I wrote this post on Sunday the 3rd Feb at 5 pm. With a hangover. I’m only just getting my blog on because I wasted all day in bed.
I decided to do Dry January after a pretty bad hangover on New Year’s Eve. I drank loads in December. Too much. My boyfriend has loads of time off over Christmas and when he nips to the fridge for a beer, I want one too! My alcohol consumption had been creeping up and it was having a negative effect on my productivity and fitness.
As I threw up into a Tesco Bag for Life in the car on the way home on New Years Day. I was ponding why on earth I do this to myself.
I mean, that’s a pretty extreme case as I’ve not been sick from alcohol in years. But there are times that I’ve laid in bed all morning holding my head in despair and quite frankly, hating myself for doing this to myself.
I’ve always wanted to quit alcohol but I never thought I could. The number of times I wake up thinking ‘why have I done this to myself again’ is more times than I care to admit.
Plus I like drinking. I like feeling tipsy.
But was it worth this?
I declared that I was doing Dry January. I was a bit worried about not being able to have a few gins on a Friday night, or a whiskey on a Tuesday after work. But I knew I was wasting too many mornings feeling like shit and it had to stop.
So I did it. I didn’t touch a drop of booze all through January. One great thing about me is that I am stubborn and if I declare something to the world, you bet you I’m going to keep my word.
I felt great. I was able to work out on a weekend without feeling like crap! I had quality workouts. I was sleeping better and naturally waking up early even when I wasn’t at work.
The only time it was a bit tough was when we went out for a meal. Before the meal, we went to the pub for two hours. Going to the pub when you’re not drinking isn’t something I would class as fun, but I guess I need to get used to it. Almost all my social engagements involve alcohol. I’m almost afraid I don’t know how to have fun without a drink in my hand.
Anyway. 2nd February. We decided we would walk into York, have a few drinks and get fish and chips on the way home. I was determined not to be hungover the next day. When my boyfriend asked me to buy him some beers, I decided to get myself some alcohol-free ones for when we got back.
I already had a new rule – not to drink in the house. Only when out at the pub socially. I was into the habit of having a whiskey on a Tuesday evening after my late night and drinking gin and been on a Friday and Saturday. Just because it’s the weekend.
Anyway, we walked into York at 4 pm. I had my first beer.
It was a bit anti-climatic if I’m honest. We went to The Shambles Tavern and people kept going in and out leaving the door open and it was freezing. It was also a hassle to get the drinks, busy, clunky car stools in the way so you couldn’t see the thinks, the beer I picked for my boyfriend ran out and I had to pick another. As I was drinking my second pint I thought to myself ‘this isn’t as good as I remember’.
We moved to somewhere else. The were no seats so we stood up. Then we went to our final place and I was onto my fourth and final pint. I drank it slowly and my boyfriend got his 5th.
We walked home around 7:30 pm, got fish and chips and went home. I drank 2 alcohol-free beers as my boyfriend drank 4 more normal ones.
I fell asleep on the sofa and we went to bed about 10:30 pm.
Enjoy the photo of me and my alcohol-free beer. Thanks, boyfriend!
I woke up with a banging headache in the middle of the night. I kept trying to drink water but it was making me feel worse. It was so hot in the bed and the cat was on my legs so I got up and went downstairs. I made an Alka Seltzer but could only drink half. A little while later I was sick. Brilliant.
I laid back on the sofa for about 3 more hours and then at 7 am went back to bed where I stayed until early afternoon.
So yeah. I’m quitting alcohol apart from the very occasional drink socially. I think I’ll stick to half-pints. The good news for the boyfriend is that I can be designated driver now!
If anyone has any tips, I’d love to hear them!
I quit drinking for the entirety of last year pretty much, and it was one of the best things I ever did for myself! I still went out (my entire life revolves around the drag scene), but I started to experiment with soft drinks to find out the one that I really liked and would be happy drinking instead of gin. Also, I learnt that I /hate being around drunk people, but that you do get used to being in a pub/bar/club without a drink in hand – and there’s some really lovely non-alcoholic options in the supermarkets for Friday/Saturday nights. I also totted up all the money I was saving! The best part honestly was waking up with a clear head and not feeling like shit. You can get addicted to that feeling. Even now, if we go to the pub I’ll nurse a half pint of cider and feel satisfied.
Cordelia || cordeliamoor.com
I love this! Probs for you for taking a year off! I think that’s what I want to do if I do drink, have maybe 2 half pints! Waking up with a clear head is amazing.
Good on you! I don’t drink or eat sugar and it makes such a difference in my overall health as well as my appearance.
Well done on completing dry january.
Sadly, I’ve been forced into zero alcohol consumption for 9 months twice now, and to be honest, I’ve pretty much quit alcohol. I have the odd can of pre-mixed drinks on an occasion.
I don’t really have any tips for you, apart from, just don’t be hard on yourself. As with anything you intend to cut down on, going cold turkey isn’t always the best idea.
Good luck! 🙂
Caroline.x
I gave up drinking when I was 21- when I spent a year studying in Indonesia, I didn’t want to drink anything there just because I was in a different country and didn’t really want to be in any difficult situations and also, I don’t like beer or wine so a drink of a spirit would have cost me 3 days food budget if I had wanted to drink. I never really went back to it 17 years on.