As we’ve all learned over this past year, trying to get through a global pandemic is no walk in the park, to put it extremely lightly. It’s come with an absurd amount of uncertainty and forced all of us to change our daily habits to preserve our physical health, financial stability, and mental well-being, among other things. For many people, that’s meant cutting back on alcohol—or cutting it out completely.
Not everyone has the same motivations to stop drinking, as you’ll see below in the stories of people who have decided to curb their alcohol intake during this time. Whatever their reason, all of the people we talked to about changing their drinking habits during the pandemic had one thing in common: They’re happy they did it. Here, we asked people to share what motivated them to cut back on booze during the pandemic, how it’s been going, and what this lifestyle change taught them about themselves and their habits.
1. “I decided that the best way to take care of myself mentally and physically was to quit drinking.”
“I’ve always had a struggle with alcohol, and I didn’t fully realize how dependent I was on it until just before the pandemic. I would drink a lot, including alone, and it was just part of my regular routine. It led to weight gain, financial issues, loss of friends and relationships, and general toxic traits. I also have battled depression and anxiety, which alcohol always made worse.
When the pandemic began and shut down restaurants and entertainment, I went from the most profitable month in my company’s history (I’m a self-employed hospitality publicist) to the lowest. More than 10 clients stopped paying overnight. I had one of the worst panic attacks of my life, and I realized that I was in for a very stressful and unknown situation. I decided that the best way to take care of myself mentally and physically was to quit drinking. I even dramatically threw away all of the alcohol I had in my apartment. It changed everything. My doctor prescribed me Xanax, so instead of falling into a bottle of wine, I’d take a Xanax as prescribed and fall asleep. I was able to live the last year without alcohol with the exception of a handful of times, and honestly each time, I didn’t even enjoy it anymore. I had been wanting to get sober/cut back on drinking for a long time, and the pandemic finally pushed me toward that goal.” —Tori A., 35
2. “I don’t really love how it makes me feel the next day.”
“I decided to stop drinking after realizing I don’t really love how it makes me feel the next day, and I don’t need it to have a good time or to unwind like I thought I did. This has largely due to my spiritual journey during the pandemic. Granted, I was pregnant part of this time. But because I was trying to keep my stress levels to a minimum during pregnancy, I discovered so many healthy practices that not only helped keep me calm but also adjusted my overall outlook when it comes to coping. I found that once I was cleared to drink after giving birth, I had little to no interest in having a drink. Practices like regular meditation, daily mantras, and journaling really changed my relationship with alcohol and helped me reevaluate why I drank to begin with. I even wove in some of these practices into my business model as a barre instructor and fitness coach because I know how much they helped me.” —Nadia M., 41
3. “I was worried I’d go down a slippery slope.”
“I was furloughed in April and was worried I’d go down a slippery slope if I kept having happy hours every day, so I made the conscious decision to not drink on weeknights. Eventually, I realized that in the past, I had been drinking because that was ‘the thing to do,’ but that I actually didn’t like drinking that often. I don’t love the taste of alcohol either. So cutting back let me figure out what I actually like. Sometimes it is nice to have a cider while watching football; other times, I’d much rather replace it with a soda. I don’t finish drinks anymore either. I used to make myself finish a drink even if I didn’t truly want it or think it tasted good, because I didn’t want people to think I was a lightweight. My social anxiety will probably want me to ‘fit in’ in certain situations when social events pick up again, but I will definitely be more inclined to reflect and opt out of some situations—the glass of wine with dinner, a drink during a sports game, the ‘it’s Friday, so I think we’re supposed to crack open something’ feeling.” —Jocelyn R., 27
4. “It was one of the first things I did in mid-March to prioritize my health.”
“At the beginning of the pandemic, I was pretty freaked out about COVID-19 and would spend endless amounts of time Googling preventive measures to stay safe. One of the common threads was that alcohol can weaken one’s immune system, so cutting out alcohol was one of the first things I did in mid-March to prioritize my health. I’m more of a social drinker anyway, and since I wasn’t out and about, it wasn’t that difficult to do. After a few weeks, I noticed that my sleep routine was getting stronger, so I was able to wake up more easily, get in a better morning workout, make different food choices, etc. I really didn’t miss it at all. Around July, I started to lightly imbibe again, but not like I used to before the pandemic. Now, I probably drink once a week, or once every two weeks or so, but I have to say, it’s been pretty nice to have a more consistent sleep schedule and to wake up without any unintended hangover effects!” —Lauren F., 31
5. “I decided to use my free time to control what little I could in a positive way.”
