40 Days Without Alcohol: An Annual Reset for My Mind & Body
This is my fourth Dry January. Last year, I went 60 days. This time, I am aiming for 90—and maybe beyond. I will reassess when I get there.
What started as a simple health experiment has evolved into a twice-yearly ritual of recalibration - a deliberate pause to reconnect with how my body and mind feel at their best. I started this because I know what it feels like on the other side.
I used to lean on drinking to cope with the stress of clinical work. Not all the time, but it helped numb the hard days (a coping mechanism I've since learned is devastatingly common among nurses, because we never acknowledge it openly). That naturally dialed back when I took a sabbatical from work, but then Covid struck. The pandemic's relentless pressure and my own family stress nudged me toward drinking about five nights a week. It was never "out of control," but I did not like the trajectory—a small glass of bourbon became two, and the pours started getting heavier. So did my mood. So did my weight.
I knew where this path led, and I did not want to go there.
So I started a journey to explore my relationship with alcohol. Over the years I started to dial back my habit until I reached a very reasonable 1-2 drinks per week, sometimes less.
What 40 Dry Days Has Shown Me (Again)
My focus is sharper and my mind clearer than it's been in months
My sleep is deeper and more restorative - I wake feeling genuinely refreshed
My stress levels have plummeted - I handle daily pressures with newfound ease
My skin is clearer - a visible sign of internal change
No weight lost (Because alcohol isn't the magic culprit people assume it is.)
And while I did not track my biometrics this time, I know from past experience that alcohol messes with my glucose regulation, blood pressure, and HRV (heart rate variability). Even drinking moderately—what most people consider normal—had ripple effects on my body and mind.
The Science
Most people do not realize how much even a few drinks a week can affect them.
1. Sleep Suffers—Even After Just One Drink. Alcohol disrupts REM sleep and deep sleep, both of which are essential for cognitive function, emotional regulation, and recovery. Even one drink can increase resting heart rate and decrease HRV, signs that your nervous system is under stress—not at rest.
2. Alcohol Doesn't Relieve Stress—It Fuels It That relaxing glass of wine? It might take the edge off in the moment, but later, cortisol spikes, increasing overall stress levels. Over time, alcohol disrupts the nervous system's ability to regulate stress properly.
3. It's Not Neutral for Metabolic Health. Even moderate drinking impacts blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity. It can also cause temporary spikes in blood pressure and contribute to long-term hypertension.
4. It Slows Recovery and Performance. Alcohol increases inflammation and impairs muscle recovery by disrupting protein synthesis and lowering human growth hormone (HGH). For those who train, this means longer recovery times and decreased performance.
5. Cancer Risk Increases with Each Drink. Regular alcohol consumption raises the risk of multiple cancers, including breast, colon, liver, and esophageal cancer. There is no "safe" threshold - even light drinking increases cancer risk, with each additional drink compounding the effect. (given my personal experiences with cancer, this one hits particularly hard for me.)
Why I Keep Coming Back to This Practice
Every time I take a break from alcohol, I feel better. I sleep deeper, I recover faster, and I show up stronger. And what stands out most is this: I did not have to be drinking daily for alcohol to take a toll.
Most people do not realize that even a drink every few days can disrupt sleep, increase stress, and slow recovery. We normalize it because it is everywhere—social settings, celebrations, even wellness spaces. But the body does not just "bounce back" the next morning.
For me, this is about optimization, not deprivation. It is about choosing what makes me feel my best. I do not know yet if I will go beyond 90 days, but I do know this: every time I step away from alcohol, I get clarity on just how much it takes from me.
And that clarity? It is worth everything.
If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. Take 30 days. See what happens. You might be surprised.