5 Benefits of Not Drinking for 2 Years.
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As of January 1, 2022, I am two years alcohol-free! Having this time to assess my relationship with alcohol, I see no benefit in reintroducing it into my life. Ever.
If you are like me, you are reading this thinking, “I could never go two years without drinking!” The very notion appears out of reach like a mythical land you are unable to enter. It seems like an unrealistic endeavor, especially if your self-image is associated with drinking culture. I lived with that mindset for years, and I understand your pain and frustration.
I offer today’s post as encouragement whether you are questioning your alcohol intake or genuinely seeking freedom from alcohol. My goal is to show you, through my experience, real benefits that happen quickly once you set this toxic drink aside and reclaim your power.
1) Weight loss
I focused on exercise and healthy eating when I quit drinking. I began with the manageable routine of walking and stretching. Nothing extreme. Losing weight quickly became a priority for me, almost an obsession. I saw a rapid drop of 60 pounds in the first year.
Our bodies can’t store the energy source that alcohol provides; the alcohol must be burned off first. It does that at the expense of storing all other energy as fat. Cutting out alcohol meant that I was cutting out a lot of empty calories. Not having those drunken, late-night eating binges kept the pounds off.
2) Sleep
It did not take long for my sleep patterns to get back to normal after I quit drinking. I was long deprived of rapid eye movement sleep (REM), the cycle crucial to dreaming and restorative sleep. Alcohol reduced my REM sleep from 6-7 cycles per night to 1-3 by inducing a deep non-REM state.
Once the sedative effects wore off, the stimulants took hold. I would be rousted awake at 3 a.m. feeling wretched and anxious. That doesn’t happen anymore. I sleep as well now as when I was a child— something I am grateful for.
3) Energy
I spent most of my time drinking, thinking about drinking or being hungover from drinking. As a result, I constantly felt miserable. When I quit drinking, I gained energy and a willingness to experience life. It was like being transported to a whole new world. I was having fun with all the normal things in life, truly enjoying all I had overlooked and neglected.
4) Understanding
Know thyself
I had identified as a drinker for so long that I had to rediscover who I was without alcohol. I began by telling myself, “I am a person who doesn’t drink.” I cemented that phrase into my mind. I then had to figure out what a person who doesn’t drink does, how they go about life.
Finding my values and meaning became a cornerstone of my journey. I explored who I was and who I wanted to be. I followed new areas of interest; I journaled, I listened to those I admired. I immersed myself in ‘Quit Lit’— books about sobriety— discovering how others thrived without drinking. Here are some I found helpful:
This Naked Mind, Annie Grace
The Sober Survival Guide, Simon Chapple
Alcohol Explained vol. 1 & 2, William Porter.
5) Mental Health
Alcohol lowered me to a state of numbness. It had anesthetized me to the things that gave me pleasure, like reading a book, being in nature, even having sex. I walked amid a gray world, unable to enjoy anything. My body was reacting precisely as designed, counteracting the effects of alcohol with its own cocktail of chemicals.
I was a daily drinker for years; therefore, my body never got a chance to flush out or rebalance. When I quit, my system finally returned to homeostasis, and my view of the world gradually began to brighten. A profound joy and appreciation of life returned as I moved from numbed indifference to aliveness.
Joy, pain, fear, love, doubt, rapture. I am grateful to feel them all now.
You should know my story didn’t magically change into a happily-ever-after tale. I wasn’t riding unicorns through lollypop fields or anything. But what did change, what I regained, was a feeling of feeling. I fully experience all my emotions now: the ups and the downs. They are not dulled because of the perpetually nagging effects of alcohol. It’s as though my eyes and mind are clear— like the color has come back into the world.
And the Journey Continues…
Many times, I remember saying, “I will always be a drinker.” Although I thought it was an unchangeable law of the Universe, a wiser part of me knew better. The benefits of this path have been life-changing. I have no reason to turn back. If someone like me— whose identity was so invested in the substance— can leave it behind and step through the threshold toward a better life, then you can too.
I invite you to take this alcohol-free journey. If you question your relationship with alcohol, if you think there might be a more healthy life for you without it, or if you want someone to talk to, I would be more than happy to listen.
I wish you all the best and a Happy New Year!!!
