Today marks the unofficial 9-month milestone of being alcohol-free. It's probably actually longer if I count the weeks I just find it easier to use the last day of the month as the marker.
I knew it was something I was fully committed to when I made the decision because, in the first week, I created each milestone design for the whole year. It wasn't just an idea I was toying with it was as if a switch had flipped and I was done.....
Done with feeling hungover and ill the following day.
Done with waking up with the beer fear - oh god how did I get home, did I behave myself, do I need to apologise to anyone?
Done with having blackouts where I don't remember the latter part of the night and usually have to check my camera roll to see what kind of night I had.
Done with wasting my whole weekend for the sake of one good night that I only remember half of.
Done looking at Instagram or Facebook posts the next day and cringing at me thinking I'm hilarious when I was probably more annoying to those not as drunk.
Done with having a low mood for days afterward and struggling to pick myself back up again
Done with making poor decisions and blaming alcohol for my choices, when in fact if you know you do stupid things drunk, but continue to drink, you are in fact enabling that behaviour.
Done with eating shite the next day to soak up the alcohol.
Done with gaining weight due to all the extra calories in the alcohol I consumed on a night out (not to mention the takeaways on the way home).
Done with canceling plans th day after a night out cos I just can't face it and still feel sick/tired.
I can honestly say it's the best decision I have made and I just wish I had done it sooner as I could have been living more of my best life all this time.
So now to focus on all the positives. Since giving up alcohol completely (and I can honestly say I have not touched a drop even when I have been at events with a free bar or asked to try someone's drink to see if it tasted strong etc).
I now get to experience a whole weekend of plans/activities, instead of one night.
I can make plans during the week as I don't have to think "oh I've got work the next day I'll be too rough so can't".
The nights out memories I am making I actually remember them from start to end.
I have more money to spend on holidays and things I have wanted to buy.
When I go away I can cram more in because I am not wasting the day in bed hungover.
I don't have to worry about how I behaved the night before because everything I did was intentional (even when I'm silly)
It's making me work on being more confident on a night out without alcohol. I'm not there yet but I am trying to put myself in situations more where I would need dutch courage normally.
I don't have to spend the ends of nights waiting in the cold/rain for a taxi, I just pop in my car and go.
It is helping me focus on how to be the best version of myself, including looking at my flaws and seeing how I can improve.
My skin looks and feels so much better because it isn't dehydrated and tired from burning the candle at both ends.
My blood pressure has come down (alcohol raises it)
I now have a morning routine that I stick to ( I call it my rise at 5) that I am able to stick to.
I am now focusing on my health and fitness and have already lost 8 lbs by tracking my calories so I am aware of how much I am eating and I don't just eat out of habit/boredom.
Just to clarify though, I am not going to be one of those people who lectures everyone about the evils of drink etc, because everyone has different relationships with alcohol. Also I am not nor have ever been an alcoholic so I am perfectly okay being around people drinking and having a good time, it really doesn't bother me. It's a lifestyle choice, not an addiction I'm in recovery from or anything. I just know my mental health has improved greatly since giving it up but I am not looking to convert or recruit people lol. You have to do what's right for you and at this point in my life this is what feels right for me.
It's great for everyone else when you are the life and soul of the party drunk, but if you watch yourself back and cringe then imagine what people not as drunk as you were thinking on the night :-/ If it's not a good idea to do it sober then it probably isn't drunk you just think it is. ;-) I've been single for years now (partly by choice as I don't tink I could go through all the games etc now). But I am sure I would meet a much better person when I don't have beer goggles on and can see clearly if they are going to be right for me or not.
My 'Rise at 5' morning routine has only been possible to do consistently because I am not out at weekends getting drunk and staying out until sill o'clock. I often refer to the sleep bank and I believe that if you have a really late night it's like going overdrawn in the sleep bank and at some point you need to pay it back. So I would not be able to get up on the Monday at 5am if I was overdrawn from the weekend. Don't get me wrong I still go out but I am sober and so still make the right choices and leave once I feel I have had enough (usually when people start to get really loud and I know I am no longer on their level lol).
The whole 'Rise at 5' thing has been such a big thing for me as it's something I always used to be envious of my ex-boss (and big life influence) Derek Perkins He was always in work before everyone else and I was never really a morning person and always thought 'I wish I was like that'. Instead of going to bed at midnight after watching shite TV for 2 hours, I go to bed at 10pm and have those 2 hours back in the morning when I am productive and can get stuff done. Over the course of just 1 week, that's 10 hours of productivity I've got back, which feels like an extra FREE DAY every week. It makes such a difference to how I start my day as I am not playing catch up and rushing about at the last minute. All the jobs I normally have to squeeze in after work when I don't feel like it (so end up putting off) I can get done in the morning so when I get home I am not distracted with a list of procrastinated stuff on my mind and I can just chill.
I am really enjoying the new me and looking forward to all the things I want to do going forward.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog and watch my progress.