We are creatures of habit, and September always has a pull toward starting fresh. It will forever remain the month of stepping into a new chapter. Unintentionally, I realised the power of this truth.
During the summer of 2019, I decided I’d had enough of my drinking habits. A beer after work, wine with dinner and often partying on the weekends involving long lunches and late nights. Drinking had started to feel more like an obligation, a duty, an expectation. It was time to take a break, to break free, to break up – the relationship had frankly put it.. gotten sour.
I made myself a pact that the day of the new school year I would put a halt to the drinking.
As the alcohol-free days rolled by I found I was sleeping better and waking up fresh instead of groggy. I had more energy in the mornings and started implementing a morning routine, carving out time for myself. I lost weight, and my skin improved. I dived into reading quit-lit, which opened my eyes massively into the harms of drinking alcohol. I began to understand how and why alcohol had become a ´´norm´´, an autopilot mode, the dopamine hits, the sleep disruption, and the long-term health risks. Wow!
As the weeks turned into months I liked more and more this new version of me. Thanks to support from those closest to me (who soon followed suit), I found the whole no-drinking experience a relief. I started to enjoy yoga retreats instead of boozy weekends away. I went on a sober retreat and discovered what a warm, loving community exists in the alcohol-free living space. I began to forge authentic, deep relationships here in midlife with like-minded women, I feel so blessed for that.
The break up from booze was without doubt one of the best moves I will ever make and I truly wish that women that are stuck in the booze trap could also find the strength and support to break free. If you have a little voice saying “you should stop drinking,” listen and try it. Trust that in this case the grass really is greener on the other side.
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