6 Tips to Have a Healthy and Balanced Social Life in Dubai

If you're a new expat who's just moved to Dubai or have been around for a while, you know already that going out and socializing in this part of the world is often associated with drinking.

Not everyone drinks, but for those that do, social drinking can become problematic when we don’t know when to stop and Dubai is well known for its luxurious, over the top weekday and weekend brunches.

 

Alcoholic beverages can be experienced as a social enabler and in moderation can be safely enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle, including good, healthy eating and exercise. However, when it begins to interfere with your daily routine and work life, then reevaluating your choices may be necessary. So how do we balance this? How do we know when it is too much? How do we say no, or limit our intake? 

 

This is where social – health – life - balance comes in. 

 

It is important to create a plan for cutting back; below are some tips you can try out:

Keep track of the alcoholic beverages you have had in one sitting. Make a goal to go 2 full days (48 hours) after drinking without any alcohol. 
 

Decide before you go out how many alcoholic drinks you are going to enjoy today. Try and enjoy drinks over a course of time. (eg; 2 drinks over a period of 2-3 hours) It is easy to monitor this and slow down your drinking if you always have a glass of water present. 

SEE ALSO: Managing Anxiety, Stress and Trauma Through EMDR Therapy
 

Examine your social circles and see if excessive drinking is being encouraged.  Find a friend who can hold you accountable, or who you can skip a night out drinking and try a new workout class together. 
 

Many go out on an empty stomach, which can lead to quicker consumption and alcohol absorption. Make sure you are consuming water between drinks (this will help you reduce the number of drinks as well) 
 

Think of how you feel the day after, especially at the workplace when you have not gone out and drank. Make yourself a list 5-10 benefits of not going out and look at this list before you make your decision.
 

Organize and schedule one or two days during the week you will allow yourself to go out. On the other days, enjoy activities that will energize you and make you feel refreshed for the next day. 

 

SEE ALSO: Benefits of Mindfulness: What Does It Mean For You?

Need some more help to dig deeper? In light of providing free support to the community, Blue Lights Wellness offers free individual health/ life/ motivation coaching sessions on November 5th & November 12th with Wellness Practitioner Erin. Email us to book your session.