Sober October - Day 1
As an Aussie girl, my culture has fostered a drinking ethic of 'drink to be the last one standing', 'drink them under the table', etc., which I have done on many occasions and now I am thinking, what is the point of it all?
During lockdown, I found that I was drinking more, and I'm not alone in this. According to statistics, I was among about 30% of the population (UK), drinking more during lockdown... boredom? isolation?... I don't know... but at some point, I said nah... this isn't good... Let's sort this out.
So here I am at 3 months and 2 days. I never would have believed I could do it. I had one 'blip', about two weeks in, where I had a bottle of wine over a weekend. I did not enjoy that old feeling of hangover at all! So I started again on 29 June. I've got this now. Going for a year, and actually I feel so good about this that I don't see the point of ever drinking again. I don't miss it, even in social situations where everyone is drinking.
I am looking forward to filling up my OCTOBER with you all. I'll share some tips throughout the month that have helped me.
Enjoy the journey! There is much to enjoy and you will learn something interesting about yourself.
Tips for day 1
(I'd better say, just in case... If you're a heavy drinker, it could be dangerous for you to quit cold turkey. Go visit the doctor or get some specialist support, then come back and join us. Also, if you are feeling suicical, please contact The Samaritans).
On day 1 you are highly motivated. You have good reasons for wanting to achieve your goal and a success would feel great. You have an inkling of just what that success would feel like.
Keep your focus on your 'whys'. Why do you want to do this? State them in the positive. So (for example) rather than 'When I look in the mirror, I don't want to feel...', say 'When I look in the mirror, I want to feel...'.
Make a list or keep a journal. Your 'whys' are important, they will keep you going in moments of doubt.
Here's a year planner that I have found to be a useful and inspiring tool. Right-click to download and print.