There is ample evidence that alcohol consumption has increased during the pandemic. In the U.S., 60 percent of respondents said alcohol consumption had increased compared to before the outbreak. Two of the main reasons are stress and boredom. The stress caused by the pandemic is particularly severe, as those who report feeling stressed also report drinking more on more days than others.
Given the reasons why people drink alcohol, it's not surprising that people assume that stress and boredom are the main reasons. But as in all areas of life, we should think more deeply about why we drink.
According to the prolific British writer and thinker G.K. Chesterton, one should "drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable". Chesterton's point is that alcohol is used to celebrate good things, but not to paralyze our pain or drown out our grief.
Given the findings of the above study, many of us have not followed his advice.
But what can we do?
According to contemporary ethicist William Matthissen, alcohol has several benign uses. A good way to solve this problem is to ask yourself some important questions and answer them as honestly as possible. Then, if any changes need to be made to the behavior, we can implement those changes.
Why do I drink?
Drinking alcohol to promote social interaction, to celebrate and cheer, or to relax and unwind, are several benign reasons for drinking.
We shouldn't drink to escape reality, alleviate our pain, gain the approval of others, or lose our will. If alcohol is necessary for us to have a good time, relax, or be honest, then something is wrong.
Maybe a flaw in our character is being revealed. We need to be able to do things like this without the "help" of alcohol.
Are there practical reasons for the reasons we are talking about?
If we say that drinking is meant to relax, but in reality our drinking makes us feel tired or sick the next day, then the reason we explain for drinking may not be our actual cause.
Or, if we say that we drink to make it easier to enjoy the company of friends, but our use of alcohol ends up creating tension or conflict, then we need to reassess what's really going on and make the appropriate changes.
Given the way we use alcohol, what kind of person are we becoming?
Habits are at the heart of human life. What kind of habits do we develop by drinking alcohol? Wisdom is necessary when we search our own hearts.
One person's limit may be two glasses of wine, while another person may only be able to handle fewer drinks.
Mattison rightly points out that alcohol should be "a decorative decoration of a feast of life, not a core ingredient in a meal." If it's more than that for us, then we should consider what needs to change so that alcohol has its proper place in our lives.