There are many ways that cutting back or cutting out alcohol can make a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.
Being mentally healthy is a state of wellbeing that helps you live life to the full.
Wellbeing is all about feeling positive about yourself and your quality of life.
Many things influence how you feel about yourself.
Your health and your living and social circumstances are all important to your wellbeing.
With a strong sense of wellbeing you can contribute to the world in the ways you want.
Drinking alcohol can affect your relationships, work, finances and your ability to cope with stress.
When you drink alcohol, your brain activity is slowed, affecting your coordination, your reaction time, and the way you think, feel and behave. It can reduce inhibitions and impair your judgement.
When the immediate effects of alcohol wear off, this depletion of chemicals in your brain may leave you feeling down or anxious.
Alcohol also disrupts your sleep cycle so that you don’t get the quality sleep vital to your wellbeing.
If you are already feeling down, anxious or stressed, and not getting good sleep, alcohol will likely make this worse.
Over time, the repeated depletion of chemicals in your brain which protect your mental health can lead to feelings of low mood or depression, feelings of being unable to cope, and of worry or anxiety.
Alcohol can also contribute to the development or worsening of mental health concerns over time.
Some people who are experiencing mental health concerns may drink alcohol to try and manage difficult thoughts or feelings, but often it makes these problems worse in the longer term.
Drinking alcohol can affect your relationships, work, finances and your ability to cope with stress.
When you drink alcohol, your brain activity is slowed, affecting your coordination, your reaction time, and the way you think, feel and behave. It can reduce inhibitions and impair your judgement.
When the immediate effects of alcohol wear off, this depletion of chemicals in your brain may leave you feeling down or anxious.
Alcohol also disrupts your sleep cycle so that you don’t get the quality sleep vital to your wellbeing.
If you are already feeling down, anxious or stressed, and not getting good sleep, alcohol will likely make this worse.
Over time, the repeated depletion of chemicals in your brain which protect your mental health can lead to feelings of low mood or depression, feelings of being unable to cope, and of worry or anxiety.
Alcohol can also contribute to the development or worsening of mental health concerns over time.
The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol advise that to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury:
If you think alcohol might be affecting your mental health and wellbeing and you need help, you can speak to your GP.
There are also a range of other services that can provide support.
Browse this list of services to assist you or a family member who may want support or information about alcohol, mental health and wellbeing.
Stress is our body’s natural response to pressures or challenges in our lives. Many life events can cause stress and it’s not always a bad thing – a small amount of stress can motivate us to complete tasks. However, lots of stress can lead to physical and mental health concerns.
Stress can leave you feeling irritable, unable to relax and struggling with sleep. It can intensify mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.
We all respond to stress differently, but how you respond can make a big difference to your overall wellbeing. We know that when stressed, drinking alcohol to de-stress or relax is not helpful.
There are many things you can do to deal with stress that do not involve drinking alcohol:
Getting regular exercise helps relieve stress. Exercise produces endorphins which boost mood and relieve stress.
Having a balanced diet can boost your mood and help with stress.
Activities such as meditation, mindfulness and yoga are great ways to de-stress.
Staying connected with friends, family and loved ones can allow you to share how you’re feeling. This connection boosts mood and relieves stress.
Use techniques that will help you improve your sleep.
There are many ways that cutting back or cutting out alcohol can make a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.
There are lots of changes you can make to help you manage life’s stresses without alcohol.
Alcohol can cause “hangxiety” and contribute to the development, or worsening, of anxiety.
Be Nice to Brain is a project developed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), endorsed and funded by the Tasmanian Government.
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FARE acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters on which we operate throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise the continuing connection to country of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.