Sober curious? Here are a few reasons to make a healthy decision and say goodbye to alcohol for good:
1- Your sleep will improve
You might find it easier to fall asleep after a few drinks, but going through the proper sleep cycle is important to feeling rested the next day. The reality is alcohol causes you to spend more time in deep sleep; rather than the restorative stage of Rapid Eye Movement (REM). So, you fall asleep quicker and easier, but when you wake up it’ll feel like you’ve hardly slept.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you ditch alcohol is it’s much less of a chore getting yourself out of bed. You’ll have more energy and motivation to get on with your day.
2- You might lose weight
If you are a heavy or habitual drinker, you’ll notice the difference in your waistline once you stop drinking. A large glass of wine has around 225 calories and a pint of beer is over 200 calories. Even a double shot of a spirit (without a mixer) is 100 calories. During a heavy drinking session, you might be consuming thousands of empty calories.
3- You’ll have more fun
One of the biggest delusions surrounding drinking is that you won’t be able to have fun without the influence of alcohol. You can still go and have exactly as much fun; remember more of the conversations and make more meaningful connections with the people you’re with, without the hangover or crippling anxiety the next day.
4- Your wallet will thank you
This is an easy one. Imagine waking up on a Sunday morning and checking your bank account, to find it exactly how you left it. No unexplained bar tabs after deciding to buy shots for the whole table or no expensive taxi fare.
5- You have so much more time!
This is by far the most important benefit of quitting alcohol. It’s not just the couple of hours in the pub or club you’re saying goodbye to; more often than not the next day or two is a write-off, plus a few extra days of anxiety or low mood as the chemicals in your brain start balancing out.
Also worth considering is how frequently you’ve caught yourself watching the clock on a Friday. How often do you wish the day away so that you can have your first drink of the weekend?
When you stop, you’ll suddenly find the extra time, drive, money and energy to start living life how you always wanted. You’ll stop counting the hours until you can get to the pub and start enjoying life as it comes.
