No alcohol in 2024

[Noalcohol2024]

I gave up alcohol for an entire year 10 years ago and I am going to challenge myself to do it again in 2024. Anyone want to join me? I won’t lie I found it really hard. However, it did help me reset my habitual drinking. I feel ready to do it again. If anyone else feels a year off alcohol is something they want to do then join me on January 1st. I am going to take the next few days being honest with myself and reflecting on why I feel this challenge is something I need to do. Anyone who starts on January 1st with me can include their reasons in the introduction (if they wish to). I have a big birthday this year so I know it will be a challenge on that day as-well as Christmas and New Year 2024 but I am determined.

I'd like to join please. I did 6 months AF in 2021, drank in 2022 then fell pregnant in December so obviously didn't drink throughout 2023. BFing so continued not drinking, had a few glasses of champagne over Xmas, but really not bothered about it. DH is an alcoholic and has finally admitted it and going to AA. Most of my sober attempts have been to try and get him to cut down, but realised that I can't get him to stop drinking, he has to do that himself. However living with an alcoholic does take the shine off booze, so I'd like to also be done with it!

@wonderinglywondering I think we are in similar situations. I also hate alcohol for what it's done to my life.
I think it's good to focus on this as a goal for ourselves, and to think of it as a year to focus on us and what makes us happy.

Welcome @wonderinglywondering .

Nobody could ever make me give up drinking it does have to come from within yourself.

We will all be stronger for it by 2025 🤗

I had a tricky moment today. I randomly saw a cheating ex who rubbed their cheating in my face, and that situation (a year ago) was the start of my issues with drinking too much. I'm just sitting with it rather than numbing it though.

That’s tough @rainbowbee. Not making him affect you is the best revenge. Karma will see him righted.

Some great posts tonight , thank you all for your support and giving me lots to think about!

😆might just try this. Thanks for all the supportive messages!

Morning all.

I am up can’t say I’m raring to go but will be at the gym by 0715.

My dreams are of me drinking wine and I think my brain has decided my body has had enough of a rest from alcohol now so I can start again. I feel like I’ve actually been drinking (not hungover because it’s been a while since I’ve been bile sick and hungover) just the groggy ‘you know you’ve had a drink feeling’.

45 mins in the gym and a nice swim should hopefully show my brain I mean business.

Happy Sunday everyone. 3 rd week tomorrow so close.

Morning all, had another night of great sleep. Did go to bed at 10pm, normally would start on my second bottle of wine at that time on a Saturday night.
Although my body feels refreshed my head feels a little fuzzy.🤔.
I have an opticians appointment this Morning, then going to do some tiding up
in the garden to keep busy and tire myself.
what alternatives drinks is everyone drinking, don’t fancy hot milky ones. More of a cold drinker.
Have a great day everyone.

I have a can of sampellagrino every evening i like the lemon one because it's quite sharp . Only trouble is i have to hide them on the back door step to keep them cold, Kids would drink them if i left them in the fridge . Never had that problem with wine 🤣

Another day begins 🙌 . Busy today we have my sons rugby game , im going swimming then need to clear our hallway as the plasterer is coming tomorrow , then im on shift this evening.
Saturdays are definitely the hardest day for me . i really could of caved last night .

Morning all. Just checking in. I wish I could say I had a great sleep but my sleep is still awful which is a total bummer. One advantage of not drinking is how cheap it is to eat out. Had a lovely pub meal last night. Sunday is heading out of the danger zone for me so I feel very confident of getting the rest of the week under my belt. Still scaring myself a bit when thinking of a year though!. Hope you are all well x

@Kashybear Lime and soda and San Pellegrino is my poison! Occasionally a ginger beer. Elderflower and fizzy water in the summer.

its scaring the shit out of me too.

Good morning! I love drinking a cup of coffee being hungover free on a Sunday morning.
I'm just doing a couple hours of marking and will then have a nice shower and we are heading to the zoo! I didn't sleep well as my LO was up all night with a tickly cough, but I feel I can handle it so much better without drinking.

Thinking of the reasons I want to stick at no drinking-
To figure out who I am and what really makes me happy.
To be truly present for my children.
To be a role model.
To not repeat the cycle of alcoholism and addiction in the family (I have my little boy most in mind here)
To be healthy.

Would love to hear other people's reasons, think it's very helpful to keep reminding ourselves why we are doing this.

Happy Sunday everyone!

@pavillion1 let just not think about it for now 😂. I know someone who did it for charity and announced it which I thought was very brave and definitely a no going back scenario!

Love your reasons @whereaw , I will come up with a list.

Day 19 here and I'm not craving alcohol but I am feeling a bit flat and lifeless the last couple of days. I think my body is still trying to recover, so I'm trying to just go with it.

I did 2 years sober from 2019 - 2021. I really wish I had not decided to start again! Still - onwards and upwards.

