For some of us, our drinking habits are as regular as a clockwork. We drink by the clock to exercise some control over the rest of our lives. And although this may be useful in lessening the impact on work or other responsibilities, it trains our minds to expect alcohol at certain times of the day.
For others, the day of the week is important. We go easy on ‘school nights’ to go all out at the weekend, and only to wake up on Monday morning vowing never to do it again before hitting repeat towards the end of the week.
So, in reality, a time-based approach to control our drinking isn’t that successful. We follow a strict regime to prove we have a fraction of control, counting down the seconds until we can drink again while knowing, deep down, we still drink more than is good for us.
Using time makes our habits ritualistic. Understanding these rituals gives us the ability to plan and make changes.