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From November 2023 to November 2024, I went a year without alcohol; it was interesting, to say the least. In this article, I will share how I found the experience.

Before starting this experiment, I wasn’t a heavy drinker but was probably drinking at least weekly or, if not twice per week. A drink was a drink; I didn’t think anything of it.

But then I realised how much I was spending on alcohol, and I listened to Dr Andrew Huberman’s podcast on alcohol. I was concerned, to say the least; I believe Dr Huberman noted that even having a couple of drinks per week can negatively affect your health.

I can’t remember exactly what he said, but It was frightening.

I don’t judge anyone for drinking, and I’ve probably been drinking since I was 16. In England, drinking culture is quite the thing. Heres what I found when I quit drinking.

1. Hangovers Where A Relic Of The Past

For me, this was the best benefit. I hate hangovers with a passion. With hangovers, I get moody and irritable and just turn into a horrible person.

I could say that I became much more productive. Unfortunately, this isn’t true; I was Nursing a wrist injury throughout the entire year that I stopped drinking and was in a very difficult relationship that I’m now out of.

But hey, ho, no hangovers were great.

2. I Saved And Invested More Money Than Ever

By not going out drinking, I wouldn’t spend money buying food or other things I may have previously bought while being “out on the drink”.

This allowed me to save more money in my general savings account and invest more in index funds.

3. I Spent More Time With My Ex-girlfriend

This wasn’t that great; we ultimately drove each other insane and split up. Honestly, she is probably part of the reason I stopped drinking. She was highly needy and possessive and, unfortunately, tried to stop me from going out with my friends.

4. I Got Sick Just As Much As Normal (probably more)

Before I started this experiment, I thought I’d turn into Wolverine or something by the 1-year mark. This wasn’t the case; alas, I’m still human.

5. I Didn’t Miss Alcohol

I can honestly take or leave alcohol. Some beers are pretty pleasant. I do enjoy a good German wheat beer. But honestly, I didn’t get the craving for alcohol. This is probably because most alcoholic beverages in the United Kingdom taste like mouldy urine.

If it weren’t for me going to my best friend’s stag do in November, I still probably wouldn’t have had an alcoholic drink.

6. My Sleep Didn’t Change

If you look at the benefits of going completely sober, one of the main benefits is better sleep. Honestly, it didn’t make a difference to me.

7. Going Without Alcohol For A Year Is Overrated

For the most part, I think everything you watch and read online is sensationalised, and you wouldn’t click on these influencer’s articles or videos about giving up alcohol if the results were mediocre.

The Bottom Line On A Year Without Alcohol

If you’re someone like me who hasn’t really got a problem with alcohol, going a year without it probably won’t make much of a difference to how you feel. But if you have alcoholism, I think the benefits will be dramatic. I’ve been an idiot on occasions when I’ve been drunk, maybe a handful of times; I think I took this to heart and thought it meant I had a problem; in reality, I don’t. But we’ll see what my psychologist says.