Don’t Enjoy Drinking Anymore? Here’s Why It’s a Good Thing

In a world where alcohol is commonly associated with fun and celebration, you may be wondering whether it’s normal that you don’t enjoy drinking anymore.

And the answer is that it is, and it also comes with many important benefits as well — such as a better body and a better mood.

Plus, you absolutely don’t have to drink to have fun (even though so far you may have been told a different story).

Skip to the list of five reasons why it’s a good thing not to enjoy drinking, or keep reading for an explanation of why people love alcohol so much.

If you like what you read in this article or would like to share your own thoughts, feel free to leave a comment at the end of the page.

Why do people enjoy drinking?

Depending on the culture you grew up in, you may have learned that drinking is “cool”, and that those who don’t drink have pretty boring lives — or the complete opposite.

But in general, alcohol is widely available and accepted in most cultures, and that itself is one of the reasons people drink.

Once you turn a certain age, you know you’re allowed to drink as much as you want without any restrictions, and the same isn’t true for other stimulants or drugs.

People seem to enjoy drinking for many different reasons, including:

Curiosity
Peer pressure
Stress relief
Socializing
Fitting in

However, I believe there’s two main reasons people drink:

1) They believe everyone else does

2) It’s the easiest way to change their mood temporarily

Nobody likes to stand out, and if you’re in a group where everyone drinks alcohol, it takes courage to be the one who is sober.

The truth is that most people have learned to emulate others regardless of their own thoughts or feelings about something.

So in this case, we could say that most of us have learned to drink and enjoy drinking simply because that’s what everybody else does.

And although alcohol consumption isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially in small doses — we should never feel pressured to do something simply because others do the same.

In fact, one of the common traits of successful people is their ability to not only ignore what the masses do, but also do the exact opposite.

So if people around you drink, and drink often, don’t automatically assume that’s the best or most sensible thing to do.

Popularity or accessibility doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. “Easy” or “common” doesn’t equal “cool”, either.

People enjoy drinking because it changes their mood

If there was a pill that could instantly turn you into a happier or more confident person, would you take it?

The answer’s probably yes, and that is, in my opinion, the real reason people enjoy drinking so much.

The problem with that is, drinking comes at a price, and I’m not referring to the money spent on it, but the way it affects your body and brain.

Our body wasn’t designed to drink a lot of alcohol, and it definitely wasn’t designed to use alcohol as a mood enhancer (as opposed to sunlight exposure, exercise, spending time with others, and so on).

Yes, alcohol can change your feelings and emotions. Yes, it could relieve stress for a few hours. And it could even help with shyness and social anxiety.

But whether you want to improve your mood, have fun, or turn into an extrovert — alcohol is never the solution.

I know, it sounds cliche. But if you’ve found that you no longer enjoy drinking (or drinking as often), that can only be a good thing.

Here’s five reasons why…

It’s perfectly fine not to enjoy drinking, here’s why

1. Drinking affects your health

Not surprisingly, alcohol causes a lot of nasty physical reactions. It interferes with your gut bacteria, and that alone is bad for your energy levels and immune system.

But alcohol damages your body in many other different ways. For instance, it causes dehydration and weight gain, prevents optimal circulation, and even damages your teeth.

Plus, we all know the feeling of waking up after a night of drinking — we are irritable, lethargic, and don’t want to do anything other than laying in bed.

And for those who are wondering if drinking can help them sleep better, unfortunately the answer is no.

Although alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, it affects the quality of your sleep, which is the most important factor anyway. And as we’ll see in a minute, your body builds up a tolerance as well.

2. Drinking affects your mental health

Some people suffering from mental health issues such as depression turn to alcohol to cope.

But did you know that drinking actually worsens your mental health (whether you already have a condition or not)?

Alcohol interferes with neurotransmitters and chemicals in the brain, which eventually results in changes in your mood, in a negative way.

For example, drinking can make you more aggressive and more irritable, and also destroy your focus and willpower.

Even well after the short-term euphoria is over, your cognitive skills will not be the same, much like if you were sleep-deprived.

And your overall motivation is likely to plummet as well.

With that in mind, you really need to consider whether the temporary high is worth all the nasty effects on your mental health, and nine times out of ten it simply isn’t, especially if you drink regularly.

3. You can enjoy life without drinking

Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

There’s nothing wrong with drinking from time to time, and the occasional alcohol-fueled night out can be a lot of fun (provided you use common sense).

However, the idea that you have to drink to have fun — that’s ridiculous, and those with this mindset probably don’t have a very interesting life anyway.

If the purpose of life and if our only way to have fun was to chug down colorful alcoholic drinks until we passed out, that would be a pretty miserable existence.

As explained earlier, people drink because it’s one of the easiest ways to change their emotions, and I guess we can all agree on that.

However, if you don’t know any other way to have fun (or relieve stress and anxiety, and challenge your negative thoughts), that’s a problem.

There’s a million different ways to enjoy life, and a million things to be grateful for.

Nothing wrong with the occasional drink, but you must learn to become “high on life” without drinking.

And yes, it is possible — it could be as simple as being surrounded by people who love you and doing the things you enjoy the most.

4. Your body builds up a tolerance

The fourth reason it’s perfectly okay to stop drinking (or not drink as often) is that whether we realize it or not, each time we consume alcohol our body gets used to it.

Eventually, you would need to drink three or four times the amount you used to drink to achieve the same level of euphoria or confidence.

This doesn’t apply to alcohol only — for instance, those who rely on coffee to wake up often find that over time they need a higher dosage to achieve the same level of productivity.

While things like therapy, meditation, mindfulness, physical exercise, and mindful eating can help you feel better naturally, and without any nasty side effects, drinking always comes at a price.

And the more you drink, the higher the price. Alcohol isn’t just a quick fix, but one where each time you have to do more, and in the long run it’s going to cause problems.

5. Life doesn’t end on Sunday night

We all love partying, but here’s the thing: life doesn’t start on Friday night, and it doesn’t end on Sunday night either (if you don’t get weekends off, just replace those with your days off).

Similarly, having fun shouldn’t be limited to the once-per-year two-week vacation; or payday, or Christmas; you get the point.

Since we were little, we were taught that life is a series of good things and bad things (primarily work), and that there’s always a clear distinction between the two.

We were also taught that the “bad things” would always be the vast majority of our time, let’s say 80 or 90 percent.

With this mindset, it’s easy to fall into the trap where you try and cram all fun things into a weekend, or a night out — for instance, by drinking a lot of alcohol.

But the truth is that we must learn to appreciate life and have fun regardless. And we don’t have to drink or party 24/7 to have a great life.

Sure, getting drinks with your friends feels better than ten hours spent at the office. But once again, life doesn’t end on Sunday evening. And if you don’t enjoy drinking anymore, it could be a sign that you are more aware of that.