Alcohol: I’m not losing sleep over it!

For the past four or five years, I have been trending towards drinking less and less alcohol. Now I find that I rarely drink any alcohol and when I do I nearly always regret it. Not because of guilt, because I’m NOT trying to NOT drink at all for the sake of not drinking. It’s not even that complicated for me. Let me explain.

First, I think it’s important to note that the science behind alcohol says that there is no data supporting any level of safe alcohol consumption (according to Stanford scientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Daniel Amen and others).

There’s that.

On the other hand, there are those who support moderate drinking because of the social benefits and connection it allegedly creates and that speaks to longevity (i.e. The blue zones documentary). I have found that there will probably always be those who think it has a place in life and those who think it has no place.

I get all of that and I’ve given a lot of thought to how alcohol has fit or could fit into my life. To be honest, the regret that I might have after having a drink comes from the knowledge that alcohol just makes ME feel unwell. I have experienced regret for knowingly consumed something that more than likely will make me feel unwell the next day.

The funny thing is that it never used to. I know that alcohol tolerance for many, if not most women, declines with age, but it’s also interesting that my ability to tolerate alcohol took a serious hit when I did my first dry January back in 2019.

When I took my first dry January challenge, it turned out that I felt so good, with such better sleep and more energy, that I kept it going until early May. The weird thing is that ever since that time I’ve noticed that my relationship with has alcohol changed. I didn’t really set out to stop drinking or enjoying wine, I just thought cutting back was a healthier choice for me because of the science, which was eye opening (see note).

And then I found that the less I drank, the more drinking at all bothered me. Even an occasional glass or two of wine would send my heart racing in bed and my sleep was terrible. I’d wake up with dry mouth, a foggy head and feeling lethargic. So why would I even go there. Enter regret.

Hence, for the past few years I’ve spent more time in abstinence. I’d start each year with a dry January and then have pockets of being alcohol free until late in the year. As the Holidays wouldapproach my consumption would increase, I’d feel increasingly crummy and then I’d start the following New Year out the same way.

I started looking so forward to January!! Although what I see in hind sight is that even then my consumption was trending downward. And I also see now that 2023 was significantly different; a turning point. The pockets of being alcohol free grew even longer because I really, really did not like feeling tired or not sleeping well or having my heart feel like it was about to beat through my chest as I tried to sleep. Plus my workouts got stronger and my skin got healthier too. It seemed pretty obvious that my body was trying to tell me something!

So here I am today. Wow, I feel like I just shared some kind of secret. Why? Why should I feel a little embarrassed for sharing this story? I think it’s because there is still the idea around drinking that if you don’t drink you must have an alcohol problem. I don’t. For me it comes down to feeling well and making the healthy choices to support feeling really good. And, I know there are lots and lots of people walking my same path. I love that!

And let me be clear. I’m not trying to demonize alcohol. Sometimes I feel a little left out of the “fun” when others are drinking, but then I realize it’s just not fun for me. It used to be. I have very fun memories that involve drinks.

But at this stage of the game, I enjoy feeling good. Health has always been very important to me. My health, my physical health and cognitive health, are front and center for me. I’ve seen the difference being alcohol free has made in so many areas of my life. More in that another time. . And, you know what they say, right? Once you’ve seen, you can’t “unsee”.

For me alcohol is kind of like any other area of health and wellness. In terms of physical health, I don’t see alcohol much differently than other harmful food additives or mountains of refined sugar. Neither of those things are any better for me in my opinion. When I add to that all the research and science that confirms the downside of alcohol, even in moderation, it becomes pretty clear; I’m headed in the right direction.

And it’s all okay. I’m happy with how this all began and how it’s evolving. I’m grateful that it just feels right for me. I’m not sure that I’m ready to say that I’ll never, ever have another alcoholic beverage for the rest of my life.  I don’t feel the need to make such a declaration because I just don’t see how it could ever fit well into my life anymore.

What I know is that right now, I am not drinking and that feels right for me.

Every day I try to make the best decision I can to trend towards better health in all areas of my life.

The decision to not drink impacts my relationships, my mental, physical and spiritual health. For me, not drinking alcohol makes all of those areas better.

It’s been a natural evolution. Life is a journey, not a destination. I’m in a good place and I feel good feeling good!

And…. I’m not losing any sleep over alcohol!!

Can you relate to my story?

I’d love to know!

With lots of love,

Mary

(Also, In the picture above, I’m sharing a bottle of Giesen Sauvignon Blanc-my favorite alcohol free wine. It’s available at total wines and it’s really good!)

Note: to learn more about the science behind alcohol consumption, I highly recommend searching YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts for Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Podcast talk on alcohol, called “Alcohol & Your Health” (What Alcohol does to Your Body, Brain & Health) Huberman Lab Podcast Episode #86