No alcohol, no coffee for 15 months and here are 4 great things I received

Exactly, until today, I have never touched a single drop of wine or coffee for 15 months.

A few of my friends on Facebook and Twitter are curious how I can "cope" and below is what I will share with you.

More than 1 year without alcohol, no coffee, my life has changed. I see a lot of positive impacts and many valuable lessons.

1. I save 1,000 USD per month

After 2 months since I stopped drinking, I found that I had "added" 1,000 USD in my bank account. Although this number may seem like a lot, if you do some calculations, you will find it is nothing special.

I live in New York. With $ 1,000 extracted to drink alcohol every month means I have $ 33 to spend on this drink every day. Suppose, I drink 2 - 3 glasses of cocktails (about 10 USD / glass without tip), plus sometimes buy a few bottles of wine home, I can totally spend up to 1,000 USD.

Some people think that only heavy drinkers drink it, but believe me, drinking 1 or 2 glasses of wine a day in the US is very normal.

In addition, going out to drink coffee or drink alcohol means that the frequency of eating out is also more frequent. You not only drink alcohol, you are hungry, you buy food and before you realize what you are doing, you spend more than the amount you have monthly limit.

2. Less "gossip"

If something changes that I realize first, it must be "a lack of social interaction" when I started to adopt a diet of coffee and alcohol.

I don't go out much anymore. I'm tired of having to explain many times why I stop coffee or stop drinking with someone who is considered "exemplary" - never touch a drop of wine. "No, one glass won't work!" - I do not need to take time to say so.

When some people told me to drink with them, my default answer was "no" because I didn't want to chat with the drunk.

If I go out to drink alcohol, I usually only wake up within 1 hour. This is my Attention Span before I turn myself into a soft drunk.

I am not a party lover. Stopping drinking also helped me go out less and the great thing is that the drunk "lifestyle" seems to be disappearing in my life. It helps me realize that many of the relationships I have called "friendship" are mostly maintained by the fact that I often go out drinking with them.

"Go drinking" is a saying that is deeply ingrained in the minds of many people and everyone knows that after the meeting "only that wine", what will happen: those who are drunk and unable to master actions and their own words.

3. My sleep quality is better

Removing alcohol from the diet has improved my sleep quality very well. I mean not "fall asleep" but really sleep well.

You will definitely fall asleep more easily with 1 or 2 beers but you will not sleep as expected.

I slept better and I woke up with more energy. Previously, my whole morning was completely destroyed; Even if I only drink 2 beers in the evening, I feel I have no strength the next morning (if you're still in your 20s, maybe, you haven't really realized this yet) .

4. No coffee, I feel less stressed and crisis

This may seem personal and not suitable for many people. However, stopping using coffee makes me feel more relaxed than before - drinking lots of coffee often makes me feel stressed, worried and affect the digestive system. Now in the summer I drink iced tea and winter is warm tea.

I realized that "going out to drink coffee" is a more crowded behavior than the fact that I am the one who really enjoys coffee. I choose to still join people but change coffee with another drink.

In general, I am happy with my decision and have no desire to go back to drinking alcohol or coffee again. I don't ask you to be like me. If you feel happier when you drink them, you should not give up.

I changed my habit because of curiosity and then, I noticed its positive effects on my life. Now, I'm just addicted to every Internet!

About the author : Tobias is the founder of Semplice - a portfolio design platform for designers, and a host of NTMY. Previously, he was the design team leader at Spotify and a member of the board of directors of AIGA New York.