On being sober curious.
It’s been 87 days since I had a sip of alcohol. At the start of this year, I committed to 100 days of sobriety with a few other friends. I noticed that my consumption in 2020 extended far beyond what was my “normal” and I was craving a reset. Below are some observations from my experience of being sober curious.
At the beginning of all this, 100 days felt like quite a large number. Now that I’m so far along on this journey, I haven’t quite decided how alcohol will fit in my life moving forward. The good news is that doesn’t have to be decided in this moment, but beyond the 100 days, I have no attachments either way. I consider myself very fortunate that this has not been challenging. Of course there were moments when a glass of wine sounded really lovely, but it was relatively easy to shift the focus to something else and carry on.
Some of the unexpected …
We store so much in our bodies, so it was very fascinating for me to observe how things shifted and adjusted along the way. As my system started to clear out, I noticed waves of emotions that I wasn’t quite ready for. Just like with everything, it passed, but still so interesting to notice. I also started to crave sweets and sugars more as I wasn’t getting it from alcohol. It’s been a variety of cookies, and cupcakes, but even that is subsiding.
Some of the expected …
I’m sleeping better. There is nothing better than a solid night of sleep to make the day ahead feel a little lighter and brighter. My mind and thoughts are clearer. This is particularly useful as I’m currently involved in an advanced yoga psychology teacher training program along with hosting a lot of specialized yoga events. My body is carrying weight differently resulting in moving better. Plus the energy. I have so much more for the day to day and everything that comes my way.
While everything feels a little realer being sober, it also feels so much more alive. Of course there are challenges, but the sobriety also makes the joy so much more potent. My relationship to alcohol has shifted, especially knowing that I am completely fine either way. I’m looking forward to seeing how this will show up in the rest of my life moving forward. All I know is that I’m currently more inspired and present for the entirety of the human experience.
In love, light + with gratitude,
Nicole