Notes on the first milestone of a non-drinker.
So – five full weeks into this venture, and I thought I should take a moment to reflect on how it’s been so far. It’s not the first time I have reached this milestone, but hopefully it will be the last, and this time with a much stronger determination to stay the course.
During January, I’ve set roots in this lifestyle. Although these roots don’t run deep yet, I am doing my best to give them the nutrition needed for growing sturdier and stronger. I have a feeling this lifestyle is going to take my life in a different direction altogether.
I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since I toasted the New Year in at midnight a month ago. I haven’t had many opportunities either, but my confidence has still grown, however immature it might be. The gyms are still crowded, people in the office are snacking on carrot and cucumber sticks, and nobody has thrown any parties yet. January has definitely felt like a ‘back-to-basics’ month, not only for me but most people around me as well.
The first week was not so much challenging, as it was my body cleansing itself from any leftover Christmas residue. Ridding my diet of the most obvious holiday sinners, like wine and butter and basically everything sugar, seemed like a nice actionable step to me, and one that felt good.
Week two brought a harvest of benefits like better sleep (I hate that I don’t function well on less than eight hours of sleep – having kids some day is going to kill me), renewed strength in the gym and energy levels on the rise again. You reap a lot of benefits in the first few weeks from quitting alcohol.
Weeks three, four and five reinforced this trend. I’ve had no revelations or great discoveries, no grand epiphanies about myself. There has only been this return to form, where body and mind have started to feel and operate like they were designed to do.
Last Friday, we had a small celebration at my workspace. In the afternoon, a big bottle of champagne was cracked open and the mood was correspondingly high. This setting made me nervous, mostly for myself, but also for how people would react to me not drinking. They are all familiar with my new lifestyle, but I still wondered: Would I feel left out of the celebration? Would the situation rattle me, or could I navigate it with a sense of ease and lightness? Would people react strangely, making it awkward and uncomfortable? Amazing how such a seemingly small event can make you feel so self-conscious and timid.
Luckily, no drama came to pass. There was even a non-alcoholic option for me specifically to enjoy, which surprised me a great deal. It was a sweet gesture and all that worry for naught. Several things did surprise me though, watching people engage with each other.
It’s peculiar how easily alcohol affects people’s minds, and how soon after the first drink they seem to have little regard for much else. Some had to drive home, but excuses like “one small glass won’t make a difference” were uttered, and then one glass turned into two or three. Others went for cigarettes, even though they don’t smoke, because “you can’t drink and not have a little cigarette.”
Don’t get me wrong, people were having a fun time, and I’d never judge or interfere in that. But I was surprised by how easily people seemed to write off the rest of their day for just a few drinks. This was me as well not long ago, jumping at the slightest inkling of a good drinking time in sight.
Thankfully, on this day, I didn’t have any inclination to drink at all. I tried the non-alcoholic bubbles out of curiosity, but I could just as easily have settled for a glass of sparkling water or similar. I just wasn’t tempted. Nothing in my body or mind craved the alcohol or the effects it provides, which gave me much relief (and honestly some surprise as well). I was quietly thankful for the fact that I wasn’t going to wake up the next morning, tired, head hurting and with that slight melancholic mood that sets in after a few drinks the day before.
This was not the hardest of first tests, but it was still my first exposure to alcohol in a social setting, and I came away from it encouraged by how little it affected me, and thankful I could leave soon after, unintoxicated and clear-headed.
With this, I feel ready to crack this second month of the year open. February is brand new and unspoiled. I am having my buddies over for coffee and breakfast next week, which will be nice and relaxing, and I am poised to take on greater challenges, build new social habits and hopefully gain new perspectives and insights in the process.