Stories

My alcohol-free year

Alcohol is often a feature of working life in the legal sector, from after-work drinks to client events, and can also become a way of coping with stress, pressure, and long hours. But more and more people are questioning their relationship with alcohol and considering what life might look like with less of it.

Are you looking to reduce your alcohol intake over the coming months? If so, Sarah Williamson has got some pointers you may find useful.

I’m really mindful of the language I use around alcohol. When I first thought about drinking less I decided that I would try not to use the phrase ‘giving up’ alcohol or ‘giving up’ drinking. I wanted to put the most empowering spin on this decision I could. I wanted to think of what I was doing as joyful and life enhancing, and if I think about giving up, I think of deprivation and denial. I decided to complete a non-drinking experiment, I didn’t particularly like the word sober or abstinent so I described my experiment as an alcohol-free year.

Let’s look at what’s to be gained by drinking a bit less

Improved sleep

The thing that happened for me very quickly was much improved sleep. The effects of a few drinks can take a couple of days to work out of your system and cutting down led to a much better pattern of sleep. I no longer stirred in the night, didn’t need to get up to go to the bathroom or have a glass of water, and I started waking earlier and feeling better first thing in the morning.

What a joy!

Person’s bare feet peeking out from under a crumpled grey duvet on an unmade bed, with soft morning light filtering in.

More level moods

I had no idea I was riding such emotional mood roller coasters. If I had a hangover or even low-level brain fog in the morning, I didn’t feel great, and therefore the people closest to me felt the full force of it. I didn’t speak kindly to myself, and I was a more anxious person because of it. I enjoy much more stable moods now.

More energy

More sleep and feeling better about myself has given me so much more energy physically, mentally and emotionally.

Better skin

My skin has improved drastically. I think this was for three reasons:

I stopped putting a toxin in my body.
I started to actually use the moisturisers in my bathroom cabinet instead of falling into bed too knackered to use them.
I was better hydrated as I started to drink plenty of water for the first time in my life.

Time

I hadn’t realised what a time-suck drinking was. The time from 5pm thinking about drinking: What will I drink? Do I have what I want in the house? When can I open the bottle? How much shall I have? Then, once I’d opened the bottle and after dinner was cooked, I did nothing else productive. Some might call it relaxing. I now call it dead time. And, of course, there’s the wasted morning time, hitting snooze and then eventually getting on with your day in a slightly underwhelmed way.

Productivity

I wanted to change my life in significant ways and being alcohol-free has given me not only the energy and time but also the clarity and mindset to get on and do it in a way that feels aligned and natural.

Nutrition choices

What I eat has significantly improved since I chose to be alcohol-free. I used to reach for the crisps and nuts with a G and T or a glass of wine and, if I had any hint of a hangover, my breakfast choices used to be, shall we say, less than ideal. It’s a different story now – I’m not flawless on this front but I have left my snacking habits behind, and I tend to start each day with a more nutritious breakfast or brunch.

Money

Finally, money. How much cash did I spend over the years, not only on booze itself, but also taxis, carb-laden hangover cures, coffees and paracetamol? Not anymore! I wouldn’t ever have told you I spent too much on booze because what I was spending money on was fun, and hey, what price can you put on fun? Now, I look back on situations that were supposed to be fun – big birthdays or parties, days at the races and other days out, weddings and anniversaries – I can remember very little as alcohol stole those memories. I had my nights out drinking but also my nights in drinking. Alcohol was just added casually to the weekly shop, of course, so it never really felt like spending money, but it was. My average weekly shop cost has since gone down significantly. When I drank at home, I was also prone to a bit of late night online shopping. It was often a surprise to see what urgent purchase on a Friday or Saturday night turned up on a Tuesday morning.

If you are thinking of having a break from alcohol or cutting down your consumption – I really encourage you to give it a go – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Sarah Williamson

Sarah Williamson is a best-selling author, life coach, trainer, expert speaker and podcast host. In 2019 she decided to take a break from alcohol for one year... and hasn't gone back to it. There was no rock-bottom, no drama - just a feeling that perhaps alcohol wasn't providing all the benefits she thought it was.

Sarah has spent the last 15 years coaching and mentoring people who are overwhelmed and under resourced and has found that the relationship with alcohol is often the final bit of the jigsaw for many people who are getting a handle on their wellness goals.

🔗 Drink less live better website
🔗 Sarah on LinkedIn
🔗 Drink less live better book link
🔗 Drink less live better podcast