:: You Say You Want A Resolution…

Did you have any resolutions for 2013? You may or may not know that my own resolution was to spend the whole year alcohol-free. I wanted to set a good example for my kids, by showing them that booze was a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. And I thought it would be good to show YOU… the people who read this blog, that it’s not such a difficult thing to do, either. (In case you felt a bit conflicted about drinking/kids/etc!)

Maybe you are feeling a bit like me back at the cusp of 2013?  I wanted to be healthier and optimise my innards (!) I also wanted to change the ‘default’ at my house from a relaxing glass of wine to something altogether different. I had mixed feelings about the toll booze takes on some families, about the role it plays in all kinds of accidents and injuries. I feel uncomfortable with the way we glorify alcohol consumption in Australia (especially excessive alcohol consumption…. shots anyone?!) And I felt weird about the pack mentality that accompanies drinking. I think that all-drinking-together thing is not cool. I think we can find other ways to connect without disconnecting…

So, basically I wanted to step back from all that icky stuff.  Shudder. I spent the year doing just that and reaped all kinds of benefits. I had more energy. I felt MUCH clearer mentally. I felt less anxious, less depressed, less sluggish. I felt better about myself AND I got to step back and really examine how I felt about drinking.

Before you write me off as a boozy wench, know that I didn’t drink very much and I hate feeling under the influence of alcohol. Suffice to say that my relationship with booze swung between suspicion and disappointment/guilt. Go figure.  All these things played a part in my Booze-Free 2013.

Another part of my plan was to do the whole year and then tell you about it. So you could think about whether some version of this would work for you, or is something you wanted to consider.  I can NOW tell you, just a few days away from the full year sans drinking that it’s…

a) not that difficult
b) packed with health benefits
c) good sleep gifting
d) excellent for your mood
e) ace for self-esteem
f) energy boosting
g) excellent behaviour modelling 

I did miss the whole celebratory fancy drink side of things. But I’ve replaced that with other things, like making my own Tonic Water Syrup, for instance!  Mocktails for the win! Who knew G&Ts sans G could be SO delicious?! Virgin Marys? Super good! Faux Sangria? Yum!

I’m going to push my booze-free-ness into 2014 too. What’s another year between drinks? It’s definitely working for me.

I totally get that this is a very personal choice. Some of my fave people love a tipple. Go them! It’s just good to know there are other ways of being, right?

Do you think you’d ever do this? Or is wine-time WAY too precious?!

x Pip