1 Year Of No Alcohol
In August 2022, I embarked on a month-long no alcohol challenge. That month-long commitment was the start of what would ultimately become more than 1 year of no alcohol.
I’m quite pleased with the results of this long term lifestyle change and would like to share my reflections from the experience. In this post I will review my 1 year of no alcohol and discuss benefits, lessons, and what to expect after not drinking for an entire 12 months.
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What Happens After 1 Year Of No Alcohol
At the highest level, going alcohol-free will make you richer, happier, and healthier. This will happen in a number of ways ranging from increased confidence, better friends, and higher performance.
I did a deep dive into all of the ways that quitting drinking will benefit you in my last post – so check that one out here. Beyond that, I’ll use this post to tell you about a few other benefits and surprises that you may experience when you quit drinking.
You May Crave Alcohol For The First 3 Months
Depending on your drinking habits, going no alcohol for 1 year could be a big change. And as with any change, the early adjustment period is often a challenge.
I wasn’t a huge drinker from the start, but did notice that I craved alcohol early on in the process. These were not the same cravings that an addict may have. Instead, I would crave alcohol in predictable moments such as when I was out on dates, socializing with friends, or doing other activities that commonly feature alcohol.
That said, things change somewhere in the middle of your 1 year of no alcohol.
Without truly noticing it, you will grow to stop thinking about alcohol. The same activities that used to trigger cravings eventually lose their power to do so. For instance, I now go to dates and socialize without a single thought of drinking.
1 Year Of No Alcohol Will Eliminate Your Urge To Drink
You can expect 1 year of no alcohol to completely eliminate your physiological and psychological urge to drink.
From my experience, you will undergo a transformation where your mind and body heals from any deep seeded alcohol dependency. In essence, you sort of just move on with your life and replace drinking with healthier habits.
People Will Test Your Resolve To Remain Alcohol-Free
Your 1 year of no alcohol will see many people test your resolve. There is just something about telling people that you dont drink that motivates them to try to get you to drink along with them,
I’ve had people test my resolve in all sorts of creative ways during my 1 year of no alcohol. People have tried everything from using guilt, questioning my manhood, and leveraging special occasions such as birthdays,
Thankfully, I withstood the onslaught of attempted undermines and have remained alcohol-free. You must be prepared to do the same if you are going to achieve a full year of no alcohol.
You Will Be Tempted To Break Your No Alcohol Streak
Though your cravings to stop drinking will cease, your temptation to go back to your boozy ways never will. Alcohol is simply to prevalent around us to every truly avoid the rare temptation to take a sip.
In other words, you won’t have a deep physiological or psychological urge to drink. But you will have the simple temptation from constantly being around alcohol.
Just imagine the temptation of having certain snacks in your home. We are much more likely to eat ice cream if it is in the freezer, but probably wouldn’t think much about it otherwise.
The easiest way to deal with temptation is to avoid it. And in the moments where it does appear, you have to remove yourself from the environment or practice restraint. I enjoy moments such as these that test my resolve because each success bolsters my confidence in being able to stick to my goals.
1 Year Of No Alcohol Is Actually A Lot of Fun
In a counterintuitive way, not drinking alcohol is actually a lot of fun. This may come as a surprise considering alcohol’s role in enhancing our moods during social settings. But, going no alcohol may actually lead to even more fun than a lifestyle with drinking.
One reason for this, as summarized well by non-alcoholic wine brand Surely, is the role of dopamine.
When your dopamine levels go back to normal, you'll be able to respond more normally to experiences, people, and situations. You'll probably find a lot more joy than you remember when alcohol was in the driver's seat!
Aside from dopamine, not drinking is fun because it forces you to be more creative in planning your activities.
With alcohol, things are easy. You simply schedule any event and booze your way through it.
On the other hand, removing alcohol for us to try a bit harder in our moments of fun. For example, we may plan a dinner with friends to include a refined musical playlist, specialty non-alcoholic beverages, and highly engaging games.
Granted, you can also plan the exact things for gatherings involving alcohol. The point here is to simply highlight that you are more likely to be intentional with your planning when alcohol is removed.
You Will Influence Others To Go No Alcohol
Another benefit of going no alcohol for 1 year would be the positive impact you have on others.
No one could argue that being alcohol-free is the healthier choice. Therefore, those around you may be intrigued by your new and improved no alcohol lifestyle. Sometimes people just need to see someone else doing something positive to make a change themselves.
You will also have a positive impact on others in actual moments that involve alcohol.
For example, you opting for alcohol-free beverages at a bar may influence your friends to drink a little bit less. I’ve seen this personally as my friends seem to have much tamer drinking bouts when I’m hanging around.
Is 1 Year Of No Alcohol Worth It?
Yes, a full year without alcohol is totally worth it,
From the long list of benefits to your health, wealth, and happiness. To the life improvements mentioned in this post. You will find valuable in not drinking.
I don’t have anything against alcohol. I may even decide to incorporate it back into my life later. But for now, I’m enjoying the benefits of going alcohol-free. I hope this post has given you more insights on what you can expect if you were to embark upon your own year of no alcohol.