Take a look at the image above: what do you see? When we first came across it, we were convinced that it was a side-by-side of a father and son pair, but believe it or not, the guy pictured above is the same person–and, even more amazing, the pictures were taken about 220 days apart.
Unbelievable? Well, let us blow your minds even more; the man pictured is 220 days OLDER than he is in the photo on the left-hand side. How did he achieve this, you may ask? He kicked booze to the curb and sobered up!
The Reddit user who posted this, Ateepeemadeofpeepee (silly name, we know), shared the before-and-after to the r/happy Reddit board where people regularly swap funny and enlightening images. On this 220th day of sobriety, the brave user decided that it was time to show what getting sober did for him. He posted it alongside this caption: “Sobriety has given me many things back but this one is the easiest to see.”
As you’d expect, this image has officially gone viral since it was first posted at the end of last year. When it circled over to us recently, the Reddit user’s incredible physical change got us thinking about the other ways in which quitting alcohol changes the body for the better. In our research, we found that the body begins to rapidly improve once alcohol is cut out–even within the very first month of sobriety.
Let’s take a look at what happens to the body, mind, spirit, and even bank account when you stop drinking alcohol for a month…
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Your net worth swells
A University of Sussex study on ‘Dry January’ (a full month in which folks abstain from drinking) states that 88% of participants reported having saved money during the booze-free month.
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You sleep better
71% of participants reported that they enjoyed much better sleep during Dry January.
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Your skin looks and feels healthier
Alcohol is known for leaving the skin parched, so it’s not surprising that 54% of participants noticed an improvement.
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Your weight drops
Alcohol is filled with empty calories that go right to gut. No wonder 58% of the participants experienced weight loss in just 31 days!
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You are less distracted
Alcohol may help your ‘party-person’ emerge, but it definitely won’t keep you sharp. 57% of the sober participants enjoyed a heightened level of concentration and mental agility.
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You are able to re-assess your idea of ‘fun’
Almost three-quarters of these non-drinking participants realized that they didn’t need to rely on alcohol to enjoy themselves.
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You feel healthier
No hangovers=happy bodies! It’s no wonder why 70% of participants said that their general health improved.
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You gain perspective on your drinking patterns
Upon completion of Dry January, 80% of participants reported feeling “more in control” of their drinking with another 82% reporting they developed a better understanding of their relationships with alcohol. Sometimes you just need to take a step back to re-assess your habits!
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You feel a sense of achievement
After reading all of those statistics, are you surprised that 93% reported feeling a “sense of achievement” for staying booze-free for one month?
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Have you recently quit alcohol? If so, have you noticed any immediate changes in how you look or feel? Do you have any advice for those who are trying to sober up?
