What to Expect When You Take a Break from Alcohol
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Whether you’re contemplating trying Sober October/Dry January, looking to reassess your relationship with it, or just get healthy, there are plenty of good reasons to take a break from alcohol!
Beyond the enhanced clarity and mental sharpness, physical improvements, and increased energy, you'll discover how abstaining from alcohol can lead to strengthened relationships, improved social life, emotional well-being, inner peace, and financial freedom.
In this blog post, I will discuss the changes that come from breaking up with alcohol, even temporarily. So if you’re considering whether it’s worth it, read on to learn what to expect.
1. Enhanced Clarity and Mental Sharpness
One of the first and most noticeable benefits of taking a break from alcohol is the enhancement of clarity and mental sharpness. Alcohol can cloud your judgment and impair cognitive function, making it difficult to focus and think clearly. Here's what you can look forward to:
Sharper Cognitive Abilities: As your body detoxifies from alcohol, you'll experience a significant boost in your cognitive abilities. Your ability to think critically and solve problems will improve, helping you make more informed decisions in all aspects of your life. You’re sharper, wittier, and better at work.
Improved Performance at Work. I just wanted to reiterate this last point.
Improved Memory: Alcohol can lead to memory lapses and blackouts. Being sober allows you to regain control of your memory, so you can better recall experiences, lessons learned, and cherished moments.
Better Concentration: Without the distraction of alcohol, your concentration and attention span will increase. You'll find it easier to focus on tasks, projects, and conversations, ultimately enhancing your productivity.
This means it’s a perfect time to learn something new or pick up a new hobby!
Emotional Clarity: Alcohol can often exacerbate emotional turmoil. As sobriety takes hold, you'll experience emotional clarity, allowing you to process and manage your feelings more effectively.
My EQ is awful (I’m logical to a fault), so this one is ENDLESSLY helpful for me!
2. Physical Improvements
Your body undergoes a remarkable transformation when you choose to abstain from alcohol. These physical improvements contribute to a healthier and more vibrant life:
Improved Sleep: Alcohol disrupts sleep patterns, leading to restless nights. By eliminating alcohol, you'll enjoy more restorative sleep, waking up feeling refreshed and energized.
The difference in sleep is remarkable, and that leads to much better days. (When you’re exhausted, you’re miserable.)
If you don’t have a FitBit, I highly recommend one. I can look back over my sleep history and immediately know when I was drinking and when I wasn’t. Seeing better sleep in black and white might be another boost to help you turn down that glass of wine at dinner!
Because of course it can be tempting!
Weight Management: Alcohol is calorie-dense and can lead to weight gain. Sobriety helps you maintain a healthy weight and supports your fitness goals.
Less Inflammation: You’ll notice far less inflammation too. I’m talking puffy face and stomach. No one wants that.
Glowing Skin: Alcohol can dehydrate your skin, causing dullness and premature aging. Sobriety promotes better skin health, giving you a natural, healthy glow.
This is one of those things that you don’t notice until it happens. You aren’t going to look like a different person of course, but you will absolutely see it. You didn’t realize how bad you looked until you see how good you can look. You just get dewy and glowy in comparison.
Stronger Immune System: Alcohol weakens your immune system. With alcohol out of your system, your body can better defend itself against illnesses.
Improved Cardiovascular Health: Long-term alcohol consumption can damage the heart. By abstaining, you reduce your risk of heart disease and improve overall cardiovascular health.
Back to the sleep part, I also like to watch my sleeping heart rate on my FitBit. It is at least 10 beats lower (and often more) when I’m not drinking.
3. Increased Energy
One of the immediate and tangible benefits of sobriety is the surge in energy levels:
Vibrant Mornings: Without hangovers and total crap sleep, your mornings become productive- and dare I say enjoyable - setting a positive tone for the day ahead. My mornings are now my favorite part of my day – as a former night owl, I never thought that would happen! (For more about creating a healthy morning routine you’ll look forward to, click here.)
Sustained Energy: Sobriety provides a stable and sustained level of energy throughout the day, helping you stay productive and engaged.
Enhanced Physical Performance: Whether you're an athlete or simply enjoy staying active, you'll notice improved physical performance. Your workouts become more effective, and your stamina increases. That means you’ll both feel better and look better!
