Avoid drowning your sorrows over England's World Cup defeat - and feel the benefits: Richard Piper

But, with Christmas and the New Year and the final World Cup games to go, we may find our drinking creeping up.

With the recent ONS data showing record alcohol deaths in the UK, we must keep thinking about our relationship with alcohol, even in sad times.

You might notice feeling happy, confident and less stressed when you first have a drink, but alcohol is a depressant. The immediate aftermath of drinking — hangovers — can also have a huge impact on our health, with physical symptoms including trembling, weakness, nausea and headaches, and ‘hangxiety’ – hangover anxiety. The ‘hair of the dog’ approach can seem tempting, but it can lead to an unhealthy pattern of behaviour and possibly to dependency.

It is possible to be more mindful with your drinking. Start by tracking how much you’re drinking each day and week, and get to know your units. You can download the free Try Dry app, available on Apple and Android, to help you with this.

Set positive targets for yourself, rather than negative ones – for example, it would be better to say ‘I want to wake on Saturday mornings feeling fresh and ready for the weekend’, rather than, ‘I’m sick of feeling rubbish and lying in bed with a hangover on Saturdays’.

If you know there are events coming up or emotional states that would normally have you reaching for a tipple, do your research and planning in advance. Planning might include removing left over alcohol from the house or at least putting it out of sight; buying in some alcohol-free alternatives - there's now so much to choose from; practising what you’ll say if you’re offered a drink.

Do your homework: if you’re going out, find out what drinks will be on offer, ask your companions to support your decision, and reward yourself when you overcome a tricky challenge.

If you’d like to talk to your loved one about your concerns about their drinking during the World Cup and beyond, it’s important to plan what you’re going to say first. Try not to criticise or blame them. Instead talk to them with empathy about their drinking and the effect it is having on you. Pick a time when they are sober and so more likely to listen. If the conversation gets heated, accept that it’s not the right time and try again later. And, if they’re open to it, encourage them to get a check-up from their GP.

Taking a few days off alcohol every week or taking an extended break like having a Dry January can be a great way to cut down and give your body a rest. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Dry January.

Over the past 10 years, hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in Dry January with Alcohol Change UK.

Those who take part get amazing benefits like more energy, a chance to save some money, improved concentration, boosted mood and so much more. Taking a month off alcohol does you good on the inside too. In fact, research shows that a month off alcohol leads to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes risk, as well as lower cancer-related proteins in the blood.

Dr Richard Piper is Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, the creators of Dry January.