How Living Sober Curiously Has Changed my Life

Some people have a hard time thinking about the idea of quitting alcohol. Others like the idea of being sober curious or taking breaks from drinking. Even noticing how much alcohol you consume can change your lifestyle habits.

So, how has sobriety changed my life?

My anxiety has lessened.

It’s made me appreciate life more.

I am clear-headed.

My productivity has increased.

I write more.

My goals are clear.

I feel less bloated.

I am so much happier than before.

This may not happen to you when you quit drinking, and sometimes it takes a while to get the benefits of being sober. Your body is different from mine, and you may have changes that vary from the ones I’ve listed.

When I quit drinking I noticed physical and mental changes. I always hear people talk about how they lost weight or their body shape changed once they quit drinking. And that’s true. But the number one reason I continue to stay away from alcohol is all of the mental changes that have come from being sober. I will always go for a mocktail over a cocktail now.

How Has Limiting Alcohol Has Changed My Life

Never in a million years did I think I would have given up drinking or limited my alcohol consumption. I can’t say I am 100% sober, every few months I sip on a glass of wine when I’m out at dinner. But I can say I don’t allow alcohol in my house.

You know why? Because I will sit and drink a bottle to myself and want more at the end of it. I’m not the type of person who can drink one glass of wine at home and put away the bottle.

Giving up most alcohol and not allowing it into my home has changed my mental health.

My Anxiety Has Lessened

Maybe I once had anxiety. I know I was diagnosed with it at a young age. But maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe they didn’t have a word for how I was feeling and coping with things, so they labeled me as anxious.

Or maybe my mom told the doctors I was anxious at a young age, and that label forever followed. My anxiety may have started at a young age, but my addiction kept it going from the time I was 16.

Every day I walked on eggshells, scared of life. I could never let go of that uneasy feeling that kept me from living. I was scared of my mom, scared of my ex, scared of school, and scared of myself. And to deal with it, I drank. If I couldn’t drink, I drank Nyquil. All to cope with that anxious feeling.

Since I quit drinking, I feel lighter. I recognize when I am not feeling okay, and I can accept those feelings for what they are. I don’t try to numb myself against those feelings. I simply let them exist and leave my body. I don’t grab a bottle when I’m stressed; I figure out why I’m stressed and deal with it.

I have learned to battle my “anxiety” head-on. I have learned that there were reasons why I was anxious and scared of certain people and that I don’t need to drink to deal with them but instead set boundaries with people and acknowledge that having feelings is okay.

It’s Made Me Appreciate Life

When I stopped drinking, I all of a sudden had to figure out how to cope with unpleasant feelings. That was challenging for me, and I am still getting used to it. Growing up I felt like I had to bottle my unpleasant feelings because my mom never agreed with them.

But, when I quit drinking, I started to appreciate the little things and I started appreciating the feelings I had. Even the unpleasant ones. Because being sober allows me to feel.

I appreciate my husband more, who sees me; I appreciate my cat more; I appreciate the safe space I’ve created; I love the short walks I take without needing a glass of wine in my hand to do them; and I love my life.

When I was drinking, there was not any day that I loved my life. I didn’t care whether I lived or died. And now the only thing I want more is to live my life with my beautiful husband and have a family with him. I don’t want to be the mom who needs a drink to cope with the chaos. I want to be present and loving because that is exactly what I was missing.

I Am Clear-Headed

One of the best things about being sober is being clear-headed. I never realized, until I stopped drinking, that my head was so clouded. I drank almost every night. That’s not normal. I did it because my parents did it.

When you drink, even if you don’t drink during the day, you still perceive things differently. The lens that I was viewing the world through is one of the reasons I was so anxious all of the time. I couldn’t quite understand how people were seeing me and talking to me, and I couldn’t understand them.

While I was drinking regularly, there was a major disconnect from reality.

My Productivity Has Increased

When I woke up, the first thing I thought about was getting through the day or my shift at work to come home and drink. Screw dinner; I wanted to know what wine I was having.

Because I was so focused on getting to that point in my day, I never really cared about the work I was doing. I wasn’t worried about money; I was worried about wine. It was so unhealthy, and I never even realized it.

Since I stopped drinking and can see clearly, I can focus on what I love more and reach my goals. It is one of the best feelings because the more I do what I love, the more productive I am, and the more secure I feel in my life.

I Write More

One of my greatest passions in life is writing. I definitely wrote drunk, a lot… And not to be the stereotypical pained artist. But I thought it made my work better. Sadder and more unique.

If you are an artist, writer, or creative, Becoming sober or even sober curious will make your work better. Trust me.

I can now practice writing more, which is why I am using Medium, and I can keep my freelance writing clients for longer. I never miss deadlines, and I understand directions clearly.

It’s the most amazing feeling to be writing and then remember what I am writing about.

My Goals Are Clear

When I was drunk, which between 16 and 24 was a constant state, I never had goals. I didn’t aspire to be anyone or anything. As I got older, I opened a writing business but could never keep clients because my main focus was drinking.

My goals were unclear, and it seeped into my work ethic. My mom once told me I never worked hard for anything in my life. At first, I was offended because she had been drinking, and I chalked it up to her being drunk. But the truth is, she was right.

I spent eight years of my life drinking, and I could not achieve even the smallest goal because I was too drunk to do it.

I may not always know how to achieve my goals, but having a clear direction has helped me succeed in so many ways.

I Feel Less Bloated

I was always bloated from drinking. Now, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t really know what happens to your body when you quit drinking. But I know that for me, I felt better. My clothes fit better, and I look less fluffy.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a naturally curvy lady, and I love my body. But when I was drinking, I always woke up with swollen cheeks, eyes, and stomach. And because of this, I would focus on starving myself.

A few years ago, my mom bought us Nutrisystem. I used it so wrong. Instead of focusing on eating well-rounded meals, I began calorie counting very intensely. Instead of eating throughout the day, I saved my calories all for wine.

I was skinny. But I still woke up bloated. So I would repeat the cycle to make myself feel better. It was a horribly toxic cycle that wasn’t actually healthy. So I may look bigger now, but I feel 100 times better and less bloated.

I Am SO Much Happier Than Before

Above all else, I am happier now that I don’t drink. I loved my husband before, even when I was drinking. And I’m not sure he knew how much it consumed my life. Or maybe he loved me so much he never wanted to bring it up.

But now that I don’t drink? I truly appreciate everything he does for me. He takes care of me and I can better support him. I can see my future with him not just the next day.

I cherish every minute of the life I have created being in a sober home.

To be fair to you guys, I would consider myself sober curious. I can’t claim that I am 100% sober because 2–3 times a year I will have a glass of wine out at dinner with the girls. But I can proudly say I know exactly how much I drink, and I would never bring a bottle of booze home.

My environment is clean, and I intend to keep alcohol out of my house forever. I am not sure I would have been diagnosed as an alcoholic so young, but I can tell you that for eight years it consumed my life, and had I kept going, I’m sure it would have gotten to that point.