Taking a break from alcohol this New Year? OYNB has got your back

At this time of year, it is common to be formulating your New Year’s resolutions and considering how you can start 2020 on the right foot.

Taking a break from drinking has a whole array of benefits, so if you decide to take on this challenge for the New Year, it could be one of the best decisions you make for your health and happiness. And don’t forget, OYNB will be here to keep you on track!

Benefits of going alcohol-free this New Year:

• Sleep better
• Get a stronger body that’s better equipped to fight infection
• Boosted immune system
• Your digestive system will function more effectively
• Skin looks clearer
• Hydration levels improve
• Easier to maintain a healthy weight
• Feel happier and less likely to experience mood swings
• Feel less anxious
• Blood sugar stabilised
• Concentrate and focus better

Think you‘ll miss the buzz that alcohol fleetingly gives you? In terms of mental and physical health, the price that the buzz extracts is high. What’s more, it doesn’t even start to compare with how amazing you can feel without it. If you agree that these benefits are too good to miss, then here are some top tips for taking a break from alcohol this New Year!

Track your progress

One of the brilliant things about taking a break from the booze is that so many of the benefits are immediate. Your body will begin to feel more energised within a matter of days after making your decision, and seeing positive changes straight away can really help to spur you on!

Even if you haven’t written a diary since you were nine, how about keeping a record of the changes you feel and see once you’ve eliminated alcohol? Whether you journal about physical changes you start to see, or use a fitness app to track how your workouts are improved, tracking your journey can be detailed or brief as you like! The idea is to focus your attention on how you’re improving your life and health. This can also be a brilliant resource to use when you are feeling cravings as you can read it back to see how much better you are feeling as a result of taking a break from drinking and stay motivated towards your goal!

Remember the hidden benefits

Not all the benefits you will experience during your alcohol-free challenge will be obvious, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening. In fact, within hours, your liver will start to reap the rewards of your decision. For as long as you’ve been drinking, your liver has been working overtime, trying to filter the alcohol out of your bloodstream. Without a steady stream of toxins to deal with, your liver can go back to its day job of eliminating everyday contaminants, detoxifying harmful chemicals, maximising food nutrients, purifying the blood and the other 500-ish processes that it’s needed for.

Take time to notice how you’re feeling

Taking a break from drinking offers you the chance to really get to know yourself without the booze. Take some time each day to notice how you are feeling. For most people, just 72 hours after quitting drinking, you’ll be on an upward curve. You’re on the pathway to feeling the best you’ve felt in years. Every single day that you don’t drink alcohol during your challenge is a success. After a week, you’ll probably be feeling more energetic and cognitively much sharper. After a month, a break from alcohol can have a significant impact on improving anxiety and mental health related issues.    

One Year No Beer

OYNB is exactly what you think it is: accepting the challenge of ditching the drink from your life for 1, 3 or 12 months. Many OYNB-ers find that once their alcohol-free challenge is over, they have no desire to go backwards. Put simply, they find that life is much better without booze. Chances are, you’ll be enjoying work much more and be better at it. You might find that your relationships have improved, along with your mood and physical and mental wellbeing. 

And what about your bank balance? Booze is expensive. Extra costs are often bolted onto a night out drinking – the taxi home because you can’t drive, the inadvisable 2am takeaway and so on. You could easily save between £3000 – £4000 a year by not drinking. Think of what else you could be doing with a sum of money like that. It could make saving a house deposit a reality or send you on that trip of a lifetime.

OYNB: We’ve Got Your Back

Here’s the thing. You’ve got the power to transform your life and health and you can start today. Ready for the best New Year’s resolution that lasts a lifetime? OYNB has got your back and we’re rooting for you.