Greater Motivation: With increased energy, you'll feel more motivated to pursue your goals and passions. Sobriety gives you the drive to make positive changes in your life. This one is hard to explain until you actually feel it for yourself.
4. Strengthened Relationships
Taking a break from alcohol can also have a profound impact on your relationships with friends, family, and loved ones:
Improved Communication: You’ll likely find that you have better communication with those around you. You'll be more present and engaged in conversations, leading to deeper connections.
Preserves/Rebuilds Trust: Think about some of the dumb stuff you’ve said while in a bad mood on a night out. This prevents that.
Setting a Positive Example: By choosing to not drink, you become an instant friend to someone else who doesn’t want to drink. Sometimes it’s hard (though it shouldn’t be!) to be the only one not drinking on a night out, but it’s a lot easier when you have a sober buddy. I’ve had colleagues lean on me for this too, and it always feels good to help someone make a healthier choice! Bonus: you also bond with your new sober buddies, and not just because you both remember things more clearly.
5. Improved Social Life
I’m guessing this one has you shaking your head. But it’s actually true.
Alcohol is frequently associated with social activities, but taking a break from it can lead to an even richer and more fulfilling social life:
Authentic Connections: Sobriety allows you to form more authentic and meaningful connections with others. You'll get to know people on a deeper level, free from the influence of alcohol. Remember that sober buddy from the last point? That bond I mentioned can really bloom.
Wider Social Circle: Without the limitations of alcohol-centric socializing, you'll have the opportunity to explore a wider range of activities and interests, expanding your social circle. You’ll find a new world of activities (yes, some will be in the morning when you would otherwise be hungover). I found one of my closest friends at a Saturday morning barre class!
Reduced Peer Pressure: When your friends know you aren’t drinking, it isn’t even a question. (And sometimes just answering the question “why aren’t you drinking?” is annoying, even if they mean no harm.) I am also always the assumed sober person at work functions, which is great. I relish having that role.
6. Emotional Well-Being
Sobriety offers a significant boost to your emotional well-being:
Reduced Anxiety and Depression: Alcohol can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression. For me, after about 10 days of no alcohol, my anxiety greatly diminishes. Isn’t it funny that what you turn to to ease anxiety is a big factor in creating more?
Emotional Resilience: Sobriety provides you with greater emotional resilience. You'll be better equipped to handle stress and challenging situations, bouncing back more quickly.
Increased Self-Esteem: If you’ve never tried to take a concerted break from alcohol (for 30 days or longer), there may be a question as to how hard it will be and if you can do it. When you can (and you can), your self-esteem and self-worth will improve, leading to greater self-confidence.
7. Inner Peace
Sobriety can bring a sense of inner peace and tranquility to your life:
Freedom from Guilt and Shame: For many, alcohol use can be accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. Sobriety liberates you from these negative emotions, allowing you to focus on personal growth and self-acceptance.
Mindfulness and Presence: Sobriety encourages mindfulness and being present in the moment, which can enhance your overall sense of contentment and peace.
For my fellow Christians: not drinking brings you closer to God in your daily walk with Him. It’s really a remarkable difference.
8. Financial Freedom
Alcohol can be expensive, friend!
Try going out to dinner once without drinking and look at the check.
Calculate how much it would have been if you’d ordered cocktails or a bottle of wine. Yep, that’s a big difference, so imagine how much that adds out over a month or two.
Tip: use these savings to invest in a vacation or a new hobby you find during all the new free time you have!
Taking a break from alcohol makes a bigger impact than you expect and brings a multitude of benefits. Beyond the enhanced clarity and mental sharpness, physical improvements, and increased energy, you'll discover a world of strengthened relationships, an improved social life, enhanced emotional well-being, inner peace, and financial freedom.
Remember that this journey is unique to you, and the rewards are worth the effort. Embrace it and fight the momentary temptation, and you'll find more fulfillment and contentment than you’d have otherwise!
If you’ve now decided to take a break from alcohol, double the positive impact on your liver by signing up for my free 3-day liver reset! It’s filled with recipes I used when I was recovering from a liver virus that almost killed me!
