1/. There are enough hours in the day (and you don’t need to set an alarm to wake up in the morning). Since quitting alcohol I wake naturally at around 5.30am every day (yes, even Sundays). Instead of hauling your ass out of bed looking like an extra from Shaun Of The Dead, eyes bulging like bloodshot boiled eggs, you’ll wake feeling rested, refreshed and ready to grab the day by the cajones. You’ll be more ‘Carpe diem!’ than dying carp.
2/. You can sleep more deeply than you ever dreamed possible - and you will dream. A lot. Because you’re properly asleep, rather than knocked unconscious by the blow to the head that is ethanol. (I actually kicked both my legs in the air in my sleep the other night because I slipped on a banana skin in my dream - which Dave found hilarious 😆.)
3/. You’ll realise just how much time you wasted on hangovers. I’m not saying I completely regret drinking, because I had a lot of fun and met lots of amazing people along the way, but when I think of all the hours, days and weeks which probably equates to a couple of YEARS spent lying comatose in bed nursing the mother of all hangovers in a state of anxiety, and dreading work the next day (or even later that same day 🥴) it fills me with remorse at all that missed living.
4/. You discover that 3 hours is your new socialising sweet spot. My sober pals and I have discussed this and agreed that this is the perfect amount of time to catch up, eat, maybe dance…and then slip off into the sunset when your mates get messy and stop making sense, allowing you the warm and fuzzy sensation of having seen your besties without the accompanying fuzzy head, thus avoiding compromising your plans for the next day. You no longer need to factor in ‘recovery time’ for every social outing.
5/. Other people will act weird about your sobriety. You’ll be dressed up, firing on all cylinders and raring to get amongst it, yet still some people will assume that because you’re not drinking you’re not expecting to have a good time, and speak to you in an almost pitying way. They assume that you’re secretly salivating over their boozy beverage, when in fact the opposite is now true: you’re having a whale of a time, and a big part of this is because you’re no longer a slave to the booze, and can hold your own without it. The sense of freedom and inner calm this creates within you is a thousand times more satisfying than the buzz you got from boozing.
6/. You may make noises about “possibly drinking again in the future, who knows?” because people will invariably wonder how long you’re “planning to keep this up for?!” You’re saying that for them, not you, because it makes others feel better to know that you’re not necessarily ditching drinking - and by extension boozy nights out with them - forever. But you almost certainly won’t go back. Why would you? Now that you know there’s this wonderful existence on the other side of alcohol you’d be mad to revert to the old you. It’s like smoking: now that I’m a non-smoker I know for certain that smoking never enhanced my life in any way. I just know I’ll never smoke again, full stop. It’s not something I even need to consciously avoid, it’s simply no longer on my radar.
7/. People who lament their poor mental health are often self-medicating with drugs and alcohol - and poisoning yourself is the antithesis of healing and self-care. It’s pretty obvious when you think about it: how can you put highly toxic - potentially lethal - substances into your system and expect to feel better than before? If you think the short-lived chemical highs outweigh the increasingly long and painful lows, try going without them for a period of time and then reassess your mental state. I guarantee you’ll feel far better, your self-worth and productivity will soar, and your enjoyment of little things will incrementally increase - without the constant need for artificial enhancement. Your clever little brain will literally make fresh neural pathways, as you carve out a new pathway through life. Neuroplasticity is a thing, and it’s your friend.
8/. Dosh, moolah, spondoolies, wonga! 🤑Whatever you call it, you’ll have more of it. As the rest of the country mocks you for being boring whilst they spunk a tenner on each drink, you’ll have the last laugh as you pocket all those tenners and bugger off on a plane to Costa Rica.
9/. As well as saving lots of pounds in money, you’ll also save plenty of pounds in weight. Not to mention swapping eye bags for shopping bags. If you choose to replace some of those empty booze calories with dessert and chocolate ones, go right ahead. You’ll be so much more energetic in your day-to-day life that you can afford to have extra treats without putting on an ounce. Sweet!
10/. You will feel like a completely different person! One who knows they can set themselves a goal and achieve it. Once again, you’ve proved you can do hard things. They said you wouldn’t stick at it. Even (especially?!) your pals. You proved them wrong. The only thing you need to do now is set some new goals.
I used to say go hard or go home…now I no longer find going home hard. As I drift off into a sober slumber I have zero fomo. In fact, I have FOSO - fear of staying out, not missing out. What I’ve lost in a few drunken hours at the end of a night I’ve gained in brain cells, daylight hours, cash and calm. It took me 4 decades to realise it, but hopefully I’ll have a few more left to reap the rewards of my learnings. And so, my friends, I say a resounding ‘Cheers!’ to the coming alcohol-free years…or should that be “Salud!” - which means health, after all.
#day300 🥳
Sam x
Fancy reading my back-story before you go any further? You can find my other blogs at:
www.worldwidewalsh.blogspot.com
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