“I’m not working (I’m in fitness and I’m not comfortable teaching group fitness indoors with unmasked clients), so I decided to use my free time to control what little I could in a positive way; to focus on running, strength training, and overall health. Cutting back on drinking was part of that. I now only have a drink or two on the weekend. I’ve found that I sleep better, which helps with athletic performance. I also have fewer hot flashes (I’ve been experiencing symptoms of menopause), but I don’t know whether that’s correlation or causation. Any time I’ve cut back on drinking I think my skin looks better—more glowy and vibrant. Once in a while, I share a non-alcoholic beer with my husband, and sometimes I have something like cherry juice to replace the alcohol habit. Although I really enjoy the flavor of good wine, beer, and Scotch, having a drink in the evening was more a habit than anything else.” —Amy H., 43
6. “I had way too much to drink and spent the next two days hungover.”
“Ever since the pandemic started, I was aware that I’d been drinking more often than usual. As a way to cope, I’m sure, but also because of all of this newfound time we have and not having to worry about early wakeups anymore. I made a rule with myself that I would only drink on weekends and ended up never sticking to it, but I always cut myself some slack given the state of the world. One random Friday night, though, I had way too much to drink when all I did was watch TV all night. I spent the next two days hungover with major anxiety. It took feeling that bad about myself to make a change—which was to completely cut out drinking. While I definitely have red wine cravings, and it has been rough seeing my fiancé with a drink on a Friday night, living without those anxiety-inducing hangovers is just worth it to me. I don’t plan to stop drinking forever, but I know that when I decide to drink again, those nights of endless wine will remain a thing of the past.” —Mary P., 29
7. “Resets like this help me to remind myself to be moderate.”
“When COVID first shut us down, I bought a rowing machine and a Peloton, and turned our garage into a home gym. We were cooking way more, not ordering takeout, and spending plenty of time in our backyard. Over time, as more events and vacations were canceled, we probably drank a little bit more to compensate for boredom or lack of interaction with others, so I decided to take a six-week break from certain items, like alcohol, in the fall. I’ve done this many times throughout the past few years, so it was not too difficult to make it through. My sleep improved, anxiety levels were lower, and energy was higher. Throughout the holiday season, I went back to drinking, but knew I’d be participating in Dry January. It’s going fine, but I’m definitely ready to have a glass of wine. I’m pretty sure I’ll never be in a place where I give up alcohol completely (which is a little bizarre considering how much better I feel when I’m not drinking it), but resets like this help me to remind myself to be moderate. I’m sure I’ll take another month off in two to three months!” —Molly A., 36
8. “I’ve never regretted not drinking, but I have regretted drinking.”
“When 2020 kicked off—before COVID-19—I made a promise to myself to improve my relationship with alcohol. There was no rock bottom or specific event that got me to this choice. I just had an inkling that alcohol was holding me back and not helping me reach my full potential. Basically anything that I didn’t love about my life seemed to be happening around alcohol or because of it—missed workouts, anxiety, stupid arguments, memory lapses, lack of motivation, and terrible, terrible hangovers. Also, there’s some family history around alcohol issues. Once COVID hit, I hadn’t been drinking for three-ish months and slowly started to reintroduce alcohol back into my routine. But the appeal and fun of alcohol had decreased significantly. While I wasn’t drinking, I kept a journal and had a breakthrough: More bad than good usually comes from drinking. I’ve never regretted not drinking, but I have regretted drinking. With that experience log, I had a lot of records to remind me why I didn’t need alcohol during quarantine.
Like many other people, I was sad, scared, and feeling stir crazy, but I tried to replace drinking as a coping mechanism with things like walking, new workouts, reading, DIY projects, and talking to friends more often. One thing I will say that surprised me was how much you feel when you’re not drinking. So often I had used alcohol to numb or escape and, damn, when you’re sober there’s no escaping what’s going on in your head and heart. As 2020 went on, I did my best to adopt a more mindful and intentional approach to consumption. In December, I cut out alcohol completely again, and it’s so much easier this time around. When you can see and feel the benefits, it’s not as hard to stay motivated and turn away drinking. I will always love sharing a margarita with friends outside on a sunny day, but I’ve learned that I don’t need alcohol to enjoy myself, be a fun person, fit in, or numb what I’m feeling. It’s just as easy, fun, and cheaper to order a soda water with a few limes.” —Leslie G., 28
Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Related:
- Here’s Why You Get ‘Hangxiety’ After a Night of Drinking
- Dry January Can Be Amazing For Your Health—If You Do It The Right Way
- 11 Incredible Recovery and Sobriety Memoirs I Want Everyone to Read