- April 24, 2024
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It was a Tuesday night in August and I had just gotten back from my brother's wedding weekend. (If you know anything about Irish weddings, you know that that meant a full weekend of indulging. I felt like crap from the alcohol, heavy foods, and lack of sleep.) Brady and I decided to take Elijah to the pool. On our way out the door, I grabbed snacks, water bottles, and a couple of beers. Once we got there, Brady and I each opened one up. After finishing the first, I opened up a 2nd and took a sip. I remember thinking, "Why am I drinking this?" At that point, it wasn't because I really wanted it. Was it out of habit? I ended up throwing it away after that sip. That's when I reevaluated my relationship with alcohol and what it was really doing for my life. This Saturday will mark 100 days without alcohol. Here are 3 lessons I have learned on this journey so far:
1. You don't have to give yourself a label to cut alcohol out. A big response I've received from friends was: "You can have one! What's the big deal" I'm not into labels when it comes to addictions or trauma survival. Alcoholic or not, I knew that alcohol wasn't serving me or helping me create the life I envisioned. Removing it has allowed for me to be more present, have more energy and focus, and get back into running/yoga again.
2. Living life hydrated feels good! Between the daily coffee, a beer or glass of wine a couple of nights a week, and lack of water consumption (Hello, how am I supposed to fit THAT in?), I swear I suffered from chronic dehydration. Removing alcohol had the added benefit of me focusing on how much water I drink. I buy gallon jugs of water on a regular basis and bring them with me throughout the day. This helps me keep an eye on how much I am drinking throughout the day.
3. There's no time requirement for a decision like this. It could be alcohol, a daily soda or something else you've been thinking about changing. If you're making a change to your lifestyle it doesn't have to be forever. I haven't decided whether or not this is going to be a forever thing for me. I'm basing my decision on continuing on how I feel day to day and right now, I'm feeling good.
So whether you're drinking coffee, water, or wine, cheers to YOU! I'll remind you again that these times are HARD and YOU are doing an amazing job!
