We know that everyone isn’t planning on cutting back or quitting drinking this January.
It’s a popular time to do it - Dry January has become a global phenomenon - but there are so many other things for us all to work on that drinking less might slip off the priority list.
Here’s the thing, though: for so many other New Year’s resolutions, heavy drinking can really stymie your progress.
Let’s take a look at a few popular resolutions and how alcohol can play a role in success or failure:
Losing weight or exercising more: Whether you’re looking to lose weight, or just hoping to build cardiovascular health, heavy drinking can get in the way (in fact, Drinker’s Helper has an exercise devoted just to exploring the impact of alcohol on athletes!). Drinking reduces your aerobic performance and makes it harder to recover from exercise or injury. Being drunk makes food more tempting, and hangovers make exercise less so. On top of all of that, alcohol packs a serious punch of nutrition-free calories on its own. If fitness is on the agenda, heavy drinking will work against you.
Saving money: We bet you’d be surprised how much money you can save when you stick to your drinking limits. At just $8 a drink (assuming you go out to bars half the time and stay at home the other half), we estimate that the average user of Drinker’s Helper saves ~$900 a month when they stick to their goals. It’s a meaningful savings that you can count toward your goal.
Better relationships with friends or family: While alcohol, as a social lubricant, makes it easier to talk to people we don’t know, it doesn’t lend itself to particularly deep conversations. It also makes those you do have harder to remember. In other words, you’re not building true friendships with other people when you’re connecting with them drunk. If you’re hoping to build closer relationships with friends and family, maybe put drinking less in your plans, too!
Career advancement: If you’re looking for a new job this year, or just hoping to learn a new skill to advance your career, drinking could get in the way. The day after drinking heavily, hangovers prevent us from concentrating, thinking clearly, or thinking creatively. Many people cut back on drinking just to become more productive or creative.
If you’re pursuing a New Year’s resolution that means a lot to you, think about how it might be impacted by your drinking.
if you’re working to cut back or quit drinking in 2023, join us today. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a personalized support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. We believe you can do it!
