Sober October - Plan Ahead

[notroundthebend]

I managed dry January, even did Feb! Then the virus hit and I went backwards with the wine drinking and it's really got to stop. So sober October it is (and beyond)..! So, Thursday will day one 🙌 join me if you wish.

@notroundthebend

Evening all, checking in during the witching hour between tea / bath and can I sit down relax yet..! This is when the wine is poured, it's been a full on day but I'm sipping Pepsi max 🙌 hope it's going well for you all. Here's to a decent nights sleep and glowing skin (hopefully)

I wouldn't recommend Pepsi if you want to sleep well - it has caffeine in, doesn't it?

I'm doing Sober October as well, but I did more or less stop a few months ago.

I'm going to give you all a tip - find something to do instead of drinking. Yes, I know that sounds stupidly obvious What I mean is, something that signifies "relaxing" to you (if that's what you enjoy about drinking).

For instance, I now have a thing that signifies "me time" and relaxing - I sit down with a bowl of peanuts, a can of diet ginger beer, and a sudoku. And that's what I do for a while, in that witching hour.

So - have something you can focus on that you enjoy, and takes your mind off things. That's my advice! (And I used to drink a lot, more than any of you, I'm sure )

Fruit tea for me tonight. The challenge will come tomorrow night when I'm out for dinner with friends. I am looking forward to just jumping in the car when it's time to go home though, no taxi queue in the howling wind and rain for us!

Day 1 done (actually day 2 as didn’t have a drink yesterday either). Drank decaf tea with some dark chocolate in front of the tv during witching hour and didn’t miss the wine. Friday night tomorrow which will be more of a challenge.

@HowFastIsTooFast

Fruit tea for me tonight. The challenge will come tomorrow night when I'm out for dinner with friends. I am looking forward to just jumping in the car when it's time to go home though, no taxi queue in the howling wind and rain for us!

I had a night out during dry January and it was fake gin and (real) tonic that got me through, even though it’s honestly a crap substitute. I was so proud of myself!! Good luck and stay strong!

Well done everyone. Clear heads today? I’ve never really had the ‘wake up fresh as a sun-warmed daisy’ feeling, still a bit blah but I suspect caffeine has more to do with that!

Feeling fresh, slept well. Friday night will be a bit of a challenge but I am feeling motivated. I told my dh I'm trying this, he barely ever drinks, so having told him I feel more committed to it now. Would be easier to give in if he didn't know I was doing it. He prefers me not to drink, he doesn't think I have a problem but as someone who can go months before having 1 beer he can't understand my daily half bottle of wine habit and thinks its unhealthy

Half a bottle of wine per day is unhealthy Physically, and psychologically!

Well done everyone, feeling a bit blah here but that's because of the weather - I'd be feeling even worse if I'd been drinking last night!

We're planning pizza as our Friday evening treat, like many of you, I find Fridays the hardest. So pizza it is!

The sensible me knows it's unhealthy. But with so many people behaving the same it's easy to normalise it.

Well done everyone. I slept for 9 hours last night. Long may it continue.

Just about to have an early tea and feeling fine about an af Friday. Going to have more rhubarb cordial with sparkling water, and going to buy lots of interesting soft drinks tomorrow. Dh went to the shops earlier, I would have normally gone as this is when I would have picked up a bottle of wine. New routines are probably helpful at the moment, to avoid a trigger and stay resolute

I’m late to this but have decided to do Sober October too. Am normally just a weekend drinker. No wine for me this Friday evening! Got some nice tonic in the fridge so can still have a drink, but will leave the spirits out of it.

Joining! I too want to stop for weight and sleep reasons. Good luck all

I’ll join you.

I did dry January a couple of years ago and nothing really since. DH regularly has spells where he stops drinking so I’m going to join him for once! I am sleeping really badly so need a reset. I am already remembering how bloody boring it is so I definitely need ways to distract myself.

Early evening just after I have finished work is the danger time for me. If I haven’t drunk anything by dinner time I’m generally ok.

Good luck everyone.

I'll join you too if that's ok.

I did the Annie Grace 30 day experiment mid June this year. I found it really helpful to understand the chemistry of alcohol, what it does to you and why you want to keep going when you've had one drink etc. I've managed to drink less since finishing the experiment. But I'm a bit of an "all or nothing" type. Opened a bottle for a glass on Tuesday and drank the whole bottle.

I've leaned that alcohol does pretty much nothing good for me. I'd like the strength to be t-total I think. But I dooooo like it! I'll do another 30 days and have a contemplate at the same time

Checking in! I've had my take away and a glass of Pepsi Max! I could kill for a glass of wine but I'm not doing it. Feeling shattered so I shall go to bed early and start on my quit lit ☺️

Well I had the pizza. And pizza. And pizza...

But no booze!

Happy Friday! Out for sushi tonight for a friends birthday, had a green tea, AF ginger beer and an Appletize and now smugly about to drive home & enjoy a non-hungover Saturday tomorrow

Tucked up in bed and sober. Fridays are hard and there’s another 4 of them to get through yet.

So pleased to to up refreshed from a great night's sleep, I have my period too which usually makes me even more wakeful but I slept soundly. Out for dinner with friends tonight, but they're driving too so nobody would be drinking. I was planning to get train and have my statutory half bottle of wine but I'll drive. Not planning on telling them about my sober Oct so I'll blame the weather for me driving

No drink for me last night! But also....I didn’t drink any water either so have woken up with an achy head and dry mouth. What a fool!! But my liver thanks me, usually Friday is a couple of drinks followed by a few more that I don’t want or need 🤨

Anyway, well done everyone!!

ohhh can I join in too.

I am doing this as a weight loss thing, a money saving thing, a stop being such a dick thing, find time thing and what day is it again thing.

My last alcoholic drink was on 30th September.

All dressed up ready to go out, I've already looked at the drinks menu online and am ordering a sparkling cordial over crushed ice

I'm in. I actually had my last drink nearly a week ago but like a PP I didn't really fancy it but it was there and it was the evening and so I drank a good portion of the bottle. Decided enough is enough. Spent the evenings this week decluttering and cleaning the house. Has kept me busy and I wake up feeling pleased I've not drunk and pleased the house is sorted so it's all positive so far. Also read through Allen Carr's book aimed specifically at women stopping drinking. Can't remember it's exact title but it's definitely worth a read. It's repetitive but deliberately so. Keep going everyone!

I'm back, glad I drove, weather is atrocious. Had my cordials in the restaurant, now having a peppermint tea. Hope everyone has had successful af nights

Friend came over for dinner, I stuck to tonic water (no gin). Feeling virtuous but a bit bored!