Many of the participants said they had more energy, which fits with the experience of listener Sarah Black Sadler. “The biggest thing that I noticed is that I don’t need alcohol to have a good time with my friends.” You don’t need to wait for Dry January, Sober October, or any other take-a-break-from-drinking month to roll around. If you’re not sure how to take a break from alcohol how to get started with a break from alcohol, my latest book, The Alcohol Experiment, offers a daily guided approach that’s both pain- and judgment-free! Or, see below for some of my practical tips for getting through 30 days sans alcohol. Not too long ago, a group of women in a bar who were not drinking alcohol would have seemed kind of strange.
- Choose a healthier alternative like sparkling water, soft drink or a mocktail.
- You may find that alcohol-free sleep is much better quality and that you generally feel more rested and refreshed the next day.
- “Viruses won’t be caused by alcohol, but you can be more vulnerable to them if you’re drinking,” he says.
- Replacing an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink that is “special” can be a big help when quitting booze, Shapiro notes.
Drinking can also give us a rebound effect when we wake in the early hours of the morning, when the alcohol in our system has worn off and our brains are overstimulated. You may find that alcohol-free sleep is much better quality and that you generally feel more rested and refreshed the next day. In this series of Tips & Hacks by Hello Sunday Morning, we’re talking about what to expect when you take a break from alcohol. It can be good to be aware of some of the things that might change for you if you take this step – from your social life to the health side of things. With this in mind, we’ve put together some common experiences that our Daybreak members have mentioned they’ve experienced when they took a break.
What are the long-term health benefits of not drinking alcohol?
There may be certain people, places or emotions that increase or decrease your alcohol consumption. “Physiological studies show that not drinking for a month leads to a range of healthy changes within the cardiovascular system and the liver,” says Dr De Visser. In addition to the health benefits, when you stop drinking for any amount of time it automatically saves you money. “I would suggest cutting back on several things rather than completely eliminating to avoid feeling deprived, which can lead to rebound eating/drinking and weight regain,” she said. The more you drink, the more likely it is that you’ll damage parts of your heart that you really, really need. If you drink a lot, you might notice heart symptoms that seem to be worse—like palpitations and higher blood pressure—when you first stop drinking.
What health benefits can come from taking a break from alcohol during ‘Dry January’? – WAVY.com
What health benefits can come from taking a break from alcohol during ‘Dry January’?.
Posted: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
It’s not all sunshine and roses when we stop drinking – we can also expect moments where we are triggered to drink and have strong cravings. These are usually going to pop up at times where we used to have a drink – after work, when out with friends, driving past the bottle shop. Many Daybreak members have noted that having some replacements for alcohol (such as alcohol-free beer or wine, tasty refreshing drinks or herbal teas) can be great at stopping urges in their tracks. If you decide to return to drinking after January is over, stay within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, which provide advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. The guidelines recommend that adults who choose to drink limit alcohol intake to 1 drink or less for women and 2 drinks or less for men—on any single day, not on average.
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“It’s important to seek professional help if your attempts to curb or eliminate your alcohol use are unsuccessful,” says Ellinwood. This article is part of a content partnership with our friends at Tempest, the first evidence-based digital recovery platform. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 180,500 academics and researchers from 4,915 institutions. Brigid Clancy works as a contractor to a private alcohol and other drug consultancy.
If you drink in excess, cutting out alcohol for a period of time can help your liver, heart, and body composition. Alcohol saps your body’s hydration—and it’s widely known that your skin needs hydration to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ stay plump and healthy. Josep Genebriera, M.D., a dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, points out that drinking causes both short-term flushing and long-term changes to your skin.