Quit drinking alcohol can be a life-changing decision. Even if you’re not a heavy drinker and only drink when you’re out with friends, getting drunk frequently affects your body more than you would think.
Why you should quit drinking alcohol
A drink once in a while is not bad. In fact, having a glass of wine in the evening can even prove beneficial for your body. The problems start when you do it too frequently and in heavy quantities. You may not notice the consequences at all and believe to be just fine, but once you quit drinking alcohol, the changes you will feel will tell you otherwise.
Save money
Alcohol is expensive. You may not notice when you just buy one single bottle or one drink at the bar, but as it clouds your mind, your credit card is likely to get swapped more than you intended. Or maybe you are so used to buying alcohol that you already count on its price when you’re doing your shopping.
However, once you quit drinking alcohol your bank account will certainly notice the change. You will be able to save more money, plan your finances better and even indulge in other pleasures that seemed vetted before.
You won’t hurt your loved ones any longer
There are many types of drunk. The aggressive, the philosopher, the hug-giver, the conspiracy-maker, the list can go on and on. The first type is clearly the one more likely to inflict harm on their loved ones, but it’s not the only one.
Even if you’re quiet and calm, your friends and family will worry when seeing you drunk like that. You might even make some harmful comments unwarily and hurt them. They might have already started to distance themselves from you or even regret that you prefer hanging around with your drinking buddies and only look for your real friends when you need something.
Your sex life will be better
Alcohol may increase your chances of getting lucky, but quitting it will make your sex life much better.
First, you won’t feel as tired or your mind as cloudy. But most importantly, you will start sleeping better, which will increase your testosterone levels. Since these hormones are linked to sex drive, you will also experience a quality increase in this.
Besides, your performance will most likely improve too, as you feel fresher and stronger.
Weight loss
One of the first things people notice when they quit drinking alcohol is how fast they begin to lose weight. Even if your diet and exercising habits don’t change, you will experience it too.
Alcohol is higher in calories than it looks. Just to give you an idea, a moderately active man should eat approximately 2800 calories per day, while this value is about 2000 for women. A regular lager pint contains about 180 calories. If you have 5 in one night, that accounts for almost half of the calories you should be eating and on top of that, you will still need to add the calories you ingest through your normal diet.
Fewer injuries and mistakes
Everyone has stories to tell about the stupid decisions they took when under the influence. Some are inconsequential, funny, and mostly concentrated back in the day when you were younger.
However, to be an adult and keep making those mistakes is worrisome. They might have been inconsequential when you were studying, but now they can impact your job, your financial stability, your safety and your well-being.
Your mind will clear up
If you get drunk frequently, you likely feel a bit spaced-out and have a “foggy” brain even on the days you don’t drink. When you’ve been drinking for some years, you might not even notice it anymore as it became your natural state.
However, once you quit drinking alcohol the sun will shine again on your mindand clear any fog and clouds away. You will feel lighter, more focused, more observant and even your vision will seem clearer.
Your liver will rejuvenate
The liver is the organ suffers the most with your drinking habits. When alcohol reaches the liver it produces a toxic enzyme that causes damage to its cells. The liver is strong and can handle small amounts quite well, but when you drink too much or too quickly it simply can’t cope with it.
The good news is that if the damage isn’t too extensive, once you quit drinking alcohol the liver can mostly regenerate itself. Sin this organ works as a filter, it will do its job much better, which will promote your overall well-being.
Your skin will become better
Do you know that feeling you have when you see someone and you immediately suspect they are alcoholics or at least heavy drinkers? Sometimes you can’t even pinpoint the telling sign but you know it’s there somewhere.
What you most likely notice is their skin. Alcohol ages the skin, it can increase liver spots, and it just generally gives it a faded look.
Once you quit alcohol, the change will be dramatic. Your skin will clear up, it will become brighter and you will sport a healthy glow.
You will become more productive
Nothing expresses time-wasting as alcohol. First, you spend time sitting at a bar drinking it. Then, once you’re drunk you are not able to do anything else (you’re lucky if you can even walk). And finally, there are the next day hangovers that will take up a large chunk of your day rendering you unproductive.
Look at the amount of free time you’ll have once you quit drinking. You can engage in new projects, rebalance your life, catch-up on work or life or simply read a book.
Besides, you’ll have no hangover anymore and there is nothing better than waking up feeling fresh and energetic as opposed to waking up with nausea, headaches, thirst and wishing you could just cover your head and regret your existence.
Your senses will return
As your mind clears you will realize that you can hear better, your eyes aren’t as foggy as before and you can actually smell scents long forgotten. Your digestive system will also get a boost and with it comes a better sense of taste.
You will be able to appreciate flavor notes you have noticed before and begin to appreciate food once again.
The struggle will be real
If you’re a binge drinker, don’t think quitting will be an easy ride. If anything, the stress, the cravings, the mood swings and even the physical pain will go to show you how hard alcohol was affecting your body without you realizing it.
You need to have a strong resolution to quit and remain faithful to your purpose. It will be difficult and it might even look impossible sometimes, but others have done it and proved it feasible. Don’t give up!