Morning! I've woken up feeling a bit better than I did yesterday with this cold. Definitely sleeping ok. My teenaged daughter was out until half 11 last night and was looking for a lift home so that actually really helped take away any option to drink anyway. Who knew annoying teen habits could be so useful! 😁

My why is I just want to see what a year at my physical and mental best would look like. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve without the poison robbing me of mornings, full brain capacity, good sleep and full consciousness. I've taken a 'look what you're gaining' view on it rather than a 'look what I've lost' one and it's making me excited rather than scared. There's a good year ahead for us ladies, be your best! Every day of abstinence is a day where you've gotten a bit better than the day before. Proud of us! 🙌🏼

I'm quite enjoying iced tea. Pop an ice cube and a slice of lime with it into a nice glass. I also really like ginger cordial as it's quite strong and tangy. Day 13 and my skin is back to normal, sleep still a bit heavy but I'm appreciating it. There is an inch off my waist and hips. Very proud today that I didn't let the emotional punch yesterday ruin any of this. :)

Hi all!

Great to hear everyone's updates, thank you for sharing.
I've found during week 2 that my evenings are a bit dull and draining at the same time - because I have 2 small children whose bedtimes take ages, by the time I get to sit down/be on my own or with DH I just feel like going to bed, I don't really have the energy to do much, it's often getting close to 9pm (working on changing this!)

l've'vecided its time to rekind my Kindle (!) (I need a new charger and stopped using it ages ago) so I can actually crack on with reading books again (and using a Kindle it won't matter if I've got a child in bed with me or am lying down in their room as it won't really disturb them).
Last year I had a new year's resolution to read at least one book a month and I managed it for 2 or 3 months then stopped. I'm hoping with the focus that I have without booze in my system I'll actually be able to concentrate on reading properly.

Plus we have all had a bad cough since start of Jan and feeling quite drained with it.
That said, even though I'm tired and a bit run down from the cold and nightime waking, my sleep is still much better than it was and I have so much more energy during the day. I'm also finding myself being much more able to keep on top of my to do lists and have made a good start on sorting out various things in the house that have been on my to do list for ages.

.

Lovely to hear all your updates

I am sleeping better but skin has breakouts that I never normally get.
overall I seem to have more energy 😀

went for a run today, first in a while 😀

Monday morning check in.
Good weekend. Had a coule of wobbles, but didn't fall off.
Gone back to having trouble sleeping this weekend. Odd as I'd slept brilliantly all week.

Hope everyone had a good weekend, well done to all tho7se who'll be checking in today.

Morning, 2 weeks of no booze for me. I honestly feel like a different person, not being drunk or hungover but just calm is amazing 🙂

Monday morning check-in
Day15

Good morning! Great to see how well everyone is doing 😁
I'm feeling great! Sleeping well and skin looks good.
I no longer have those Monday mornings nerves and anxiety feelings!
I feel more confident in my decision making and the brain fog is gone!
The weekend also feel so much longer having 2 whole days where I feel good and not wasting one day to a hangover!
I used to think the hangover effected me for one day but actually it must have been more like 3 or 4 days!
Like I say I feel so much less anxious through the week and thoughts are generally clearer!
I feel so much more present and calm.

Bring on week 3!

Morning all, I’ve been here since the start but have been reading and not posting, working out how I feel and what I think! Like lots of you this is day 15 for me.
I’ve been heavily drinking since the age of 17, so over 25 years. I have certain friends that I drink too much with, maybe once a month, but my main problem is that I’m a daily drinker- not a lot, but consistently. A g&t while cooking dinner, glass of wine or two with dinner… every night.
So, I’ve done a month off here or there, but this time something has changed and I’ve decided to give up for good. Reasons being: I don’t want to resent taxi-ing dcs in the evening due to being unable to drink.
I don’t want to panic every time I have a health issue of some sort that it’s alcohol related, that my body is finally giving up after 25+ years of abuse.
I want to see what I look like without alcohol! My skin, my eyes, my weight.
I want to have more energy.
I want to sleep better.

How am I doing? Actually, it’s way easier this time. I think because I’ve made a decision to actually stop, and so as a few of you have pointed out, it’s removed the inner bargaining. I’ve read The Naked Mind and it has actually helped me as I’m viewing stopping as a liberation not a deprivation. It has also made me realise that my drinking isn’t only a weakness in me and my self control, but because alcohol is an addictive poison and we are all victims of advertising/ marketing and the subconscious imitation of parents/adults we’ve seen through our formative years.
I’ve always relied on alcohol-free substitutes, but this time, I don’t want them as they indicate I’m just treading water until I can get back on the real stuff. I’m enjoying spicy tomato juice and fentiman’s ginger beer instead.
I think my head is currently in a good place but I’m aware I will wobble. I know that as we feel better and time ticks on, we forget the bad side of drinking and are more likely to tell ourselves “we deserve” a drink as we’ve done so well, and this time it’ll be different. Unfortunately our physiological makeup means this isn’t the case and I am constantly reminding myself of this so that when I get tempted, I have tools to deal with it.
Anyway, well done everyone in your individual journeys.