I’ve never really been a heavy drinker. Sure, when I was younger I liked to go on nights out and sometimes, most nights actually, I probably drank more than I should have done. And now as I’m older I still like to go out, but the venues might have changed a bit! However, 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, I chose to quit alcohol.
I think we can all agree that 2020 was a pretty shit year and if you live in the UK like me, it’s looking like this year isn’t going to get better any time soon. We’ve all had to adapt to a new way of living. We’ve been separated from our families, our homes have become both our workplace and our schools. Yet on the positive side there have been lovey heartwarming stories of how communities have come together to help people in need.
I’m lucky enough that my job has meant I’ve been able to work from home for the last nine months. Though even that brought along new challenges that I needed to overcome. But what it did mean is that I no longer had to do the three hour commute to and from the office each day. And my first thought in those early days was how much money I would save!
But it didn’t quite turn out like that. In normal times having such a long drive each morning meant I never touched a drop of alcohol in the evenings. However, I soon realised that working from home meant it was OK to have a glass of wine after work. In fact it was a lovely way to relax. But it wasn’t long before that one glass turned into two glasses — or on a particularly bad day a bottle.
I’d tell myself that I deserved it, especially after a particularly stressful day, but in reality it was just an excuse. I’ve never really been a heavy drinker so with this nightly drinking came a foggy head, a lack of motivation and increased moodiness. Something had to change.
So I decided to give up alcohol completely — in the middle of a pandemic. And you know what, it has completely changed my life.
Not only do I now wake up with a clear head after a full night of unbroken sleep, I have a renewed sense of wanting to achieve something. I’m not saying this is all down to not drinking anymore, but I‘ve found that I love getting up early — way before anyone else, when the house is quiet and I can sit with a coffee, catch up on what’s happening in the world around me, all in total silence — it’s a moment I treasure every day.
And wow, my face! Stopping drinking hasn’t made me suddenly look years younger, but my skin definitely feels and looks fresher — I think it’s also down to the better nights’ sleep that I am getting, but it doesn’t matter really, I’m taking it!
I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I craved that glass of wine after a day in the home office. But then I discovered the wonderful range of non-alcoholic wines, gins and beers that a local supermarket offered and my life was transformed. OK so the wine took a little getting used to, but the gin tasted good from the start — and the overall result meant that I could feel like I was actually having a drink, without actually having a drink.
I chose to give up alcohol because I noticed that it was increasingly difficult for me to get through even one evening without having a drink — I wouldn’t have said it was excessive drinking, it could sometimes just be one drink, but even one drink every evening still adds up and for me, this was having a detrimental effect on my health and wellbeing.
There are many reasons why people choose to give up alcohol and if you’re thinking of giving up the drink, then there are many wise words out there with tips on how you can do it, including this from Healthline.
