How to Reduce Your Alcohol Intake: Drinking with Chopsticks

The power of slowing down your drinking.

There’s something about eating with chopsticks that changes your pace—it’s hard to rush when you’re conveying each mouthful with care. That slower pace helps you eat more mindfully, tune in to your body’s cues, and often, eat less overall.

Slowing down, it turns out, isn’t just good advice at the dinner table. It can also be a surprisingly effective tool for moderating your drinking. Think of “drinking with chopsticks” as a mindset: a playful reminder to pause, be present, and give your brain time to catch up to your glass.

Just like chopsticks force you to slow your pace at meals, intentional pauses between drinks can shift the energy of your evening—from impulsive and rushed to steady and self-aware.

Why slow drinking helps

Alcohol works fast, but so does regret. When we drink quickly, we tend to chase a feeling—relief, joy, escape—without giving ourselves time to feel it. Slowing down takes the frantic edge off drinking and gives us space to be more measured and rational.

But let’s be honest: slowing down sounds easy. It’s not.

That’s where rituals, timers, and a little creative disruption come in.

Practical ways to “drink with chopsticks”

Set a timer.
Try a 15-minute break between drinks. Set your phone, walk away, and give yourself time to reset.

Take a 10-minute walk.
Even just around the block. The fresh air might do more for you than another glass.

Tackle something tiny and annoying.
Wipe down the bathroom mirror. Clean out your junk drawer. Redirecting your energy can shift your mindset.

Or get weird—on purpose.

Sometimes, the best way to short-circuit the impulse to drink is to do something completely unexpected.

Make a Tiny Art Attack: keep mini art supplies on hand—stickers, crayons, paper scraps—and make something absurd. A one-inch masterpiece. A googly-eyed rock. This is about micro-creativity, not artistic merit.

Unleash the Shred Ritual: write down what’s bugging you. Then destroy it. Tear it up with flair. Shred it. Flush it. Set it on fire (safely). Symbolic destruction can be wildly cathartic.

Record a “Future You” Check-In: film a quick video—“Hey, I know you’re thinking about drinking right now…” Store it. Watch it later. Let your own voice remind you of your strength.

Reframing instead of restricting

One of the most powerful techniques you’ll find in MM’s Kickstart program is to shift the language around drinking. For example:

• Instead of “No more drinks,” try: “I’m going to take a 30-minute break and then check in with myself.”
• Instead of “I’ll only have 4 drinks,” try: “Each drink will last 45 minutes, and I’ll drink water or take a break between each one.”
• Instead of “No wine while I cook,” try: “I’ll pour 5 oz and treat it like a condiment—savor it slowly, one sip at a time.”

It’s not about deprivation. It’s about reclaiming control—gracefully, creatively, even joyfully.

 Try it tonight

Whatever your tools—timers, tiny art, future-you videos, or yes, even chopsticks—make your next drink a mindful one. A little pause can go a long way.

Curious about more strategies like these?

Check out MM’s Kickstart program for more flexible, personalized tips on moderating your drinking.