the weather. Add drinking and hangxiety into the equation and it can be a turbulent season.
1. Preparation is everything. Once the summer season kicks off we’ll quite quickly be in the thick of it, balancing work with social lives and trying to make the most of the weather. If you start off on the right foot it will be much easier to maintain the habit throughout. Ask yourself whether you want to be alcohol-free, or consume lower alcohol options. Then do research, work out which drinks, brands, ingredients and solutions you want (hopefully the pointers below will help). Do this before things kick off and you’ll be ready.
2. Ease the summer ‘always on’ stress. Aside from Christmas, I find summer to be the craziest time of year in terms of social commitments, but unlike Christmas, we tend to work through most of it. Then there’s the heat which can naturally trigger stress hormones in some people, but there are alcohol-free cocktails which will actually work to help lower these stresses. I can recommend a Chill Out (with chamomile, lavender and magnesium), a Fresh Focus, a Tea Time or a Blue Funday (with ginger, chamomile, lemon and cacao – which is a mood enhancer).
3. Fake it. Sometimes the ritual of ordering a summer bottle of white wine or rose and sharing it with friends is as big a part as what’s inside the bottle. There are some stellar alcohol-free sparkling wines you can enjoy in the sun. I personally love Noughty wine. They have a stunning dry sparkling Chardonnay and sparkling rose. They also have alcohol-free red wine and white wine. Other brands I really like are Odbird and Zeno. If it’s fizz you’re after, a glass of fine kombucha in a Champagne glass works a treat, like LA Brewery Blush or Real Kombucha. Copenhagen Sparkling Tea comes in a Champagne-style bottle too. Or Jukes, which was created by a sommelier as a wine alternative.
4. Cider with Rosie (or Ruth, Rob, or….). Using Apple Cider Vinegar in small doses works a treat. It’s got loads of possible health benefits (including lowering cholesterol and even fighting belly fat) – Victoria Beckham swears by it. Because it’s fermented it can really emulate the taste of alcohol when combined with something fizzy. Except it’s very good for you and could even stop sugar cravings! Try the Ice Tea Up with Three Spirit Livener to see for yourself.
5. Nature’s pharmacy. Try exploring functional wines, and spirits infused with adaptogens. These are herbs and other botanicals that are mood and body-balancing and they help the body respond to tiredness, stress and anxiety – everything we look for in alcohol without the hangover!. They do affect how we feel, so they do need to be treated responsibly. But many people see them as a serious alternative to alcohol. Stock up on some for the season! The best place to try them is Club Soda Tasting Room, Bar & Shop in Covent Garden, or buy online at Wise Bartender or Sippers Drinks.
6. Survive the festival. Ok, so depending on mindset this could be one of the biggest challenges for anyone looking to remove or reduce alcohol this summer. However, you need to tell yourself that mindful drinking at a festival is possible. All the major ones now offer zero-alcohol beers and cocktails and activities other than drinking and music. My main advice here would be preparation – research the event fully before you go and make a beeline for all the tents and spaces that offer an alternative. Do it as soon as you get there to familiarise yourself with the lay of the land, some will have wellness tents and meditation, that kind of thing. The kind of drinks you should be hunting out at a festival would be a Caffe Cocktail (with espresso strength cold brew coffee), a Fizz Up with Apple Cider Vinegar, or a Lazy Matinee with coffee liqueur. If you can’t find the exact thing (very possible!), just remember the key ingredients and consider iced coffees with natural caffeine. Avoid energy drinks that are packed with sugar!
7. Stay hydrated. This seems really obvious, but sometimes we crave an alcoholic beverage when actually we’re just thirsty. ALWAYS start a day or evening out with a large glass of water and ensure you have some more every other drink or so. You’ll find you drink less (because you have less room in your tummy!) and you stay hydrated, which decreases the impact of a hangover.
