“You need to drink”
“How can you have a good time without a drink?”
“You have to it’s their birthday/hen do/wedding ”
These are just some of the reactions I’ve had recently in response to my decision not to drink alcohol.
I’ve always hated hangovers and I used to always beat myself up mentally after a big drinking session. I hated myself; not just my drunk behaviour and the person I sometimes became under the influence of alcohol but also for the fact that I didn’t have control and I was wasting a day being hungover. I don’t like the person I become when I am drinking and I have learned to recognise and accept that. The temporary buzz I get from alcohol isn’t worth how it makes me feel the next day.
I’ve had many bad alcohol related experiences which I won’t go into but one experience in particular made me realise that I had too much to lose if I were to continue getting drunk. There are things in my life that are much more important to me than alcohol.
When I started to cut alcohol out of my life I started to feel so much better both mentally and physically. My mind is so much clearer and stronger and it’s great not to feel annoyed with myself; instead I feel proud, happy and totally in control. I’m not saying I will never drink again, but right now I choose not to. My focus is on doing the things that I enjoy like eating clean, training and spending time sober with my family and friends.
The worst part about not drinking is being interrogated by people as to why I don’t drink. But the best part about not drinking, without a shadow of a doubt, is having a clear mind and feeling good about myself. I am very much on track to achieving my fitness goals and it feels amazing. The only difficult part, as I’ve mentioned, is dealing with the reaction of other people when I say I’m not drinking but I’m getting better at that too. I realise that I am in control of my own feelings and how I react is up to me. I choose to surround myself with people that appreciate my company sober because that after all is the real me.
I am not a teetotaller. I am a person who “enjoys a drink” but I don’t want a drink right now.
A few closing thoughts:
- The mind and body are connected, and form a system – hangovers, stress, heavy emotional spells often result in sickness. Positive attitudes, a clear mind, fun, happiness are not only healing for the body but also prevent sickness.
- We are in charge of our minds, and therefore our results.
- Respect each other’s model of the world.