Every time I flip through a magazine or scroll through Instagram, I come across some kind of new “life hack”.
When it comes to health, we’re inundated with quick tips and shortcuts that promise to improve our wellbeing.
But there’s one life hack that seems to always get left off the list. Hardly anyone is talking about it, and it’s surprisingly simple: stop drinking alcohol.
If you need another reason to quit, let me explain why sobriety beats all the other life hacks!
Key points:
A beauty boost
If you stop drinking alcohol, within just 10 days, you’ll likely notice a change in your skin. It’ll start to look plumper and more hydrated, and who doesn’t want that? Stick with it a little longer, and you might hear others comment on how fresh and youthful you look. That’s the glow of sobriety kicking in.
Gut health and better sleep
After a couple of weeks without alcohol, your gut microbiome starts to benefit, and you may feel less bloated and lighter around your midsection. Around the one-month mark, many people report improved sleep quality. Some experience this change even sooner, but either way, better sleep is a huge win.
A reduced cancer risk
Let’s talk long-term health now. Staying away from alcohol significantly reduces your risk of developing one of the many cancers related to drinking. That alone is reason enough to consider ditching the booze. But the benefits don’t stop there.
Weight loss and anxiety relief
Cutting out alcohol means cutting out a lot of empty calories. This can lead to weight loss without even trying. But perhaps one of the most overlooked benefits is how it reduces anxiety. Alcohol and anxiety are a terrible mix. If you’re looking to feel more positive and emotionally resilient, quitting alcohol can be a powerful step.
A domino effect of positivity
When you’re not clouded by alcohol, both physically and mentally, the ripple effects touch every area of your life. From being more successful at work to having better relationships and even hitting new personal bests in the gym, it’s a win-win situation all round!
Time to prioritise your life hacks
Consider this: if you’re trying to meditate every morning but you wake up with a hangover or gripped with anxiety over what happened the night before, how much harder is it to find peace in your practice?
Or maybe you’ve downloaded one of those apps that limits your screen time at night to improve your sleep. That’s great! But if you’re getting through a few glasses of wine before bed, alcohol is going to wreck your sleep anyway.
Sobriety: It’s on another level
Honestly, the world of life hacks can get overwhelming. I don’t want you to have alcohol-free living on the same “I should try this” list as things like having a cold shower or keeping a gratitude diary.
Those things might be great, but if you’re struggling with alcohol, focusing on those minor hacks is a bit like worrying about a stain on the curtains when your house is falling down. Addressing the bigger issue first – alcohol – is what will make the real difference.
36 responses
Great video! I needed that this morning! My drinking has been out of control for way too long. I have incurred fractures, both physically and relationship wise. A positive step is that I am starting counseling this week and aiming for an AFL (alcohol free life) for my remaining life.
Wishing you all the best on your journey Ger!
I started mine on 21 March 2023 with Kate and her course – the best life hack I have ever made!
“A stain on your curtains when the roof has blown off your house” – good analogy!
Glad you like it Sue! 🙂
Hi Kate. Thank you for your email. I don’t actually feel the need for the Wine o’clock advice as I don’t drink in the week unless we go out which isn’t often. I’m finding that I drink too much at weekends and it leaves me feeling so rough the following day and can take days to feel better. I stopped drinking for 3 months at beginning of year and just felt amazing. I am now back on the wagon and going to see if I can knock it on the head for good this time. I have some podcasts to listen to so fingers crossed.
If you struggle with weekends, this blog might help you return to feeling amazing again: https://thesoberschool.com/not-drinking-at-the-weekend-is-really-hard/
Totally agree with everything that you’ve just said
Completely agree. Nearly six months since I started your course, Kate, and still going strong. And it’s true that it gets easier as, like anything, not drinking is habit-forming. And, for me, the good sleep started immediately.
