[TRIGGER WARNING; Discussion of alcohol/drinking etc.]
Let me start off by saying that I know that ‘going sober’ kinds of sounds dramatic to some.
When I say ‘going sober’, I essentially mean not having an alcoholic drink for 100 days.
But by no means, before I did this did I have any problems with alcohol or a bad relationship with it. Just want to put that out there before going ahead.
It was simply an experiment as such to see how it would affect me, my social life, my feelings, my training, my mental health and a whole bunch of other stuff.
I’m loving these experiments right now aren’t I! Read more about the time I deleted my social media apps to see how I would feel.
I’ve been through funny stages of drinking in my life. I remember when I first turned 18 and used to go out ‘on the town’ and the times I did I would get absolutely hammered.
I wasn’t the type of girl (and never have been) that would go out a few nights every week, perhaps just once or twice, but when I did I went all in at first.
I would drink a bottle of cheap rose wine before going out and then let the booze continue because hangovers don’t really exist when you’re 18, do they?
After my first year of going ‘out out’ and then transitioning into University, I went out a hell of a lot less. Which I 100000% believe affected my relationships.
Every time I didn’t want to go out, or made an excuse (I did that), or even went out but didn’t drink, I would get the usual comments back.
‘Oh come onnnn’ ‘Don’t be boring’ ‘You’ll have a better time’ etc. etc.
There was almost this constant pressure to go out, have fun, drink loads of booze, stay out till 5 am.
I was one of the people who learnt pretty early on that it’s just not my vibe and it’s taken me years to come to terms with the fact that HELLO, that’s ok!!
The past few years, I rarely (if ever!) go ‘out out’. I’d rather go to a pub before like 7, or have a few casual drinks in.
So now that you have my drinking history, let’s get into it…
It was November coming Christmas time last year and I was drinking quite a little bit. It was mostly the typical festive time social drinks but I found myself reaching for a glass or bottle more often than I was used to.
So as the time passed, I suggested to my other half about doing the whole of 2020 sober and that eventually turned into a target of 100 days, starting from midnight on New Year.
If I’m honest, it was almost like a little personal challenge for us. I just wanted to see how I would feel in both my body and my mind, how it would affect my relationships and what difference it would make in my life.
I didn’t want to have to ‘rely’ on a glass of wine to relax me.
I didn’t want to ‘have’ to feel like I had to drink on social situations.
I wanted to see how it would affect my training (CrossFit).
I wanted it to see how it would affect my mental health.
Not drinking taught me that I really didn’t have to if I didn’t want to. That I don’t need to rely on it to enjoy the time I spend with loved ones and friends.
It taught me just how much it was ingrained into me growing up that if you didn’t go out 3 times a week and get hammered, you were ‘really proper boring’.
But I’m not.
I’m just into different things!
I’m not sure if that above notion still exists, or if younger people do feel the pressure to have alcohol on a regular basis but it is a shame if it is.
I can’t really comment on my social life because of lockdown, but before it was in place, I felt really confident in saying no thank you and thankfully, not many people questioned it.
My training definitely improved as there was no hungover mornings that happened where I’d just knock training on the head. I felt like I was more productive and didn’t laze about like I would if I was hungover.
My mental health changed too. I feel like although alcohol can be great in-the-moment, too much and it can really change your emotions. Anxious hangovers were a real thing for me. So it was nice not to experience them too.
It’s a few months on since we began drinking again and how do I feel about it now?
So much better. I know that I don’t need to drink but also that I can if I want to. I’ve learnt the importance of drinking when and only if you feel comfortable with the people that you are around.
But most of all, that it’s my choice and others really shouldn’t be bothered by it.