Five ways Drinking Less Can Benefit Your Relationships

Written by Kathryn Stone.

Cutting down on the amount of alcohol you drink can help improve the relationships in your life.

It is well documented that alcohol can have a negative effect on your relationships, particularly when excessive drinking is involved. In a 2013 study about divorce, 60% of participants cited alcohol and substance use as a factor in their divorce. But it's not just romantic relationships that can suffer from alcohol. 

So how can drinking less, or quitting alcohol altogether benefit your relationships? Here are five ways your relationships will improve if you adopt a mindful drinking or alcohol-free lifestyle.

Ways That Going Alcohol-Free Can Help You Grow in Your Relationships

More present in the relationship

Cutting down on your alcohol intake, or adopting an alcohol-free lifestyle helps you get a clearer mind. You will get better sleep and spend less time feeling hungover and groggy. You will spend less time drunk and foggy and your overall well-being will improve. This gives you far more chance to be present in your relationships as you will have the mental energy to spend on the important people in your life.

Additionally, alcohol affects your long-term memory creation. By cutting down on alcohol you are more able to remember important things in your relationship. This could be small things like remembering to take the bins out. Or it could be bigger things like your child’s birthday or your wedding anniversary.

Cutting down on alcohol or going alcohol-free helps you to be more present in your life. In turn, that helps you to be more present and more attentive in your relationships.

Less silly alcohol-induced arguments

One well-known side effect of alcohol is that it makes people more aggressive and more argumentative or stubborn. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions. This makes it more likely that you say or do something that you regret or start an unnecessary conflict. Often times silly conflicts can escalate way more than they need to when alcohol is involved.

Cutting down on alcohol or cutting it out allows you to avoid silly alcohol-related arguments. Not only are you less likely to argue over unimportant issues, but you are also more likely to address important conversations whilst sober, overall improving your communication. 

Better Sex

A good sex life can be an important part of healthy romantic relationships. But, drinking, especially drinking regularly, can lower your sex drive, and cause problems with orgasms, erectile dysfunction, and more. People who drink a lot also often have a bad self-image and less confidence in their bodies.

So cutting down or embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle it might help intimacy with your partner. You will feel better about yourself and your body, feel closer in your relationship and have a higher libido.

More stable life

When your life is more stable you are more able to invest in relationships. 

One well-known effect of alcohol, and particularly excessive alcohol use, is that it causes people to lose their inhibitions. This can lead to making bad decisions. These can be big decisions such as quitting a job or smaller ones that add up in the long term. For example, regularly spending a little too much money on alcohol. These can end up having knock-on effects on your relationships. 

Additionally, when you cut down on your alcohol intake it often means you have more usable time. It might be because you no longer waste weekends hungover, or because you no longer go to the pub as regularly. More time means that you have more time to do shared hobbies with friends, family and lovers. It lets you create bonds over shared experiences and invest time into working on your relationships.

More authentic connections and relations

Relationships created when using substances can sometimes fall flat when the substance is no longer there. Creating and maintaining relationships without the use of alcohol can lead to more authentic connections, without the veil of alcohol. It's not called beer goggles for no reason - alcohol shades your judgement and perception of others.

By cutting down on alcohol you are able to connect with others at a deeper, more real level, without the false highs and endorphin rushes of alcohol. That allows you to build a deeper more authentic relationship.

Explore The World of Alcohol-Free Drinks With JOMO

Looking to cut down on your alcohol? Excited to start cultivating authentic, meaningful relationships? Then why not explore the world of alcohol-free drinks with JOMO?

With a JOMO subscription, you will receive a regular, mindfully curated subscription box filled to the brim with alcohol-free goodies. You will get all the ingredients, garnishes and snacks included, to create a delicious alcohol-free cocktail, and you will receive a range of ready-to-drink beverages. What more could you want?

By switching to alcohol-free drinks you can really find the joy of missing out!