It’s wonderful to hear you’re doing well after six months and getting quality sleep. Tasks become much more manageable when you’re well-rested. ❤️
I love this video! It is so true that changing this one thing(drinking alcohol) makes every other thing so much easier in terms of “life hacks”. I have always been very into fitness and health- running, working out, watching what I eat; the I would turn around and undo so much of my hard work by drinking way too much!! The hangover, the bad eating, the anxiety- undid so much of my hard work. I haven’t drank in several months and my life, the parts I can control, are so much calmer. I actually enjoy my workouts now, my anxiety has gone way down, I am sleeping better, eating better and finally feel good about myself- all because of removing one thing!!!!
No further proof needed Megan! Sobriety is not about giving something up, it’s about taking everything back that you lost to alcohol. 🙂
Loved this. I suffered with anxiety and depression for years and blamed everything and tried anything except giving up alcohol as it seemed too hard. I have been alcohol free over 2 years and it’s the best thing I have ever done. I sleep better and my anxiety and depression is practically non existent. As you say there are no reports /advertisements promoting an alcohol free life. It’s like the best kept secret so thanks so much Kate for being an ambassador of promoting all the benefits xx
Sobriety is like the best kept secret to health and happiness so I’m pleased to know you’ve been reaping the benefits for two years. It’s my passion to assist women in discovering the serenity and joy that sobriety has brought me, which inspired me to create The Sober School. Details of my courses here: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
Barney, do you think you could recall how long it took your anxiety and depression to lift? Trying to encorage my husband to go AF for a while to help with his final push through the illness. Would you say you felt some benefits in 8 weeks? Thanks
Martina,
It’s really difficult to put a timeline on the shifting of depression. I’ve been sober for over 5 years but still suffer with this (not so much anxiety). Depression has possibly been part of my entire life but it came to a head when I was mid-fifties and menopausal, exacerbated by drinking. Everyone’s situation and condition is different.
It’s a chemical imbalance and doesn’t go away overnight. It often needs medicating to correct the chemical imbalance and this is impacted negatively by booze.
What does change with sobriety is the ability to cope with depression and manage it. Because sleep improves, there is a concertina effect with other things improving. I still have to make an effort to manage my well-being but it no longer involves trying to drown my life in booze and I can see the changes in mood more rapidly and take the necessary actions sooner before I fall in deeper.
One of Kate’s “hacks” on her course is gratitude journaling. Each day I wrote 5 things I was grateful for, starting with tea! This was possibly the most significant activity, after giving up booze, I have ever done to lift my mood.
I still medicate for depression, but it’s half the original dose, and I still have to make an effort to get out for a walk or doing something that lifts my mood.
When I feel a bit gloomy, I head for my journal and just list everything I feel grateful for in that moment – usually way more than 5 things!! You’ll be surprised how that can lift your mood.
After a while I started to write other things in my journal to help process thoughts and ideas, but whatever I write, it always ends in a list of gratitude.
Some days the gratitude is simply for sunshine (or rain when it’s been dry!!), the green grass and birds chirping.
Sometimes it’s gratitude for my amazing friends who support my sobriety and in fact have cut down themselves without batting an eyelid!
Othertimes I’m grateful for my furballs even if they have just vomited on the carpet or scratched the curtains!!
It just helps to put things in perspective and strengthen my grip on life and reality!!
Possibly one of the things I’m most grateful for is stumbling on Kate’s course.
Good luck Martina – I hope you can persuade your husband to give up for a couple of months as I’m sure it will be helpful no matter what.
And embrace a tea ritual!
That was a good reinforcement message for me. I stopped drinking alcohol at the end of September and, whilst I feel so much better in all aspects of my life, I sometimes feel tempted. That video really helped. Thank you.
Well done for ditching the alcohol Tracy. If you ever feel tempted, try this strategy I call “playing the movie to the end” as I explain in an older blog: https://thesoberschool.com/playing-the-movie-to-the-end/
Being AF is The Gateway Life Hack! I could drive myself to the gym. the onsen, be the designated driver etc. Quitting alcohol freed up more time to do so much other stuff – hobbies and self care etc. MAJOR upgrade.
Day 1763 AF – Jan 2020 Sober School Grad. So grateful.
