Several of months ago, I decided to stop drinking alcohol.
For a long time I have struggled with a sensitive stomach and I noticed that it got worse being in Argentina—the land of Malbec—where I was falling into a habit of having a glass of wine with dinner every couple of nights. It felt harmless and enjoyable in the moment - better soak it up now while I am surrounded by delicious and inexpensive wine, right?
Then we had friends come into town for a visit, one of whom does not drink. Being around her made me question why I drink. Is drinking *that* important to me? I like the way it tastes and it is nice to kick back and have a glass of wine. But when I really look at it, I realize that I don’t feel good after I drink.
So, after I had that realization and following a whole foods cleanse with Luz Femenina, I decided to challenge myself to go without alcohol for a month just to see what it was like. I was interested to know if it would have an impact on how I had been feeling.
Here is what I noticed when I stopped drinking:
- My gut felt better—no more sour stomach;
- I felt mentally clearer and more alert, especially in the mornings;
- I slept better and I found that I was less “thoughty” at night;
- My emotions felt less volatile and unpredictable;
- And around the time I stopped drinking, I found myself more dedicated to my morning and meditation practices. (I acknowledge that this may not be a direct correlation but there was a connection, for sure.)
Due to these changes, after the month of no alcohol I decided to keep going with it and make it a lifestyle change. I am not overly strict with it, so if I get the urge to have a glass of wine I will have it. Being too harsh or militant with ideals, even when well intentioned, never seems to sit well with me. And when I do have a drink every once in awhile, I am usually reminded why I enjoy NOT drinking. (Side note—Now, that’s a sign that I am on the right track... I don’t miss it all that much and it is not difficult for me to continue.)
As an example, the other week, my husband and I went out for Peruvian food. And, I must admit, I love me a good Pisco Sour. So, I decided to have one. And I really enjoyed it (thankfully, it wasn’t super strong). But what I didn’t enjoy so much was how I felt afterwards. Since I hadn’t had a drink for awhile, either the side effects were stronger or I was just more aware of the difference. I couldn’t sleep, I was up for awhile thinking and worrying about trivial things. In the morning I was tired and grumpy. And I definitely didn’t want to do my morning routine or mindfulness practice. To me, that was pretty clear evidence for why I should continue to not drink.
So, this whole experience has made me think a lot about the habits, behaviors, and even patterns that we build around our lives. We have these “guilty pleasures” that are so engrained in our daily life that we almost forget why we do them and what impact they may be having. They become mindless habits or even go as far as to become dependencies. And sometimes we may even find that we like the IDEA of it more than the actual act of doing it. I am not just talking about alcohol here, though that is one example. Other examples could be caffeine or sweets. Or even less tangible habits could be negative thought patterns or relationship patterns that we find ourselves in over and over again.
But what if we discharge the emotion around the habit? Take the pleasure out of the guilty pleasure, so to speak. What if we took away the veil so that we can really look at these habits and acknowledge how they are affecting our experiences and health. Then, we have the opportunity to make a conscious decision to change, if that would truly be better for us in the long run.
I am by no means pointing any fingers here or pushing anyone to stop drinking or change their lifestyle. What I am offering is an opening, a chance, a possibility to consider. The possibility of us letting go of some of these harmless little habits that, when we add them all up, take us out of alignment with who we know we are and the life we want to live.
What habits, big or small, might you be able to look at more closely or experiment with to see if you really need them hanging around? Perhaps you will find that, yes, you need this habit right now. And that is really good to know. The power comes in the question, in the openness to look at life without the veil of complacency and to bring awareness to unconscious actions.