We have all heard of dry January, but nobody ever considers the benefits of having a sober summer. While many people live for spending their hot summer days in beer gardens having a pint with their friends, others can’t think of anything worse.
Yes, there is a certain level of joy to be found in taking the first sip of an ice-cold pint with your friends as the sun beats down on you, but ask yourself… is it worth the awful hangovers that seem to only get worse with the warm weather?
Not only that, but it's very hard to enjoy as much of the sun as possible if you are nursing a headache and have to sit in a cool, dark room to recover.
Yes, a sunny beverage is great, but you can still get that delicious, refreshing taste with an alcohol-free beer. So, what are the other benefits of going sober this summer?
One of the main benefits of ditching the booze is that it can help to improve your overall physical health. Consuming too much alcohol can cause issues with your liver, affect your immune system and can also damage your mental health.
By giving yourself a break from the drink or maintaining your sobriety, you allow your body to heal itself and become strong and healthy. You can also enhance your mental wellbeing and improve your cognitive function by reducing your alcohol intake.
This all works to help you have a more enjoyable and happy summer spent having fun instead of relying on alcohol to enjoy time outside with your friends.
Improved overall health will give you more energy to go out and do fun activities and can also encourage you to try new activities which you may previously have not done.
Alcohol is a depressant, which can leave you feeling drained and tired, which in turn makes you less likely to engage in activities which require energy and physical activity. By cutting out the drink, you will have more time and motivation to get out there and do some exciting stuff!
Another potential benefit of not drinking for the summer is weight management. Everyone is more conscious of their body image in the summer as clothes are less covering than usual and we often end up comparing ourselves to others.
While there is no perfect ‘summer bod’, being conscious of your weight and striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle does no harm. Alcohol often contains a lot of calories and a summer spent drinking may also be a summer spent stacking on the pounds.
By eliminating alcohol, you can work on maintaining a healthy and comfortable weight which means you can feel more confident in yourself and your body and flaunt it!
Not only can you improve your health by having a sober summer, but you can also increase your happiness, open yourself up to new and exciting opportunities and even feel better and more confident about yourself. Swap the IPA for a 0% and start the summer right this year.