It’s Easier Than You Think
It was around 2018 when I decided enough was enough, it was time to challenge myself and try to give up drinking alcohol. Not for good, just for a month or so, like a ‘mini-detox’. Don’t get me wrong, I was never an alcoholic, but when the consumption of things like Gin, Vodka and Whiskey started to affect me, especially mentally, something had got to change.
The first few attempts were difficult, because I kept forgetting I was challenging myself. After drinking socially for 15 years prior to this challenge, on average every other week, drinking was the ‘norm’ and became habitual over the years. I remember a few days after starting the for the second time, going into town with mates, having the first sip of beer and saying “Bugger, I’ve done it again!”.
Nevertheless, I never quit trying to start again, because it’s something I was very keen on trying. I’d heard about celebrities abstaining and achieving huge milestones, like 5, 10 and 15 years, and I remember thinking “wow, that’s such a long time” – It’s a long period of time compared to my 612 days but if I had of carried on, I might have got to the magic 1,000, which was my original target – now we’ll never know!
My initial reason for starting the challenge was my mental health – hence this post.
At the time, very little seemed to be going right in my life. My relationship was struggling, work wasn’t where I wanted it to be, I felt a lack of purpose, my finances were causing stress, and it all started to feel overwhelming.
To make matters worse, I was consuming far too much junk food and alcohol, while eating nowhere near enough healthy food. I wasn’t being particularly social either, and gradually I found myself becoming more isolated.
Something had to change.
I could feel the pressure building, and I desperately needed to do something different before it felt like my head was going to explode. Looking back, starting this challenge was my way of hitting pause, taking stock of where I was, and trying to regain some control over a life that felt as though it was slipping away from me.
Simultaneously, (which I don’t recommend because going ‘cold turkey’ on multiple things at once could lead to severe failure and relapsing!) I tried the following:
- Zero alcohol
- Going to the gym
- Blogging
- Going out 2/3 times a week to see friends
- Less screen time
- Eat clean
- Therpary/counselling
Without this self-intervention, I don’t think I would be where I am today – Something changed inside my mind, I guess it was the wake up call I desperately needed.
Flow State
In all honesty, the one thing from the above list which I really think saved me was blogging. An no, I am not just saying that because you’re reading this specific post, it’s the honest truth.
It’s a great way to untangle your mind and let off some steam. I used to spend hours everyday writing things down, things which are not too dissimilar to the content you will find on DONTHIDE today.
For those who are not familiar with the term ‘flow state’, it’s often referred to as being in the zone – ‘It’s the optimal state of consciousness where you are completely immersed in an activity’ – Description courtesy of Google AI.
I have entered a ‘flow state’ many times – As I type these very lines, I can hear various background noises; 2 ladies talking to my left-hand side, a girl across from me has just scraped her chair unnecessarily over the floor, I can hear the barista’s clinking the cups in the kitchen area, and the door has just squeaked open… oh and a dog has just barked!
Yes, I am in Starbucks sipping my favourite Oat Flat White with a single demmy – Demerara sugar for those who aren’t familiar with my lingo! (Probably nobody).
Whilst these various noises would normally irritate the hell our of me, especially when blogging and trying to concentrate, at this current moment in time, my brain is fine tuning these annoyances and blocking them out so I can continue to flow.