As anyone who has taken an alcohol-free challenge before will know, this is about so much more than taking a break from drinking…
When you challenge yourself to going alcohol-free, you are giving yourself the opportunity to experience life through a different lens. One that is completely unclouded by the warped perspective of someone who has been drinking. Not only does this give you a chance to focus on your health, save a bit of cash and be more productive, but it also gives you the chance to experience your life completely unfiltered and to learn a little more about yourself.
We asked some of the OYNB team and our challenge members to tell us the best things they learned as a result of going alcohol-free, and the answers we got were pretty incredible so we just had to share them. Keep reading to see what could be in store for you if you keep at it on your AF journey!
Turns out I am a brilliant communicator!
“Not only did I learn that I communicate better when I am not drinking, but I also realised I could understand the way I was feeling better so I could more easily verbalise this to someone else. This meant my relationships improved drastically – I was no longer bottling things up and exploding without really understanding why!”
Not only can going alcohol-free help you to understand your own feelings but it can also help you when interpreting someone else’s too.
“You become more intuitive, when you remove what has been blocking your receptors it is like you gain spidey senses”. Being able to better understand why someone else reacts the way they do allows you to alter how you communicate with them. All round improving your ability to have meaningful conversations!
I am more selective with my time
“I now realise how precious time is, and I value it too much to spend it doing things and with people that don’t add anything to my life. My friendship circle is now so strong as it only comprises those who really care about me, and who I really care about. It isn’t just those who were my drinking buddies that I didn’t have anything really in common with other than the desire to get drunk together. I have real, true friends who support me!”
I genuinely love and care about myself
Taking a break from drinking lets you be 100% present in making decisions – “I was no longer making a fool of myself and waking up beating myself up for the silly things I said and did the night before”. Your actions become your own and you learn new healthier ways to cope with life’s stresses that better serve you. “I also became so much more self-aware, I was with myself 24/7, relearning who I was. I like this version of me”.
“I realised how much more I wanted to do in my own self-development and I chose to dedicate time to doing things that were just for me. It felt good to feel good, and once I saw improvements in myself I felt so proud and motivated to keep going.”
I learned how much you can do without alcohol
If you have always gone into social situations with alcohol, then you teach yourself that you need alcohol in order to have fun or feel comfortable. But once you go to a couple of social occasions without drinking you realise how little it adds to your experience. “I thought I needed alcohol for confidence but as it turned out, I was actually far more confident without drinking as I knew I was fully in control. Once I knew I could tackle social situations without drinking, I knew I could tackle anything without alcohol!”
I look after myself better now
“I am so much more conscious of what I put into my body now, learning about how alcohol actually interacts with your body and changes things really put things into perspective.”
“I replaced the time I spent drinking in the evenings with activities like yoga, or an evening walk – it felt so much more productive and I know I am doing something to take care of my body.”
“I have watched my body change and thank me for not punishing it with alcohol, I have lost some weight, I am able to walk up stairs without huffing and puffing, and my skin has regained some of it’s natural glow – even the people around me have commented on it!”
My weekends are actually relaxing and restorative
“Saturday and Sunday mornings are glorious – instead of waking in a hungover, guilt ridden fog, I wake up early naturally, and feel clear headed with a full day ahead of me. I am excited to get up and out, making the most of the day.”
Because alcohol interrupts your REM sleep cycles, you get a better quality of sleep each night meaning you are more likely to have the energy to do the things you want to do with your spare time. The weekends can be restful, relaxing and leave you re-energised for a new week ahead.
I have become a good example for those around me
“Lots of people have commented on how they have seen such amazing improvements in me, and that it inspired them to give it a go for themselves. It feels so rewarding to be able to pass that onto someone.”
“I know I am showing my children that there is an alternative way to live should they choose to. Pop culture and media only really shows them one option, but I can show them there is another. The choice is then up to them.”
Hello, me!
Are you curious to meet the alcohol-free you? If so, we are here to support you through the process – whether it is just a short reset, or a longer term lifestyle choice. See life from a fresh perspective, make the most of your valuable time and be the best possible version of yourself, for yourself!
