So, you have decided to give alcohol a break for a little while. Maybe a month, maybe 100 days, or even a whole year. Congratulations! Get ready for a new you.
You might be wondering what to expect over the next 14 days.
First of all, you may wonder what to do in the evenings. My recommendation is load up your Kindle with lots of 'quit-lit' - there are some great titles I will recommend soon, but Annie Grace is a great place to start. Have a TV boxset at the ready, or a couple of games you have wanted to play for ages. Or download an app such as Readly, which offers hundreds of magazines and newspapers to read, all inside one low priced app. Or - great for healing - buy cleaning materials and spring clean the whole house. Whatever floats your boat. It will get you through the first couple of days.
Next, there is no need to white-knuckle it. Think of the reasons you wanted to take a break, and change the rhetoric in your head. This can be very slight. For example, instead of saying: "Ugh, no booze tonight, how dull.", think "I'm doing my body and my health a great service, and I get to not drink today!", or "No hangover tomorrow - woohoo!" The voice in your head is controllable, and it only takes a slight change in your thinking to make this a lot of fun.
Love all the time you are going to get back to yourself. Sure, you may struggle to sleep a little on nights one and two - many have no issues at all. But you will wake up feeling vibrant and hangover free, and ready to face the day in no time. Use that extra time in the mornings for a little peaceful "you" time. Go for a walk, pop to the gym, or serve yourself and extra luxurious breakfast. Pour a lot of self-love into yourself - you deserve it! You are on the right path. And you are doing great.
Notice your reflection in the mirror in the mornings and in the evenings as you brush your teeth, which, by the way, will appear whiter and whiter without the alcohol. Your gums will start to look healthier, and your tongue will look cleaner as well. Happy days!
Your eyes will look brighter, instead of bloodshot and vacant, and your skin will brighten. If you used to get spots these will disappear, along with the annoying dry patches on your skin. Your eyelashes will start to grow. The roots of your hair will seem less greasy, and you will notice you can go an extra day or two without washing your hair. Your hair will appear thicker, and if you have long hair, it will feel softer and fuller. All of these benefits will start pretty quickly, and you will notice improvements within the first 14 days.
Your food will start to taste better, and even if you enjoyed a cup of tea of coffee before, you'll REALLY appreciate a cup now. Even something as simple as a salad will taste more vibrant on your tongue. You will naturally start to eat better, choosing healthier options instead of hangover-busting greasy fry-ups or late night kebabs, and because of that, your stomach will start to shrink and you will feel less heavy all the time. When you lay on your back in bed you might even be able to feel your hip bones where perhaps you were unable to previously. Your stomach will feel slightly flatter as you lose the fatty tissue around your organs. You might see a difference on the scales when you are not even trying.
Your sense of smell will improve, and I highly recommend a walk in a rose garden or a herb garden if you have one nearby. In fact, do lots of sensory activities. Walk in forests, crunch through leaves, or walk on a beach with rolling waves. Or take a stroll near a river or stream. Feel how it feels to be truly present and alive! Trust me on this one. Do it once and you will be hooked. It is amazing what you notice with a clear head. And when you jump in the car to drive home, know it is without alcohol in your body and relax in the knowledge there is no chance you're over the limit from drinks the night before. The lack of guilt feels so luxurious.
Remember most of all, this experience is amazing, YOU are amazing, and you are alive.
Whether this is for a month, or a hundred days, or a full year, enjoy every single minute of it. You get to not drink today! And that alone is worth celebrating.
Amanda x
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