Perimenopause and Alcohol: A Personal Journey to an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
If you’ve ever hung out with me, you’ve probably asked the question: “Wait... YOU don’t drink?”
And the truth is: I stopped. No big breakdown. No rock bottom. Just a quiet, firm decision that I was done.
And honestly? BEST. DECISION. EVER.
I know that’s not the case for everyone. I’ve been lucky to get only a little side-eye or teasing. But I also know how deeply personal this kind of shift can be, especially when you're navigating perimenopause at the same time.
For me, that turning point came at the very start of 2024.
Today? I’m 661 days alcohol-free.
And here’s what that journey taught me…
My Relationship with Alcohol
Was I ever dependent on alcohol? No. Did I love it? …Yeah, I definitely enjoyed it!
I’d call myself a middle-lane drinker.
Sometimes it was fun and social, wine with friends, Prosecco at brunch. Other times {okay, a lot of times}, it was just me and a glass at 5 p.m. Because... I was bored!!
But once I hit 40, something shifted.
^^^Suddenly, one glass felt like three. My skin started acting up. I couldn’t sleep. And the soft padding around my waist? Stuck around no matter how clean I ate or how often I moved my body.
Early Drinking Habits: The Automatic Glass
Back in my 20s and 30s, drinking felt... normal. After-work cocktails, dinner wine, bottomless brunches, it was just what everyone did.
It was how I unwound. How I celebrated. How I coped.
But once I crossed into my 40s, I couldn’t ignore the signs anymore.
Alcohol started leaving a heavier footprint, on my mood, my sleep, my body, and my energy.
When I Finally Noticed the Impact
Little by little, I started realizing alcohol wasn’t helping me relax anymore. It was keeping me up, making me anxious, and triggering more than just hangovers.
I’d wake up groggy, puffy, and slightly ashamed. Not because I’d done anything wrong, but because I knew I wasn’t feeling like myself anymore.
Eventually, I had to ask: Is this glass of wine reaaaaally worth it?
Spoiler alert: It wasn’t.
And that question led to something way bigger than I expected.
The Decision That Changed Everything
In January 2024, I decided to stop drinking. No countdown. Just a commitment to myself.
I had NO idea what was ahead.
But here I am, 47 years old, 661 days later, and I feel better than I have in over a decade.
Initial Challenges: Breaking the Habit {and the Social Pressure}
Let’s be honest, the first few weeks were… interesting. Not drinking wasn’t hard exactly, but the habit was REAL.
Every evening, I’d feel that familiar pull: “Just one glass. You’ve earned it.”
I had to actively rewire my evenings. Swap the wine for soda water. Distract myself. Negotiate with that little voice in my head.
And social events? Yeah, those were awkward at first.
It’s wild how many situations feel built around alcohol, dinners, birthdays, holidays, funerals, even just catching up with friends.
But I had a goal: 90 days.
That was my milestone. That’s what everyone said would be the turning point.
90 DAYS. DOES IT REALLY WORK?
When I started in January, I went all in. And honestly? The first 15 days were interesting. Not hard, exactly, but definitely eye-opening.
Every day around 5 o’clock, that little voice would start negotiating with me: "You’ve had a long day. Just one won’t hurt. You deserve it."
And I realized, it wasn’t really about the drink itself. It was about the habit.
What helped me navigate that was journaling. I’d actually sit down and write out: Why do I want a drink right now?
Sometimes it was boredom. Sometimes it was stress. Sometimes it was just muscle memory. But putting it on paper made it easier to face and shift.
I also made sure I still had a glass in my hand, just with something else in it. Fizzy kombucha, alcohol-free gins, anything that gave me that same tactile comfort without the alcohol. That small change made a big difference in breaking the automatic nature of it.
And then there were the podcasts: Over the Influence and anything by Andy Ramage became my go-tos. I was especially drawn to episodes about moderation. Could I actually moderate if I was drinking most days?
I wasn’t dependent, but I definitely fell into that “mid-lane” drinking category, and the answer I kept hearing was consistent: Moderation doesn’t work for people in that space.
Sure, I have friends who might have a drink once a month and not even think about it. For them, moderation is totally doable. But for me? I knew I needed a clean break.
