100 days Alcohol Free…..
To some, 100 days without alcohol is not actually a “thing” at all, in fact there are probably many, many people who would laugh at it even being a title. For me, it was a thing- which is why it’s a thing now too.
130 days ago if you asked me to give up alcohol for 2 weeks I would have laughed, my best friend and I are the people who do ten days of Dry January and then decide that’s probably enough. Well done us! Desperate texts to each other on day ten “haven’t we done well!! “Shall we jack this stupid idea in now?” kind of thing.
So what happened in the last 15 weeks is nothing short of a miracle for me really. I’ve always been that person who felt they needed alcohol, from the early student days initially needing some confidence which quickly progressed to getting hammered every night of the week whilst at University. Throughout my twenties socially (hammered most of the time, again) and then becoming a parent and feeling I needed the wine to relax at the end of the day. So, I can’t really remember a time without my best buddy wine being around except for the year or so pregnant and breastfeeding.
Long and short of it was I was a wine girl, Marlborough Sauvignon to be precise, Marlb Sav if I felt sad, happy, angry, a celebration, a non-celebration, Thursday, Sunday. Wine. Usually becoming “whine” in my case.
107 days ago I was feeling depressed, down and pretty madly broken, especially hormonally. A change was needed and rather than toying with the idea like I usually did, I just chucked myself in. Now for someone who couldn’t even complete Dry January this was a tall ask. Then I read the words… “Something magical happens when you give up drinking for 100 days’
“WHAT? Magic? What do you mean Magic?, I want to feel what this is… I must feel what this is!”
So off I went on the search for Magic (Secretly thinking I would keep this to myself as I was bound to fail!)
Well, here I am, 107 days later and do I feel this secret magic? Yes I bloody do!
Magical things I’ve discovered over the last 100 + days:
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I really like me! Present me, not numb me.
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My mind is crystal, crystal clear
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I am 100% more productive
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I am quite amusing without booze anyway (some would disagree but they can shove it)
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I have learnt to deal with my emotions better without numbing them (a huge one for me)
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I am generally a positive person!
I don’t know if I will give up alcohol forever but it’s definitely changed my outlook on it. To be honest I’m pretty shocked I even got to this point…… but will I be desperately reaching for the Marlborough Sav this weekend to celebrate?……No, probably not.
Sober curious? Here are some really lovely useful reads if you are thinking about taking a break or quitting booze:
Catherine Gray- The Unexpected joy of being Sober https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unexpected-Joy-Being-Sober-alcohol-free/dp/1912023385
The Sober Diaries- Claire Pooley https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sober-Diaries-stopped-drinking-started/dp/1473661900/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AC081J3DHZC8WGPRBEVT
Tired of thinking about drinking- Belle https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tired-Thinking-About-Drinking-Challenge/dp/0995158002/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FEMKYQOXUF36&keywords=tired+of+thinking+about+drinking&qid=1565346923&s=books&sprefix=tired+of+thinki%2Cstripbooks%2C132&sr=1-1
Also, you must follow the gorgeously inspiring laurievmcallister on Instagram and https://girlandtonic.co.uk