Tried it and This Happened: Four Months Alcohol-Free
After I turned 21, I quickly learned how nice it is to have a glass of wine or a fancy cocktail with dinner. Before then, drinking was more of a method to get buzzed on the weekend and socialize with people, but now that I could order a drink in a restaurant without fear of getting carded, my relationship to alcohol changed; it became more casual, a way of unwinding after a long day or simply to compliment a great meal.
After thinking deeply about the $10+ spent on each drink I ordered, I thought to myself: I wonder how much money I would save if I stopped drinking for a while. I didn’t see my drinking habit as a problem or anything, I just realized how much money I was pouring into each drink and wondered if I could save a little cash by cutting down my consumption. I decided that my New Year’s Resolution for 2018 would be to try a dry January and see what happened.
I was afraid, you guys! Going dry for a month sounded really difficult. What would I do when my coworkers wanted to go out for happy hour after work or when I went out to dinner with my family? I knew I would have to have a game plan.
Getting started was the hardest part, but luckily for me, I ended the year on antibiotics, so I was actually forced to stop drinking for two weeks! This was the perfect springboard (thank you, sinus infection). I replaced the habit with drinking sparkling water or fancy mocktails, so I wouldn’t experience any FOMO while out with friends. It worked surprisingly well. Pellegrino with a lime wedge was my new whiskey soda and saying no to alcoholic beverages became second nature. I’m so proud to say that I lasted a whopping four months alcohol-free!
The craziest part though, is how it affected my well-being. You guys, I literally cannot remember the last time I slept better. Going to sleep became easier, the quality of my sleep was higher, and I woke up actually feeling refreshed and well-rested. The lack of hangovers alone was enough to say that taking a break from alcohol was worth it, but this was above and beyond. To be honest, I didn’t notice any big difference in how much money I saved (it most likely went to more food or beauty products), but I didn’t even care. I was sleeping like a sober baby!
If you did your math above, you’d notice that my four months ended in April of 2018, so you may be thinking, “if it was so great, why did you go back?” and I must remind you how much I love having a glass of wine with a good meal. But my four months sans alcohol opened my eyes and changed my relationship with drinking in such a positive way. I don’t compulsively reach for a drink after a hard day, instead turning to a bath or favorite TV show. I still love a fancy cocktail when I go to dinner, but I’ll occasionally have a sparkling water instead. I drink maybe once or twice a week now tops, and still like to take one-to-two week breaks occasionally. My sleep isn’t as amazing as it was during those four months, but it’s still much improved!
I benefitted so much from this brief lifestyle change and think it’s something worth doing. Even if you don’t get drunk often and just enjoy sipping a beer at night, I promise you’ll be surprised by the results by quitting for a short while. Whether you try it out to save money or to experiment with the changes it makes to your body, I think you’ll find it worth it!