So I did 30 days. Then 60. Then 90.
And throughout, my mindset was simple: “Today, I’m not going to drink.” No big dramatic future promises. No pressure to figure out forever. Just... not today.
I still don’t know what the future holds. But I know that today, I won’t drink. And for now? That’s more than enough.
Because while any break is valuable, 90 days gives your body and mind the space to truly reset. It’s enough time to start feeling the deeper shifts, the kind that actually stick.
And once those shifts began? There was no going back.
Discovering the Good Stuff
{That you don’t notice when you’re drinking}
Once the noise of alcohol faded, I started noticing... everything else.
✨ The way my body felt in the mornings, fully rested and light
✨ The calm in my brain. The sharper focus. More stable mood.
✨ Even something as simple as soda water in a fancy glass felt like a treat.
Turns out, the quiet wins stack up quickly when you’re no longer managing the after-effects of drinking.
And over time, those little things started to feel bigger than any buzz.
Alcohol + Perimenopause: A Tough Combo
Let’s talk hormones.
Perimenopause is already a wild ride, hot flashes, mood swings, weird sleep, the works.
Now add alcohol? It’s like tossing gasoline on a hormonal fire.
Everything gets amplified.
Here’s what alcohol messes with during perimenopause:
Hot flashes? More frequent. More intense
Sleep? Say goodbye. Night sweats + disrupted REM = chaos
Mood? Increased anxiety, irritability, and emotional dips
Weight? The stubborn belly kind that will not budge
Alcohol disrupts estrogen and progesterone {two hormones already doing their own unpredictable dance}.
And the result? A total storm in your system.
What Perimenopause Feels Like Without Alcohol
Looking back now, quitting drinking COMPLETELY changed how I view this phase of life.
Before: Every symptom felt bigger. Mood swings were wild. Anxiety was high. Sleep? Broken.
Now: My body still does its thing, but I can actually handle it.
Since going alcohol-free:
I sleep deeper and longer
My skin cleared up
The weight I thought was “just part of aging”? Gone
Brain fog lifted, like someone turned the lights back on
My emotional baseline? Calmer, steadier, more grounded
And the best part?
That sharp, clear sense of control over how I feel and show up in my life.
Let’s Talk Social Life, Without the Wine
This part surprised me.
I used to truly believe that every event needed alcohol to be fun.
Farewells. Ski trips. Baby showers. I thought the drink made the experience.
Turns out? That was just a belief I’d never challenged.
What I discovered:
The great laughs still happen
The stories, you can recall the next day, are still funny.
The connection? Waaaaay deeper when you’re fully present
I stopped worrying about what was in my glass and started tuning into what was actually happening around me.
And honestly, I had more fun.
Finding Support Made ALL the Difference
Quitting alcohol can feel lonely, especially if it’s always been part of your identity or social circle.
For me, support was everything.
Friends who were on a similar path
Podcasts like Over the Influence, Andy Ramage The Alcohol-Free Podcast
Books {The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray, The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley, This Naked Mind by Annie Grace, Alcohol Explained by William Porter}, blogs, stories of women like me navigating the same shift
Those voices reminded me: You’re not weird. You’re not broken. You’re just ready for something better.
Life Without Alcohol = More Life, Period.
I won’t pretend it was effortless. But now? I wouldn’t go back for anything.
Every day, I feel more in tune with my body, more focused, more grounded. My relationships are stronger. My health is better. My joy is real, not manufactured by a temporary buzz.
And best of all? I’m doing things I used to just think about. Running business. Starting projects. Chasing ideas. Living instead of numbing.
Progress feels really, really good.
661 Days Later… And still Counting
I started 2024 with one quiet decision: Stop drinking.
Now, 661 days later?
I sleep through the night
I feel energized and clear
I’ve got drive, purpose, and real momentum
And I finally understand that alcohol never gave me any of that. It only blurred it
Perimenopause is no joke. But going through it without alcohol? So much easier. So much clearer. So much lighter.
If you’ve ever wondered what life might feel like without alcohol in the mix…
Try it. Even just a little.
IT’S SOOOO WORTH IT.
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