According to a report from last year, the amount of alcohol being consumed by the average American citizen has risen to a thirty-year high. If you’re a regular drinker, you may be considering reducing the amount of alcohol you consume on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis—or you could be thinking about quitting alcohol altogether. Here are seven reasons why that could be a great idea:
1. Boost Your Mood
Although alcohol has some stimulating effects, it’s actually a depressant; that means it slows your body down in many ways (for example, reaction times, nervous system function, mental cognition, and so on.).
Alcohol can also suppress the production of the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine, meaning that you’re more likely to be depressed. Cutting out alcohol could lead to an improved mood and lower risk of anxiety and depression.
2. Heal Your Liver
When you drink, your liver has to work to filter out the alcohol and remove it from the body. If you drink to excess regularly, your liver will have to work harder than it needs to, and this can lead to liver malfunction and even serious conditions like liver disease.
Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can reduce the strain on your liver and even allow it time to heal.
3. Lose Weight
People who drink a lot of alcohol are consuming extra calories. These are often referred to as ‘invisible calories’ because you don’t expect them from beverages, but a bottle of wine can easily contain up to 1,200 calories.
Drinking less or no alcohol could save you hundreds of calories every day, making it easier for you to lose weight and improve your health that way.
4. Improve Your Relationships
Often, when people drink to excess, relationships with loved ones suffer. If you’re a heavy drinker, you may notice that your relationships are being affected by your behavior.
If this is the case, or if you feel your drinking is impacting your life in other negative ways but you don’t seem to be able to fix it, you may have an addiction. Talk to your doctor to see if they recommend checking into a rehabilitation facility such as Harris House.
Refraining from drinking alcohol could improve your relationships and allow you to get on with your life in a more positive way.
5. Get More Sleep
One of alcohol’s often-forgotten effects is its impact on sleep. Alcohol often allows people to fall asleep quickly, and it is sometimes touted as a means to a good night’s sleep, but it actually prevents quality, deep sleep known as rapid eye movement sleep.
By cutting out alcohol, you could be sleeping longer, deeper, and better.
6. Save Money
Another benefit of not drinking alcohol is the financial gains to be made. If you drink a large glass of wine every night, that adds up to more than two bottles of wine per week, and it’s not a cheap habit! Stopping drinking could save you vast sums of money over the year.
7. More Energy
Drinking even small quantities of alcohol can make people feel lethargic and tired, not to mention hungover. If you’re losing hours each week to hangovers or general exhaustion, quitting drinking could have an enormous impact on your energy levels.
There are plenty of good reasons to quit drinking alcohol. You’ll improve your physical and mental health, save money, and better your relationships.