I (Almost) Gave Up Alcohol, and I Don’t Miss It

I never really considered going alcohol-free. I didn’t have a “problem” with drinking, and I certainly wasn’t an alcoholic. 

But during Melbourne’s pandemic lockdowns, I started noticing a pattern. Most evenings (or let’s be honest, late afternoons!), I’d have a glass of wine. Sometimes more. It wasn’t excessive, but something about it didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was the creeping habit, maybe it was the cost of a few bottles each week, or maybe it was the thought that I was relying on it to unwind.

Then one night, a friend casually mentioned she’d almost completely cut out alcohol. What stuck with me wasn’t the usual reasons people give. She spoke of fewer headaches, waking up feeling fresh, better sleep, generally feeling happier. I don’t sleep well, and I get headaches, so I thought, why not give it a try? 

Not forever, just as an experiment. An experiment that ended up unexpectedly changing my relationship with alcohol.

Since the end of 2023, I’ve been almost alcohol-free. 

I can confidently say I have fewer headaches, and to my surprise, I don’t miss drinking. 

In the beginning, there were moments—stressful days where I instinctively reached for a glass of wine. Instead, I swapped it for a tonic with cucumber (minus the gin). But over time, even that urge faded. 

These days, I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Maybe that’s because I don’t find myself at wild parties where I’m the only sober one, but even in other social settings I don’t feel awkward being the only non-drinker. I don’t even bother with alcohol-free wines — I just don’t see the point. 

Am I completely alcohol-free? No. 

If there’s a wedding, I’ll have a glass of champagne. If my husband and I are celebrating something big, we’ll enjoy a bottle. If I’m in Vietnam, cocktails on the beach are a must and when invited to a whisky tasting with a tourism board, I’m definitely in. 

But I no longer feel the need to drink to de-stress.

If you’re curious about life without that glass of your favourite alcoholic fix would feel like, perhaps you’re putting it off because you think the change will be too big.  If so, take a leaf from my book and take out the finality.  Just start an alcohol-free experiment.  Even a few weeks will be enough to see how your body feels without alcohol fuelling it.

Once you’ve had a taste of life headache-free, or hangover-free, or brain-fog-free – like me – you might just choose not to go back…

Well, almost.

Disclaimer: Perspectives articles reflect the views and opinions of their individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of NoLo Life. They are published to encourage informed, open discussion about alcohol and its role in contemporary life.