Happy Soberversary To Me!
Today, I'm celebrating being one year sober! When I initially decided to take six months off, all I could think about was all the things I would be giving up. But looking back on my year, I have not given up anything; I have only gained! Here are twelve reflections from living 12 months alcohol-free.
Alcohol does not make things more fun. Alcohol dulls down your brain to make boring things seem more interesting! Now that I've created a more exciting and fun life, I've discovered my version of fun, which is far from society's version. The things I do now and the people in my life don't make me need a drink to make the experiences more fun! I had so much fun out on New Year's Eve, drinking my mocktails in bars in Bondi with my partner, brother, sister and friends! Because I love bars by the beach and the people in my life!
You don't need alcohol to socialise and make friends! I have more of a social life now that I am alcohol-free because I have the extra energy from having high-quality sleep. I no longer make plans and cancel them because I am too hungover. I consistently attend my book and running clubs, enjoying meaningful conversations! I have even taken a relationship from a friend to someone I now call my best friend! My relationship with Joe has never been better! We try things we wouldn't usually do, enjoy wholesome activities that take us towards our goals and have inspiring and meaningful conversations!
When you intentionally spend time to create a life you love, you don't desire to drink! I love my life way too much to numb it with alcohol or waste a day in bed. I love the people in my life; I don't want alcohol to rob beautiful memories from me. And I have so much self-love, I wouldn't dream of putting alcohol in my body! Alcohol kept my world so small that I didn't even know there was a life out there without booze. Someone couldn't even pay me to have a drink now. It just doesn't align with my future dream life!
You become so connected and in tune with yourself. Being alcohol-free allowed me to discover who I am as my authentic self. Alcohol makes us disconnected and stops us from being the person we truly are on a soul level.
Being alcohol-free allows space to discover what's really meaningful to you. I now do things that give me real meaning, and this, I'm sure, is part of why I have no desire to drink anymore. Because I didn't need to nurse my hangovers anymore, I invested that time into figuring out my purpose. This didn't happen overnight; it took about six months of getting to know who I was and trying things I hadn't tried before.
Alcohol postpones anxiety and then multiplies it. William Porter explains this really well in his book Alcohol Explained: 'Essentially, alcohol provides us with a feeling of relaxation. However, the brain and nervous system react to this by releasing stimulants and becoming more sensitive, with the result that when the alcohol wears off, we are more anxious and unrelaxed than we were before we took the drink.' And what's even worse is Andrew Huberman explains, 'people who drink regularly (even in small amounts, i.e. one per night) experience increases in cortisol release from adrenal glands so feel more stress and more anxiety when not drinking!
It turns out alcohol is not a sleep aid; sedation is not the same as sleep. Alcohol is a sedative, so it knocks you out, but that means it suppresses your REM sleep. REM sleep is essential for physical and mental restoration and cognitive functions like memory, learning, and creativity. Even emotional regulation! The National Sleep Foundation say women only need one alcoholic drink for their sleep quality to decrease by 24%! Lack of sleep affects your immune system, athletic performance, and reproductive system and makes you age more!
Alcohol-free prosecco is life! Sarah Rusbatch, who is a huge inspiration to me in the sobriety world, says, 'Keep the ritual, change the ingredient'! I was one of those girls who said, 'I drink because I love the taste' Well, thank the lord, there are so many alcohol-free drink alternatives! I never feel left out whilst I drink my alcohol-free prosecco out of a prosecco glass, just like everyone else! And I now confidently call restaurants and bars to ask if I can bring my alcohol-free prosecco if they don’t have it on their drink lists.
People use alcohol to change their inner world, but when you do the inner work, you then don't need to drink! I used alcohol to make me more confident, talkative, extroverted and outgoing. Now, I'm more confident and talkative than ever. I'm a proud introvert who goes out to do things I want to do; I've stopped going to things I'm not interested in.
I've learnt I don't like staying out past 8 pm because I'm a morning person and love watching the sunrise! I love waking up at the same time every day to enjoy my morning routine and get a workout done before most people wake up. For someone who used to waste many days in bed hungover, there is no better feeling than meeting up for coffee dates in the morning!
You gain so much spare time to do things that actually bring you joy! Instead of nursing a hangover, I am enjoying the life I have created in Australia. I visit beaches, try new cafes, and attend morning events before work. I consistently prepare my weekly food, giving me even more time! I take action on my goals with my mental clarity and energy. My weeks feel so much longer, and I enjoy them; they bring me so much joy! I have time to do the things I have always dreamed of doing!
I have met my true potential. I have so much more access to myself that I didn't know existed. I am more ambitious, optimistic, consistent, productive, energetic and I have mental clarity! I don't waste days in bed with hangovers anymore, and I don't have to worry about ever risking doing anything stupid or embarrassing while drunk. I have my total bandwidth because I am not preoccupied with alcohol. I don't believe any women can reach their true potential when they drink alcohol. As we know, even just one drink can decrease sleep quality by 24%! And alcohol can stay in your system for up to 72 hours!
Giving up alcohol is my biggest achievement to date! Cheers to many more alcohol-free years! I am so excited to see what else I can achieve!