Is social drinking good for me?

When I was younger, I thought alcohol was the devil. An absolute villain.

Younger me might have had a few good points but I have come to appreciate the social side to drinking - the nice, relaxed-state that carries you through hours of conversation with ease. But it has got me wondering, can you have too much of a good thing? Is social drinking just a big waste of money and my health in the name of socialising? I used to think so but I think social drinking can have some benefits that outweigh the associated problems.

The key distinction is knowing when to stop. It is perhaps a distinction I have developed more as an adult. The intuition when you’ve had enough and are ready to call it a night. It requires an ability to read when a conversation is at an end and when you are feeling tired and ready for a quiet night in with some telly. It may sound almost too responsible but one thing I try to monitor constantly is how much I have had to drink over the past couple of hours. This helps me make sure that I am spacing my drinking out and taking it easy. I might alternate between a glass of water or a bowl of chips but I always try to be mindful of how I am tracking.

Even though having a couple of beers isn’t going to kill me, it often makes me feel a bit bloated and gross. That’s why I find there is nothing better than exercise and a detox day even after having just a few social drinks. With my health in mind, I have often questioned how frequent is wise to practice social drinking? Is it once every few days? Once a week? Once a month? Or only for special occasions? I don’t live by any hard and fast rule but I think it is always nice to have a chat with someone over a drink, even if it is just once in a while.