On reaching this milestone, my initial thought was: Wow, that went quickly!
I'm genuinely surprised by how much I have enjoyed becoming sober. My first six months of sobriety coincided with hibernation season and winter lends itself to changing habits. As spring approaches, I'm cognisant of the desire to spend longer evenings ensconced in a beer garden somewhere. I am still yet to experience a booze-free birthday or holiday, my next being a 40th birthday celebration in Ireland. (Last time in the Emerald Isle, I proudly knocked back poitin poured by the locals. No more fire water for me.)
I've been hearing a lot about 'pink cloud syndrome', a rose-tinted honeymoon period that comes with early recovery. Everyone is different. These are things I have notice
It's possible. There is a bottle of whiskey and bottle of red wine on top of the kitchen cabinet gifted to Mr Sober AF at Christmas still unopened. This wouldn't have made it passed Boxing Day.
Without Dutch courage, I make conscious choices to be brave and not stay in my comfort zone. I must give a shout out to the Upfront programme I joined recently, which amplifies women's voices and revolutionizes female confidence. It's a game changer.
A friend remarked how together I am now. Alcohol caused big fluctuations in my mood and hangovers made me flakey. I much prefer the emotional equilibrium that comes with not drinking.
I'm more reliable. Stripping away alcohol means you no longer need to varnish truths. There are no excuses why you're late, not firing on all cylinders or worse, cancelling.
Accountability aids abstinence. I'm overwhelmed by how supportive everyone has been but in declaring my decision to quit booze, I have made it harder to go back.
It rubs off. People have asked my advice about what drinks they can try instead of alcohol. Who knew I could be a good influence? (Unsurprisingly, I was massive enabler when booze was involved).
My social battery needs to be recharged sooner. This is perhaps inevitable.
I get tired but no it's no longer sleep-depleted exhaustion.
I love chocolate. Like, really love chocolate.
Things I'm looking forward to:
Sober meets ups. So far, I have only connected with other sober people online, so I'm keen to do something IRL, maybe a sober club night like The House of Happiness and definitely sober DnB shindig hosted by Girls Like Bass. Dancing without will be a new experience but this is a new era of fuck it (a far more positive one).
More AF mixology. I love discovering and experimenting with alcohol-free libations, so expect more reviews.
Will the pink cloud fade? Perhaps. But I'm keeping a sunny outlook nonetheless.