I’ve been taking a short break from drinking alcohol and tomorrow will be 6 weeks since my last beverage. I don’t have a drinking problem and can manage my alcohol intake responsibly, but from time to time I like to take a few weeks off and give my liver and body some time to operate without this substance.
I don’t want this post to turn into a preachy, why-everyone-should-cleanse post, but rather I’d like to share some observations I’ve made during my recent hiatus from imbibing.
1. I can still have fun without drinking alcohol. During this time, I’ve still encouraged myself to get out and hang with friends and not do the whole “I’m not drinking, I think I’ll stay home tonight thing”. I’ve found that despite my insecurities of being the only person at a party, dinner, or bar sober, I actually have still enjoyed the company of friends and it wasn’t so bad after all.
2. I’ve been more productive. Days following drinking or hanging out late can often turn into sleeping late the following day and being lazy. Don’t get me wrong…I am all about people taking it easy on their days off and relaxing, however, sometimes for me, personally when I drink the night before, the day after can be unproductive. The past six weeks I’ve been more attentive to projects and hobbies that I may have otherwise not had time for.
3. Mental clarity. This ties in with the last note. More mental clarity = less brain fog = more focus = ability to be productive.
4. Positive outlook. I’m not known as the most negative person, however on occasion, like us all, I can show my negative side. I’d have to say though that during this time without drinking, I’ve generally had more of a positive outlook on life and less anxious thoughts than usual.
5. Flatter abs. Ok, this one is purely aesthetic, but I do believe my abdominal muscles have become more firm and defined as a result from 6 weeks off of alcohol. It makes sense….no alcohol = a whole lot less sugar in my diet. Less sugar = less belly fat.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed hearing about my experiences during the past 6 weeks. I think we all should take a respite everyone once in a while and reflect on life without any substances clouding our true vision. I do enjoy drinking a nice glass of wine or a dark porter with friends and think that life is too short and we should be able to indulge, however, I like to have these experiences to draw upon as well to put it all into perspective.
Please feel free to share any observations regarding your experiences with taking a break from drinking. I’d love to hear about them!
If A Short Break from Alcohol: Observations on Life Without Drinking was helpful, please share this post with a friend so that they too may learn something from reading it.
Also, if you’ve yet to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do so here. This monthly newsletter is a great way to stay informed with nutrition news, tips and tricks, while also receiving free recipes and other giveaways from time to time. Don’t miss out!
Mike is a holistic nutritionist that helps people feel more optimistic about their health and wellness through changes in diet and lifestyle shifts.
He has authored posts and articles featured on MarthaStewart.com, today.com, and iVillage.com.