February 6: Since returning from Europe, I have been considering taking some time off drinking alcohol. There was no particular reason for this, other than the vague feeling that drinking had become a bit of a hobby or something I turned to out of boredom. I had already been trying to drink less over the holiday season – quality over quantity – but there was always the temptation to over-indulge while celebrating the season. “It’s only once a year.”
So January seemed to be the perfect time to go sober. After New Years, which I spent at home with a really good bottle of Cote du Rhone, there was nothing on my social calendar. Because so much of our social interaction is based on booze, not having a bunch of get-togethers meant that I could avoid the peer pressure to have “just one”. I made it to January 29 and then had a couple of drinks for my friend Murphy who passed away a year ago that date. I think he would have approved.
Over the course of the month I dropped almost a kilo of weight and lost the reflexive reach for a glass of wine while cooking, while eating, while tidying up. I did notice that I missed wine; after dinner there was an urge for something sweet or fruity and I realized that it was a time when I would normally reach for a glass of wine for “dessert”. Many people off booze say they sleep better and I found that to be true as well.
Overall, I didn’t find it all that difficult after the first week or so. Once over the “habit” of reaching for wine, it was quite easy to be dry. There are obvious psychological and health reasons for going sober and having achieved it once, it’s definitely something to consider for next year too.
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Here’s a link to an interesting TED Talk that deals with addictions in a different light. There are a number of themes that I find interesting and hope you will too.