Did you know that approximately 95K people die annually from alcohol-related causes in the US?
While quitting alcohol can be difficult, the benefits of sobriety can be helpful to motivate individuals to change their lives and adopt healthier lifestyles. Continue to read to find some top benefits of becoming teetotal.
1. Mental Focus and Clarity
One of the most noticeable benefits of living a sober life is better mental health. Your body will thank you for not filling it with toxins and chemicals with better mental clarity and focus.
With no addiction to impact your behavior and nothing to make your mind foggy, your brain will certainly function better. You won’t wake up wondering what happened the night before, and you won’t deal with hangovers anymore. Instead, you’ll start to notice how it’s way better to be present instead of constantly numbing reality.
2. Better Skin
Better skin is one of the many sobriety benefits. Alcohol abuse can lead to reduced collagen levels, broken capillaries on the face and nose, inflammation, and skin dehydration.
Once you become teetotal, you’ll get a more radiant complexion (since you’ll gradually restore your skin elasticity). Plus, some people’s skin might simply become cleaner and clearer due to improved hygiene.
3. Improved Sleep
Poor sleep and alcohol abuse are closely associated. Alcohol affects an individual sleep-wake cycle to the point that it’s more difficult to stay asleep and fall asleep. Also, since it relaxes the throat muscles, it makes a person more prone to snoring and sleep apnea.
Sure, it’s unreasonable to expect no sleep troubles in early recovery. However, after abstaining from alcohol for a while and having a better sleep routine, you can anticipate sleep quality improvements.
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4. Better Eating Habits
Getting sober will be good both for your mind and body. Several people with drinking problems tend to skip meals and drink instead, meaning they don’t consume enough minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins.
In addition, alcohol can also affect the excretion, utilization, storage, and digestion of nutrients, meaning that chronic drinkers easily become malnourished. Once you quit drinking and start focusing on having a healthier lifestyle, your body will begin to absorb nutrients properly.
5. Improved Immunity
Alcohol has an impact on your immune system: it prevents the sufficient production of white blood cells (which would protect your body against bacteria and germs). This is why many people who struggle with alcohol abuse tend to deal with bouts of tuberculosis and pneumonia.
When you quit drinking, you’ll be able to say goodbye to the many illnesses, flu and colds that maybe you didn’t even know were caused by chronic drinking in the past.
6. More Energy
Alcohol may make you feel ”cheerful” at first, but ultimately, it ends up making you feel slow and tired since it’s a depressant. Once you quit drinking, you’ll notice you’ll have way more energy to work with: use it to make healthier choices.
For example, you’ll be able to exercise because you’ll have the energy to go for a run instead of lying on the couch.
Benefits of Sobriety
Now that you know the benefits of sobriety, you may be thinking ”I want to be sober, but I don’t know how to stop drinking”. Don’t worry; there are a few strategies you can try.
You can try talking about your difficulties in therapy, find a support group, try journaling, and explore new coping tools (e.g., reading a book, listening to your favorite album). It isn’t easy, but it will be worth it.
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