Quietly Quitting Alcohol

It’s been exactly 50 days since my last drink (containing alcohol).

Initially, I was only planning on giving up the booze for one month by taking part in a fundraiser aptly known as “Dry July”, but upon successfully completing the 31-day commitment to sobriety, I have decided to stay the course and see how long I can keep this up for. 

Toning down my alcohol intake is something I’ve been thinking about on and off since the beginning of the year, and it didn’t take long for YouTube and other social media algorithms to figure this out, either.

Since hitting my mid-thirties in April last year, I feel like I’ve reached a point of diminishing returns. The buzz and enjoyment of alcohol seem to be met with increasingly disrupted sleep and lost productivity, which would affect my mood and result in increased anxiety and the feeling of constant stress from not having enough time to focus on more important things.

It was a vicious cycle. One that I felt increasing pressure to break, especially after watching a few YouTube videos talking about all the benefits of eliminating alcohol from your body. It seems like a no-brainer when you look at all the reasons why we should be avoiding alcohol altogether.

Still, for many years and very recently, until the start of my ‘dry July’ challenge, I’ve had many fun and memorable times accompanied by a pint of Stone & Wood, a gin and soda, or a margarita, and I wouldn’t change any of those experiences for a second. I still firmly believe in “everything is fine in moderation”. 

But at this stage in my life, there’s just too much I want to focus on and do and an ever-decreasing amount of time to do it.

I know I’m not alone in feeling like the days are getting shorter and the weekends are rolling around quicker, and when the weekend does roll around - it’s over before we know it.

This is part and parcel of being an adult these days, but it also means that we really need to be focused and disciplined with how we spend our time.  

Anyway, as I reflect on these past 50 days without alcohol, here are the most noticeable changes/improvements I’ve seen in my health (both mental and physical) so far:

1. Better sleep quality

I regularly wake up well-rested and energised at the start of each day. Maintaining consistent sleep and wake times makes a big difference, too, in terms of sleep quality, but cutting off food and drinks 2-3 hours before sleeping is another key habit that helps your body rest and recover well.

2. Mental clarity and creativity

The mental benefits have certainly been noticeable over the past month. I’ve found it easier to control my stress response in high-pressure situations. 

Taking a Cybersecurity exam earlier in July and, more recently, a couple of weeks ago, giving a presentation to an audience of industry professionals are two good examples of quite stressful and anxiety-inducing activities.

Having a clear mind and a well-rested body made it much easier to overcome these situations and trust in my ability and preparation to deliver when I really need to.

3. Body composition

I don't have any specific goals regarding my weight or physique these days, but I do spend a decent amount of time in the gym each week. As such, my body has responded well to removing unnecessary toxins (and all the empty calories!), and I’m noticing the results from heavy resistance training in a much shorter amount of time.

Despite the occasional trip to The Cookie Box or devouring a bag of Maltesers, I find this doesn’t have as much of an impact where previously consuming alcohol would feel like a 1-2 week setback given all of the surrounding impacts to things like mood/energy levels, diet, and muscle recovery.

4. Bank balance

This one was not so much a surprise as a welcome benefit, especially during times of cost-of-living crisis (like right now)! 

The difference between spending ~$100 on a nice dinner for two and $196 is just four cocktails. It is hardly worth it, in my opinion. Alcohol is an unnecessary expenditure, so when you see that money staying put in your account, it is a very good motivator to keep on avoiding it.