15 Reasons to Love the Freedom of an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Mood and mental health will improve 🧠
Memory and productivity will increase📝
Ka-ching🤑 more money in the bank! 🤩🏦
Get sick less often with a stronger inmune system 💪
Skin will look better 🥰
Improved digestion and gut health 🩻
Lose weight 🆒
Sleep better 💤
No more hangovers! 😉✅
Liver health will improve 💯
Better blood pressure + reduce risk of heart disease🫀🩺🩸
Reduce risk of cancer 🦠🚫🧬
No regrets or shame 🧘🏻♀️
A lot less anxiety ☮️
An intrinsic organic feeling of satisfaction, self confidence and proudness 🥹
Some of the Cons of Consuming Alcohol:
Alcohol + Emotions. The more often or heavily you drink, the more vulnerable your brain becomes to the effects of alcohol, potentially making your moods more volatile over time.
Alcohol is a Depressant. While alcohol can sometimes initially make you feel falsely "happier”, long-term use can lead to the opposite effects down the line. Some people with depression or anxiety may drink alcohol because, in the short term, it makes them falsely feel “better”, but it actually worsens preexisting mental health issues.
Alcohol Impairs Judgment & Increases Impulsivity. This can lead to poor behavior and negative consequences that exacerbate or worsen feelings of depression. Alcohol disrupts sleep and alters thought processes, which can increase depression symptoms and impair judgment on a day-to-day basis.
Alcohol Can Cause Changes Leading to Depression. For instance, alcohol can disrupt a person's endocrine system, and the resulting hormonal imbalance can worsen their depression symptoms. It can also affect the levels of brain chemicals that regulate mood, deepening feelings of depression and anxiety.
Alcohol Consumption Affects Brain Chemistry. Alcohol can lower serotonin and nor-epinephrine levels, which help regulate mood. Lower levels of these chemicals can intensify depression and anxiety in individuals already experiencing it, emphasizing the harmful connection between alcohol and mental well-being.
The Super Positive Spillover Effect After Quitting Alcohol.
We should realize the power of deciding on “quitting alcohol”, putting a stop to or taking that toxic ingredient out of your life can be the cornerstone of a long-term lifestyle and personality change. This would cause a “Ripple Effect”, which is when one new habit creates other new good habits, it means that by adopting one positive change, naturally motivates you to make additional positive changes in other areas of your life, essentially cascading into a chain reaction of improved habits; this phenomenon is often referred to as the “spillover effect” in psychology.
Some Tips & Tricks:
Determine your "why", make a list of all the negative mistakes or past bad experiences involving alcohol, making a realistic direct association of all the errors and alcohol. Mental Trick: with the goal of mentally linking alcohol with struggle or pain. At the same time make a list of all the benefits that you will get after not drinking alcohol, for example: zero hangovers, more energy, mental clarity, more money, and less problems, etc.
Practice turning down a drink, like any new habit, quitting alcohol takes practice, be patient, consistent, and persistent.
Embrace self-care and coping mechanisms, hobbies, exercise, good nutrition, and finding other alternatives to healthy drinks like: sparkling water, tea, coffee, and mocktails. Now that we have many brands offering new alcohol-free options.
Change your environment, some or all of them.
Have grit and persistence despite setbacks.
Learn as much as possible about the benefits of an alcohol-free life.
It’s a good idea to see your doctor or specialist before you reduce or quit alcohol. They can:
Give you medical advice based on your health.
Link you to support services.
Keep track of your progress with regular check-ups.
Whether you are a heavy drinker or a binge drinker, alcohol use can result in some serious risks to your health. Some of these risks are immediate and can continue to develop over time.
It’s never too late to quit drinking. The process can challenge your mind and body. But when done safely, cutting alcohol out of your life can help make you a happier and healthier version of yourself. You can repair your body and avoid risks linked to drinking.
“I nourish myself with kind words and cheery foods” The Good Trade
Raquel Torres, MBA
USAT Triathlon Coach Level 1-2 Elite