Tips to reduce alcohol and cannabis consumption follow. If you discover these tips are too difficult to start and stick with, might be worth considering your use is more problematic than you suspected.

Tips to Reduce Alcohol Use

For one week honestly count how many drinks you consume and the size of the drink. Keep a tally. It is important to have an honest baseline to honestly reduce the amount you drink.

Buy smaller cans of beer. But not more cans to make up for the decrease in volume.

Buy smaller wine glasses or an alcohol measure to ensure you are drinking the amount you intended.

Eat while you drink. Do not drink on an empty stomach.

Drink one less day a week. If you normally drink seven days a week, drink six. If you drink four days a week, drink three.

Drink a glass of water or a soft drink between alcoholic drinks.

When drinking with friends opt out of rounds, too easy to lose count.

Avoid cocktails as the amount of alcohol is inconsistent and difficult to accurately count. Or watch the bartender make your drink to keep an accurate count.

Replace with diluted drinks such as a spritzer or shandy.

Choose low alcohol and reduced alcohol drinks.

Reduce with a friend. Make a pact with a friend to both reduce; the support helps when your motivation weakens.

Do not drink when you are angry, sad, stressed or bored. It is too easy to lose count when emotionally drinking. Talk to a friend instead.

When you have the urge to drink, wait. Wait 10, 20 or 30 minutes. It is a short delay but a little practice at delayed gratification. Each delay over time will add up to decreased amounts consumed.

Ask yourself before you take a drink, do I really want one? Make it a conscious decision to drink, not just a habit to grab one.

Spend some time with people who do not drink.

Reward yourself when you meet a goal of alcohol reduction. (But not with a drink!) Acknowledge the changes you are making, it takes effort to change.

Tips to Reduce Cannabis Use

Use the above alcohol tips that can apply to other substances. Make an accurate count for a week and write it down. Reduce one day a week of use. Do not use when angry, sad, stressed or bored. Delay when first feel the urge for several minutes. Ask your self if you really want to smoke before you light up, be conscious. Spend time with people who do not use.

Buy less cannabis so you smoke less

Use a vaporizer to use less cannabis for similar effect

Slow down. If smoking with friends take only one puff and then pass it along. If smoking alone, stop after two puffs. Take longer breaks between puffs.

Smoke joints, not blunts or from bongs.

Do not add tobacco to joints as nicotine is habit forming, which will make it more difficult to reduce use.

Have someone you trust store your cannabis and dole it out on the pre-set schedule.