So, you’re thinking about taking a break from drinking. Good for you!
Whether you’re considering giving up booze for good, or you just want to take a little time off to reset your body and give your liver a bit of a breather, you should know that any decision to drink less is a good thing.
We know that alcohol is high in kilojoules and also messes with our metabolism, plus drinking to excess can have a huge impact on our mental health as well (hello, Sunday morning hangxiety!), as we often do things we regret after a few too many drinks.
But giving up booze is tough, so if you’re looking for a little motivation to help you reach your goals, we asked Laura Bajurny from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation to run us through some of the incredible health benefits associated with quitting alcohol.
Keep on scrolling for six great reasons to give up alcohol – even for just a month!
Did you know that J.Lo doesn’t drink? No wonder she looks this good! Here she is drinking a very glamorous glass of …. water.
(Image: Instagram)1. You’ll sleep better
Laura says there are a whole range of health benefits that come with giving up alcohol, including getting more good quality shut-eye each night.
“What people will notice is that they’re sleeping better. A lot of people think alcohol helps them sleep better, but it actually prevents you from having a more deep sleep,” she explained.
“They’re going to wake up feeling more refreshed, possibly in a better mood.”
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2. You’ll have more motivation to exercise
A hangover is the ultimate motivation-killer. Who feels like working out when they’ve had a big night on the wines the night before?
So going without booze can encourage you to move your body.
“A positive flow-on effect [of quitting alcohol] is exercise,” Laura said.
“If you’re waking up with more energy, you might be more inclined to hit the gym, or go to yoga.”
According to the official Australian health guidelines, we should all be getting a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day, and be trying to incorporate forms of training that get our heartrate up and force us to use resistance – either weights or even our own bodyweight – to get stronger.
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Kim Kardashian basically never drinks alcohol, except for “five shots of vodka in Vegas every three years.”
(Image: Getty)3. You’ll make better food choices
“The other flow-on effect is nutrition,” Laura said.
“If you’re waking up feeling refreshed and energised and not hungover, you’re less likely to easy greasy or unhealthy foods. You’ll definitely be cutting out a lot of late night kebabs!”
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4. You’ll save money
Alcohol is expensive, and we’re more likely to ditch our strict budgets and indulge ourselves after a few drinks, when our guards are down and our discipline goes out the window.
“Having more money in your account at the end of the month is another huge bonus,” Laura said.
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Your bank account will thank you for skipping the booze on a night out.
(Image: Getty)5. You’ll do more cool stuff, rather than always socialising at the pub
“People can have more social variety,” Laura suggests.
“Instead of just going out for drinks, people have time to do other tasks, rediscover an old hobby, take up a sport, a whole range of things that aren’t just going to a bar.”
6. You’ll drastically rethink your relationship with alcohol
It’s no secret that Australia has a massive binge-drinking culture, so abstaining from alcohol for even just a month can have a huge mental impact.
“One of the real benefits of these one-month campaigns like Dry January, febfast and Ocsober is they get people really having the conversation about the role that alcohol plays in our lives, particularly socially. I’ve heard people say it made them a lot more aware of how common alcohol is and how many of them really focus on it,” Laura said.
Anne Hathaway also doesn’t drink, because she didn’t love being hungover around her young son.
(Credit: Getty)“For example, some people have shared their experiences of going to a wedding for the first time and not drinking, and how that can be really challenging. Some people walk away from the experience thinking about how common alcohol is in Australian society.
“The real benefit to these campaigns is normalising alcohol abstinence. We need to normalise not drinking as a lifestyle choice.
“Things like Feb Fast give people an excuse, but the truth is, we is we shouldn’t need an excuse for not drinking, so it’s great we starting to normalise this as a healthy choice.”
