10 Surprising Benefits I Experienced From Quitting Alcohol for 15 Months

I don't have an alcohol abuse problem. I simply decided on December 31, 2020 that I would 100% quit alcohol for the next year. I did it, and once the year was over I decided to keep the new habit going in 2022.

1. My sleep is less interrupted.

I wake up less throughout the night now.

2. I have more lucid dreams.

Funny enough, my dreams are sometimes more vivid now. Not always, but I rarely had such vivid dreams before.

3. It lowers my grocery budget.

Simply put, not purchasing wine, beer, or spirits while on a grocery run means more money in the pocket.

4. It is a great excuse to not go out when I don't want to.

If someone asked me to hang out at a bar or otherwise get together to drink, and I didn't want to go, I had a nice built-in excuse to not show.

5. I have less decision fatigue when ordering something to drink at a restaurant or bar.

Now I don't have to peruse through three pages of wine offerings or the 50 different craft beers on tap. Just order water!

6. I consume more water.

Water has been my primary replacement for alcohol, so I now consume more of it.

7. It provides an interesting talking point/icebreaker with people.

Almost everyone finds it interesting when I tell them that I intentionally don't drink alcohol.

8. I watch less television.

I didn't realize just how often I would sit down to watch TV with a beer. I must have tied the two behaviors together, so the other occurs far less often now that one is broken.

9. My craving for alcohol nearly vanished.

I virtually never crave a drink of anything now.

10. I am better at connecting with people.

It's funny how often we rely on alcohol as a social crutch.

Bill Bergeman