Unlocking My Best Self: The Year I Gained Everything by Ditching Alcohol
From better sleep to stronger friendships, here's what truly changed for me over the past year.
A little over a year ago, right before Oktoberfest 2024, I decided to take my health more seriously. I was already focused on physical training, good sleep, and strong connections with friends and family (mental health). I was eating better, too, but I hadn't paid much attention to what I was drinking.
As someone who loves a good challenge, I made a sudden decision to go completely alcohol-free. One day to the next. The plan: forever. This idea came after a conversation with a marathon runner. When I asked if he drank a little or not at all, he told me that "just a little" often doesn't work and that he's 100% off alcohol. It clicked for me. Having one beer often leads to another, and before you know it, you're off track.
To my surprise, going to Oktoberfest and only drinking non-alcoholic "Mass" (a one-liter beer) was easy. When I ordered one, a few friends at the table joined me, saying they had also had enough of drinking.
Since then, I've just been ordering non-alcoholic beers or other options at restaurants. If there's no non-alcoholic beer, I'll grab a fruit spritzer—they taste great. Or I go with water, as some of these options still have a lot of “stupid” calories.
So, what's changed? Here's a quick look at the biggest differences:
Better Sleep: My sleep scores on my Garmin watch are consistently higher, usually in the 70-90 range. Before, even one beer at dinner could mess up my sleep cycle, often making me sweat and wake up. Now, that's gone.
Early Mornings: Along with better sleep habits, I now wake up at 6 AM every day without any trouble. I often wake up naturally before my alarm. I make sure to get to bed a little before 10 PM to get more than eight hours of sleep. I often listen to a podcast on a 30-minute sleep timer to help me fall asleep.
Improved Sports Performance: It's also leveled up my sports experiences. On my yearly snowboarding trip with my friend Andre, going non-alcoholic meant we could have more fun on the mountain. Drinking and doing sports like snowboarding is dangerous, and it's horrible to see people drunk in a mountain hut at lunchtime. For Andre and me, it means we can fully rely on each other. If an accident were to happen, I'd know my good friend is close by and fully capable of helping.
Friends Join In: A lot of my friends have also stopped drinking, and we don't miss it at all. We can have just as much fun without alcohol. As one friend said, "If you need alcohol to open up, you have the wrong friends." While some of my friends still drink, there's no judgment, and it's not considered weird or uncool not to drink. This would have been unthinkable at big events like Oktoberfest just a few years ago.
Have you ever considered taking a break from alcohol, or have you already? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!