Benefits to cutting down your drinking
Did you know that cutting down on your drinking can have some really great benefits?
Apart from avoiding things like hangovers and accidents, drinking within the Australian guidelines (or cutting out alcohol altogether) can make you look, feel and think a whole lot better – and you might even get through to the next pay day with some dollars to spare.
Falling asleep without alcohol means you won’t wake up so often and you’ll have a more restorative deep sleep. And, with that comes improved everyday functioning – mood, concentration, creativity, productivity, mental performance and energy. This is one of the first benefits to kick in and there’s a lot to like.
Alcohol is linked to inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, broken capillaries on your face and nose, under-eye puffiness and dehydration (which can leave your skin looking dry and dull). Quitting alcohol allows your skin’s elasticity to return, lose the redness, and give you an overall healthier complexion.
One of the unexpected bonuses of drinking less can be saving money. Depending on what you drink, how much and how often, the savings can be significant. In 2020, the average Aussie household spent almost $2,000 on alcohol - so cut back and pocket the money instead. You’ll also be saving the money you fork out for other things on a night out or in. Think Ubers, drunk kebabs, next-day hangover takeaway food, or impulse online purchases while you’re under the influence.
Even drinking moderate amounts can cause shrinkage of the part of the brain (hippocampus) that controls memory and reasoning. The good news is this damage starts to reverse within six weeks of cutting out alcohol – the brain fog lifts and is replaced with improved focus, attention, learning and memory.
Alcohol reduces various immune responses, including lower white blood cell production which the body needs to fight bacteria and germs. It’s also associated with increased risk of contracting bacterial and viral lung infections. By giving up alcohol you’re giving your body a chance to build up its natural defence against infections and viruses, like COVID or the flu.
Have you ever had hangxiety? After a night out drinking you might wake up feeling anxious or worried about what happened the night before. Hangxiety is partly caused by the chemical changes that take place in our brains when we drink. Reducing your drinking could also help reduce your anxiety.
But, if you’re drinking often to cope with mental health issues, there could be a deeper issue at play. Find out more about relationship between alcohol and other drugs and mental health and where to get help.
What are the drinking guidelines?
While there isn’t a safe level of drinking, sticking within the guidelines can help you stay healthy and reduce your risk of injury, and diseases like cancer.
The guidelines recommend that:
- to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury for healthy adults, drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day
- anyone under 18 should not drink alcohol to reduce the risk of injury and harm to the developing brain
- anyone who’s pregnant or breastfeeding should not drink alcohol to prevent harm to the baby.
Do you know what a standard drink is? Take the quiz to find out!
Take our quick quiz to find out how much you know about standard drinks and the drinking guidelines. There are seven questions, and it takes about a minute to complete.
Standard drinks
It can be difficult to keep track of how much alcohol you’re having because different types of drinks contain different amounts of alcohol – and come in different sizes.
A standard drink might be less than you think. For example, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine is often more than one 'standard drink'.
An Australian standard drink contains 10g of alcohol (12.5ml of pure alcohol). One standard drink is 285ml of full-strength beer, a 100ml glass of wine, or 30ml of spirits.
Tracking how many standard drinks you’re consuming can help you follow the guidelines so you can stay as healthy as possible.
If you’re driving, track your standard drinks to make sure you stay under the limit.
Drinking calculator
Are you drinking at a safe or risky level? Answer ten quick questions to find out how your drinking measures up against the World Health Organization's international risk assessment tool.
Find out more about alcohol
Check out our Drug Facts page to find out more about alcohol, its effects, risks of mixing with other substances, and more.