30 Things I Have Noticed in 30 Days of Sobriety

Salutations, friends! A few days ago, I hit my one month of sobriety milestone! In honor of this accomplishment, I'd thought I would share 30 things I have noticed and learned in these 30 days of sobriety, both the good and the bad.

1. Non-alcoholic wine is literally just grape juice. On Valentine's Day I spent $13 on a bottle of non-alcoholic wine, just to take two sips and pour the rest down the drain. It was missing that "kick" from the alcohol, and was too sweet for my liking. Long story short, don't bother wasting your money...unless you like expensive grape juice.

2. I've stopped bailing on plans with friends. I cannot even count the amount of times that I would say yes to a morning hike or breakfast plans, only to bail last minute because I was too hungover. It feels good agreeing to plans, knowing that I'll be able to follow through!

3. My bank account is not crying for once. I've definitely saved some money by not purchasing handles or happy hours drinks...however, I must admit that I wasn't blowing my paychecks on alcohol alone. Most of my money would be spent on stupid shit that I would purchase while intoxicated. For example, the $700 Justin Bieber concert tickets that I bought, too drunk to realize they were FAKE, or the 5 course DoorDash meals I would insist on ordering after a night out.

4. My overall mood has improved. This may seem obvious, but I feel so much better day to day when I am not dealing with feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment. I have been waking up happy and excited for the day!

5. I'm craving sugar like a pregnant woman. I've always had a sweet tooth, but lately it has been through the roof. I read somewhere that your sugar cravings spike when you cut alcohol out of your diet...there is some science behind it that I'm too lazy to look up. Which brings me to my next point...

6. I've started baking more. Now that I have more time on my hands (and sugar cravings), I've been baking things that I have always wanted to try but have never had the time for. Homemade granola, brownies, lemon drop cookies, you name it.

7. I have more energy. I haven't really been feeling sluggish at all lately, probably because...

8. I've been sleeping like a damn baby. I may just be believing everything that I'm reading, but I know there is a reason why alcohol negatively affects a person's REM sleep and sleep cycle.

9. I've been eating better. Contrary to what I said about baking more, it’s been a lot easier to make healthier decisions about what to eat when I'm not waking up hungover and the sight of a vegetable is repulsive...or when there isn't a drunk voice in my head encouraging me to eat everything in sight.

10. I feel fit! Working out has always been one of my favorite hobbies, but I always knew that the unhealthy way that I was drinking was keeping me from reaching my fitness goals. My newfound energy has kept me motivated to keep improving my physical health and stay consistent with working out!

11. I remember things! It's been nice not losing hours of my life to alcohol, wondering where the time went and what the hell happened.

12. My skin has not done shit. I was so excited to have clear, radiant skin after reading an article about how cutting out alcohol can have amazing benefits for your complexion. But even after an entire month without alcohol...my skin has not improved; it's actually gotten worse. The last time I broke out this bad was in high school. I'm hoping that my face will decide to pull it together and appreciate all the good I'm doing for it. I'll keep you posted on this one.

13. I am more creative. I've always wanted to start a blog to channel my creativity, and I am happy that I've finally found something that I can write about with passion.

14. I have better relationships with my friends. The best part about sobriety for me so far is that I actually remember everything that I say and do. I no longer wake up after drinking with overwhelming anxiety, wondering if I have to do damage control with my friends or my roommates. It's been a huge relief!

15. I don't lose my belongings anymore. I'll never forget Summer 2016: the summer I went through five iPhones and lost my house keys, car keys, and wallet-all within the span of a few days. I think this is the first month in a looong time that I haven't had to replace a debit card or house key. Whoo hoo!

16. I still get little spurts of anxiety here and there. Luckily, this isn't "hangxiety" (the anxiety you get after drinking, during a hangover), so I'm okay with it. I've read that quitting drinking can heighten your anxiety, at least for the first few weeks. This, combined with the uncertainty of the world's future due to COVID-19, has made me feel anxious randomly throughout the day.

17. I'm learning to be confident in myself. I often used alcohol as a social lubricant, especially to feel more confident in social situations. I was under the impression that I couldn't be "fun" without it. Recently, I’ve had to learn how to be confident in myself and my abilities without "liquid courage".

18. I've become more positive and optimistic about the future of my sobriety. When I first began this sobriety journey, I tended to focus on all of the things I would be missing out on now that I don't drink, rather than the positive opportunities that will become of my sobriety. Switching my outlook has made me happier and more optimistic.

19. I'm more motivated in all aspects of my life including my job, online classes, working out, and creating blog posts.

20. I love to read. In the past, I would rarely read anything that wasn't required for school. I've recently discovered that I really enjoy reading for fun! As iCarly's Sam Puckett once said, "It's like TV in your head".

21. I am more open with my parents. My parents have seen me at my worst more times that I would like to admit. I am so glad that I was finally able to open up to them about my struggles, and I know that being open and honest with everyone else in my life will only lead to better relationships.

22. I have been treating myself more. Dessert, Amazon purchases, online shopping, face masks, etc. Maybe I'm trying to fill a void lol...

22. I take my makeup off every night. No more falling asleep and waking up with crusty, day-old make up. SO WHY ISN'T MY SKIN IMPROVING?! I'm salty.

23. I've had more time to focus on my health. After discovering all the benefits that cutting back on alcohol can have on your health, I became sort of obsessed with researching other ways to boost my overall well-being. I've swapped my shots of vodka with shots of apple cider vinegar (which are arguably worse).

24. I appreciate the little things. When I was drinking, I found it hard to get excited about events or plans that didn't involve alcohol. I've noticed that I am becoming more appreciative of everyday life and the little joys it can bring.

25. I’ve discovered my love of kombucha.

26. I'm finding out new, sober ways to have fun. I literally had so much fun playing Wiffle-ball with my friends this past weekend, and no alcohol was involved!

27. I love therapy :) It took me a while to get comfortable with it, but once I did, I started to reap the benefits. There is something about spilling your guts to a complete stranger, saying things that you have never said out loud, that is very liberating.

28. I have...emotions? In the past, when I would feel happy, I drank. Overwhelmed? I drank. Sad? I drank. Angry? I drank. Sobriety has forced me to deal with my emotions head on and has allowed me to actually FEEL the emotions I'm dealing with rather than repress them with booze.

29. I am not alone. After finally gaining the courage to share my story and blog, I have confirmed what I always knew was true, but never got to see first-hand. I am not alone in this journey. There are others my age who are struggling. I feel blessed to have such an amazing support system surrounding me at this time in my life, and I am thankful that this platform is already on its way to helping others.

30. I am happier. In the past, I allowed myself to believe that sobriety=misery. Despite how miserable my unhealthy relationship with alcohol was making me, I refused to believe that I would be better off without it. Thankfully, after a lot of trial and error, I have finally realized that I am much happier without alcohol in my life.