Wow, 1763 days freedom from alcohol – that’s fantastic Nik, congratulations! Alcohol is such a time thief too and I love your phrase “the gateway life hack”. That’s where everyone should start.
Fantastic!!! I am just half your milestone Nik… reaching 2 yrs and 1000 days are those really big ones I am looking forward to Thank you Kate for having made all this possible
You are very welcome Nik. I’m honoured to have started you on this path, but you put in the work to make it happen. 🙂
21 days sober , thank you for tonight’s message it really helped . Not feeling the benefits of a goods nights sleep yet or any health improvements but hope this will come very soon.
Hang in there Babs; better quality sleep is on the horizon, I promise you. It may take some time for the body to readjust to its natural rhythm, but it will happen.
Great and so true
Best life hack I’ve done is giving up alcohol in March this year and completing Kate’s course. I’m living proof that AF life works and 100% agree on all the benefits AF living gives you. I’ve got more energy sleep better, friends comment on how well I look, plus all the other health hacks I do or take are now working as I’m not ruining them with alcohol it’s a no brainer really.
It’s wonderful to hear that you’re thriving in sobriety, Carolyn – it truly is the best lifestyle hack around! -)
I’ve just finished the Getting Unstuck course and am a one day old member of the Stay Sober Club. I can’t get enough and never tire of your videos Kate. May get overwhelmed easily so take things in bite sized pieces. The most important aim was to quit drinking alone – ✅. I’ve never been a believer in life hacks anyway. Except this one – don’t drink alcohol. Thanks Kate.
Sobriety delivers everything alcohol promised…and more. ❤️
I have been basically (I had alcohol on 3 occasions that did not have good outcomes) AF for over 4 years. My problem is I still have cravings and feel that I am being deprived or punished. I was for the most part an at home drinker and 4 light beers put me in my happy place. I have no intention to start drinking again but I miss the bliss.
I’ve coached thousands of women to find joy in sobriety which banishes any cravings or feelings of deprivation. That’s the mindset shift that makes alcohol-free living so good that you wouldn’t ever want to drink again. Here’s the details of my online coaching programme where I can help you feel great about your choice not to drink: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
Well it’s the start of a brand new journey for me off the yellow brick road and tip toeing onto that bright highway of real life. I am 54 I have been drinking all my life to mask my unhappiness what I didn’t realise was the mask was an ugly one and slowly pulling it off my face now and letting the sun shine on my natural self. It feels slightly good and can only get better. Your video Kate is fabulous and you are very inspiring human being I shall start my journey with you today, won’t be the easiest path but well worth it.
Every journey starts with a single step and I’d be honoured to guide you. Here’s my free pep talk if you need a boost to keep going: https://thesoberschool.com/pep-talk Sobriety is the difference between thriving and surviving and you deserve to thrive.
Thankyou kate i havnt had a drink this month of October and I also had a wedding last weekend, of course i was very tempted to have a drink or two but just drunk water/juice from a wine glass. I am now thinking of not drinking until Christmas or again il maybe not want to bother with it
Brilliant Lucille, you’re building strong evidence that you don’t need alcohol to have fun or celebrate. Alcohol really doesn’t add anything to special occasions like a wedding or Christmas when you want to be fully present and create lasting memories. ❤️
Hello everyone, I have just downloaded the surviving wine-o’clock blog and listed to Kate’s video. I started drinking heavily after my husband died seven years ago. The bottle became my “friend”, but it is a thief and a liar. I had a bad fall 3 years ago which could have killed me. I am lucky to be here today, but angry that I still cannot give up my wine, which is more due to loneliness in the evenings, but a very bad habit. I hope that with help from this life-line from The Sober School, and your support, I will find life AF very rewarding. I have a comfortable life, I own my apartment, I have two wonderful sons, daughters-in-law, and grand-daughters. What more do I need ?
Hi Catherine, I am so sorry for your loss. You don’t have to do this on your own. If you need any more support, my online coaching programme would be a great fit for you. Here are some more details: https://thesoberschool.com/course/