Benefits of alcohol free, and my top gain
Wins aplenty: more sleep, sharper focus, extra money in your pocket - among the benefits of going alcohol free.
I wished I’d made the call a long time before I did to give up the grog, but when I did it was emphatic.
And the benefits rolled in immediately.
Quick and substantial early wins
Many people notice improved sleep as the first benefit from stopping drinking. For me, it was deep, restorative sleep. Like I’d never had before.
Within weeks I also discovered:
my emotions steadied — I was calmer and more measured
my concentration sharpened —I was more focussed on the task in front of me
my hangxiety disappeared — I was up and at ‘em from the get go, not jittery, not muddled.
I had done a few Dry Julys before, so I knew what I would reap in just one month. But I discovered bigger wins lay in store.
I found:
my weight dropped and I was more in control
running got easier (my Parkrun times prove it)
tests showed my blood pressure and cholesterol had markedly improved
my liver bounced back.
That meant I could drop my level of medication.
Years on, I’m undoubtedly fitter and healthier.
Meantime, I’m saving hundreds of dollars a month, and thousands a year. It means I can more regularly indulge myself without the guilty.
Supreme benefit
But there was a bigger benefit than any of this.
Bigger than the money. More rewarding than the sleep. Even better than dropping some meds.
It has been this: I get more out of life. Every. Single. Day.
I’m more productive. I bring my A‑game to any task I tackle. I’m present.
I am fully charged ready for each new day and keep on going until well after the sun goes down – just like an energised battery bunny.
Regret as a teacher
Like Cher, if I could turn back time I’d change a bunch of stuff.
Now that I know better, I regret I wasn’t always present and at my best.
But regret is also a teacher. In acknowledging that loss, I’ve made the future mine to shape.
Measure it, then live it
Curious about the extent of that loss, and conversely what is gained by giving up drinking, I built my Energy Gain Calculator.
The calculator is a simple tool I designed to estimate an individual’s Time Gain and Energy Gain when they go alcohol free.
The calculator has quantified and validated my decision to stop drinking, and to stay the course - to get lit by life, not alcohol.
And the benefits have been so substantial I’ve felt it wrong not to share them with you.