9. Alcohol - It’s all about what you gain not what you give up

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Hello, darling heart, and welcome to the drink less, live better podcast. This is the podcast that helps you to see that drinking

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less doesn't need to be stressful, lonely, or boring. I'm your host, Sarah Williamson, and I decided to have a year alcohol

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free as a little life experiment, and I haven't looked back. With my experience and training, I now help other women with

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their alcohol free or drink less adventures. I'm here to tell you that you can relax, connect, and have fun without alcohol

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in your life. Join me here each week to find out how. If you listened to episode 8, you'd have heard me talk about my belief

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that we should act as human beings and not human doings. And today, I'd like to tell you a story about realizing that alcohol

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free was about everything I'd gain and not the one thing I'd stop. Once you are decided on your drink less or alcohol free

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life experiment, how did you frame it? In episode 3, I talked about being mindful of the language I used, and one of my thoughts

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was that I would try not to use the phrase giving up alcohol or giving up drinking. I wanted to put the most positive spin

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on this adventure as I could. I wanted to think of what I was doing as a joyful, positive, and life enhancing, and as soon

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as I think about giving up, I think of deprivation and denial. I didn't want to allow my brain to head off in the direction

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of it's not fair. Seriously, my inner toddler still knows how to throw an overblown tantrum when told it cannot have something

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ever again. So what did I gain? The thing that happened for me very quickly was much improved sleep. The effects of a few

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drinks can take a couple of days to work out of your system, and so cutting it out completely led to a much better pattern

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of sleep. I no longer stirred in the night and didn't need to get up and go to the bathroom or have a drink of water, and

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I started waking earlier and feeling brilliant first thing in the morning. What a joy. Ah, yes. Mood. I had no idea I was

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riding mood waves. If I had a hangover or even low level brain fog in the morning, I didn't feel great, and, therefore, the

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people closest to me felt the brunt of it. I didn't speak kindly to myself, and I was a more anxious person because of it.

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I'm so glad to be rid of that creeping hangxiety now. I have more energy. This is a doozy. More sleep, plus feeling better

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about myself has given me so much more energy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My skin has improved drastically.

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I think this was for three reasons. Number 1, I stopped putting a toxin in my body. Number 2, I started to actually use the

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moisturisers in my bathroom cabinet instead of falling into bed too knackered to use them. And 3, I was better hydrated as

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I took the time to make sure I drank plenty of water. What else was there? Ah, time. Oh, the time drinking sucks away. I never

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realized it before. There is the time from 5 PM thinking about drinking. What will I drink? Do I have it in the house? When

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can I open the bottle? How much can I have, and then once the bottle is open, how I hit the relax button, and after the dinner

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was cooked, I did nothing else useful? Some might call it relaxing. I call it dead time. And, of course, there's the wasted

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morning time, hitting snooze, and then eventually getting on with your day in a slightly less than fabulous way. Productivity.

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Would I have had to get up and go to study, train, and certify for a new career if I was still drinking. I suspect not. I

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wanted to change my life in significant ways, and being alcohol free has given me not only the energy and time, but also the

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clarity and mindset to get on and do it in a way that feels great. My nutrition choices have significantly improved since

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I went alcohol free. I used to reach for the crisps and nuts with a g and t or a glass of wine. And if I had any hint of a

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hangover, my breakfast choices used to be, shall we say, less than perfect. It's a different story now. I'm not perfect on

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this front, but I have kicked my snacking habits into the long grass, and I tend to start each day really well. A special

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mention must go to my sense of satisfaction, not in a smug way, but in a quiet, understated, content way. I am so happy about

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how relationships are unfolding around me, not just with my family and friends, but also new people in my life who are turning

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out to be a total joy. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting people in real life who I've met over the Internet,

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and it's an amazing adventure. One last thing I'd like to mention, in many ways, the most obvious one is money. How much cash

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did I waste over the years, not only on booze itself, but also taxis, carb laden hangover cures, coffees, and paracetamol?

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No more, my friends. No more. When I fancy a spa day, I'm going to be booking it guilt free. I must mention Julie of Julie

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Clark Nutrition, who has inspired this recording. She is one of the most sensible and compassionate voices you will hear in

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the field of nutrition and well being. You'll find her at Julie Clark nutrition dotco.uk. Sign up for her newsletter. You

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won't be disappointed. Thank you for listening to this episode. Please listen in again next time. You can sign up to my 5

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day drink less experiment and find out about working with me one to 1 at drink less live better dot com. It would make me

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happier than a Buddhist monk. If you would please subscribe, 5 star review, and comment on my podcast on whatever platform

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you listen. Imagine it like the tasting notes on the finest wine I am never going to drink. Thank you. And PS, I believe in you.