10 Reasons to Not Drink Alcohol

Alcohol.  It is a hot topic in 2024, and for good reason.  As more and more research is done, and new studies come out, it has been proven extremely detrimental to your health.  The Canadian Cancer Society has said that no amount of alcohol is safe, in the prevention of good health.  The American Cancer Society says men should limit their intake to a maximum of 2 drinks per day, and women should have no more than 1.  There are more than 7 types of cancer that are linked to alcohol consumption, and the facts are that alcohol contributes to several health risks that are just too risky to take.  Other health risks include things like liver disease, cirrhosis, and fatty liver.  You are also at risk for cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and more.

If you are looking for reasons to quit drinking altogether, there are a plethora of reasons to get you well on your way.  In this article, we look at 10 reasons to ditch the drink and get your health on the right track.

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1. Improved Physical Health:

A reduction of risk for related cancers, liver disease, and overall health of your body.  This is such an important factor in aging well and living a long, healthy life.  Lowered risk for cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure are also on the list.  Immune system function will improve, and you will also notice a huge difference in your energy levels.  Alcohol affects your whole system, and when you stop drinking, you will feel the effects of that over time.    ‍

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2. Better Mental Health:

Alcohol consumption is linked to anxiety, high cortisol, and depression, and often exacerbates mental health issues, such as things like ADHD.  This is often the reason people continue to reach for alcohol, self-medicating with the substance that is creating the issue in the first place.  It's like a hamster wheel that you can’t seem to get off.  Removing alcohol will improve these symptoms over time and can also stabilize your mood so you are less likely to crave it anymore.  Your emotional well-being improves, your stress levels reduce and are more manageable, and your mind becomes clear.  You are much more likely to handle life's challenges with greater ease.

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3. Enhanced Sleep Quality:

Alcohol ruins sleep.  It may seem like it helps you to sleep because you can be accustomed to using it as a falling asleep aid, but it greatly disrupts your REM sleep and causes you to have poor sleep quality, which is essential to your body's restorative needs.  Once you quit drinking your body can start to recover, and you will notice much improvement with your sleep.  Even drinking a few nights per week is enough to create problems in the sleep department.  Not sleeping properly will reduce your overall life span, so this one is really important.

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4. Stronger Relationships:

Alcohol is the cause of so many issues that happen in families, friendships, and in our communities.  It ruins people’s lives and is the ultimate home wrecker for many.   Alcohol not only impairs judgment, but it can also lead to negative behaviors that damage personal and professional relationships.  Our society is brainwashed into thinking we need alcohol to sustain our relationships, so we can go out and “have a good time”, and if things go wrong, just blame it on the alcohol and it will be all ok.  The other factor to consider is that with abstaining from alcohol, we are clearer in mind, more stable in mood and have a stronger ability to communicate with intention, and create healthier emotional bonds, resulting in better, stronger relationships.

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5. Financial Savings:

It is no secret that alcohol is expensive.  The rising costs of alcohol both in the liquor stores and restaurants is at an all-time high.  The more you drink the more you spend.  Not to mention the money that gets spent because alcohol was consumed.  Many people habit- stack other negative choices to their drinking, leading to even higher costs.  Things like drugs, fast food, cigarettes, online shopping and gambling are a few examples of that.  Once you quit drinking, you save a lot.  You could also save money down the road, on potential medical or legal bills caused from drinking alcohol.

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6. Better Physical Appearance:

You know the saying; You are what you eat?  Well, you are also what you drink.  Consumption is both.  Alcohol is a poison, and it does take a toll on your overall appearance.  It is dehydrating, therefore is dries out your skin, leaving you looking tired, dull, and puffy.  It also leads to more wrinkles, pre-mature aging, inflammation, skin issues, like acne, and weight gain.  Fun stuff.  Quitting drinking will help to alleviate all these symptoms, resulting in you being properly hydrated, bright, clear skinned, and will also be beneficial in helping you to rid of any unwanted weight.

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7. Increased Productivity:

You really do become unstoppable in sobriety.  We don’t realize how much alcohol affects our productivity, until we stop.  You get so used to the norm of your life, either drinking alcohol or recovering from it, and that really does affect your ability to produce at a higher level.  Because alcohol impairs our cognitive function, it can make it difficult to focus on tasks, not just while you are drinking but the days following as well.  This affects our ability to excel at our personal and professional projects, some worse than others, depending on the amount of alcohol you consume.  Removing alcohol is the cheat code to life, and that is why I named my company this.

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8. Reduce Risk of Accidents and Injuries:

If you know a nurse or a doctor, just go and ask them about this one.  Have you ever considered how many late-night visits to the ER are due to accidents that were caused by the consumption of alcohol?  Thousands, I’m sure, maybe more.  I’m not just talking about car accidents either.  I’m talking about all accidents.  People do risky, stupid and senseless things while under the influence of alcohol, putting both themselves and others at great risk.  Once you stop drinking alcohol, you are no longer at that same risk, reducing the likelihood of these incidents, making daily life safer.

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9. Positive Social Influence:

The world is in pain, and we can be a part of the problem or the solution.  I can tell you from personal experience it’s the latter that feels good.  Being a role model for a healthy lifestyle choice goes further than you think.  It may seem like it’s a good choice if you have friends or family struggling with substance abuse to abstain, but your reach will go much farther, once you are in sobriety.  Our society needs people to lead by example, and now is a better time than ever to be a light in this world and show people the way to personal freedom.  You never know who you will help just by taking an action for yourself.  Sobriety is also at an all-time-high, and social influence, has a lot to do with this.  It is a great time in the world to get sober, as it is more and more accepted as the healthy way to live.‍

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10. Personal Empowerment

If you have goals, and you want to be an achiever, sobriety is a good place to start.  Learning this discipline and living in sobriety is the ultimate act of personal empowerment.  This strengthens your self-control, and it will snowball positively into other areas of your life that you have goals.  Sobriety can lead to a greater sense of confidence and self-reliance.  Knowing that you can remove a substance from your life that is causing you harm, one way or another, really makes you feel empowered. Once you have that, you are ready to take on the world.

Choosing sobriety is really just saying yes, to yourself.  Yes, that you want to be happy, healthy, thriving and in control of making your life as positive and enriched as it can be.  

If you are looking for options to make it a smooth transition into sobriety, The Cheat Code Academy might be for you.  Check out the website for more information: www.thecheatcode.academy

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