Six Months Without Drinking, And What I’m Doing Now

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was taking a six month break from alcohol as an experiment. Alcohol isn’t talked about much in personal finance circles, and I haven’t ever heard a sermon in church about it either. It’s kind of an awkward subject for many people, myself included. But this experiment has taught me a lot, and I think many of the lessons are applicable for many Christians, especially those who hope to gain financial independence. 

Being a responsible parent to two teenagers doesn’t lend itself to a partying lifestyle, but I was still a regular drinker prior to starting this experiment. Alcohol is a big part of the culture in my workplace, and there are always beers in the fridge in the break room (and probably some harder stuff in the freezer). My bike commuting naturally limited my consumption, but I typically had a beer with dinner when I got home, and often another one while reading with my husband before bed. 

I’ve always been a little wary of alcohol because of some alcoholism in my family history, but I figured I was keeping things under control pretty well. I even took a month off every year, just to make sure it wasn’t a problem. 

My choice to take an extended six month break was motivated by my health, mostly my mental health. A few tough months at work, coupled with some challenges from becoming foster parents again, were getting me down. I didn’t want drinking to turn into a coping mechanism. In fact, I had a sneaking suspicion it was making me more stressed. 

I’ve read that it’s easier to break a bad habit when you replace it with a different, hopefully better, habit. I decided to replace drinking with running, the most opposite thing I could think of. 

The biggest thing I noticed right away was how constantly bombarded we are by messages about alcohol, something I hadn’t registered before. Not only are many social occasions dominated by alcohol, but there’s a constant buzz about drinking in the background almost everywhere we go. The music playing at the grocery store, the commercials for any sporting event on television, even the kitschy towels at the stores downtown that say things like “Wine Not?” and “Wine O’Clock.”

I didn’t experience any physical withdrawal symptoms, probably because I wasn’t a heavy drinker to begin with. But the constant reminders about alcohol made it more difficult than I expected. But the benefits were immediately obvious. 

I felt better. I started sleeping better and having more energy during the day. It took more to get me anxious or frustrated. And my running skills were improving rapidly. I even ran a half marathon with just over a month of real training (and by real training, I mean a plan I made up myself and taped to the fridge). 

As the months ticked by, I realized I had no interest in returning to alcohol after my “break.” I’d already done the hard work of breaking a potentially destructive habit– why ease back into it? I discovered that the biggest obstacle, my enjoyment of beer, was easily solved by the huge selection of non-alcoholic beers on the market right now due to the burgeoning “sober curious” movement. 

While alcohol isn’t inherently bad, I’ve realized it’s bad for me personally. I want to model the best possible behavior for my kids, and that includes avoiding addictive substances instead of moderating. 

One of my new favorites!