Ten Months Sober: A Life Update
Damn...did I read that correctly? I'm 10 MONTHS sober?! Holy cow...
The last time I did an update on this blog about my sobriety was at 30 days...so you could say I'm a bit overdue.
For the first few weeks (and even months) of my sobriety, the days seemed to drag on f o r e v e r. In the beginning, just making it through 24 hours was an accomplishment in itself. Thankfully, now that I've gotten the hang of this a bit more, each day is less taxing and I've really started to see how sobriety is changing my life for the better.
Of course, some days are definitely easier than others. I still have my fair share of moments where I crave a drink or when I experience major FOMO, especially during these past few weeks.
I wanted to use this post to check in with myself and reflect on the changes I have noticed in my physical, mental, social, and spiritual self over these past 10 months. Now that I am not wasting my days drinking (or recovering from drinking), I have freed up a lot of time and energy to work on the different aspects of my life that I have neglected for so long.
Physical
My skin has never looked better. I remember writing about this in my 30 day update. I was frustrated because I had read that beautiful, glowing skin was supposed to be a positive "side effect" of sobriety and yet all I saw was a new development of more acne than I had ever seen on my face in my life. Looking back, I think those new pimples were just a side effect of my body detoxing from all the poison I was putting into it. I can now happily say that my skin is glowing and blemish-free! (I'm sure this also has to do with the fact that I don't pass out drunk with my makeup on anymore.)
My face has been magically "de-puffed". I didn't notice this until after I started to look back at old pictures of me when I was drinking, but wow, what a difference. Alcohol dehydrates the body so it's common for your face to look bloated and red after a night of drinking because your body is trying to hold on to as much water as it possibly can.
I have more energy. I wake up each morning with a little extra "pep in my step" now that I am never hungover.
I have more time for physical self care. I take longer showers. I wash my face regularly. I dry brush my body. I put on lotion. I basically just take better care of my physical self in every way possible.
Mental
I am more optimistic about the future. When I was drinking, I focused on the immediate future. My head was constantly filled with thoughts about where my next drink was coming from or when the next time I was going to drink would be. Now that I am sober, I have more time to think about my long term goals and what I want out of life. It's easier for me to recognize when something is not going to benefit me in the long run and I can quickly remove it from my life.
I love to learn. Not drinking = more free time = more time to read and learn!
I am more motivated. It's a lot easier for me to be motivated to get out of bed these days when I am not debilitated by a hangover. Also, my newfound passion for inspiring others through their own sobriety journeys is a big motivator for me as well.
I've gained confidence. I often drank for one of two reasons. One: I used alcohol to cope with my social anxiety or two: I used alcohol to feel more confident. Usually it was both. We think alcohol gives us the confidence and courage to do things we wouldn't normally do, when in reality it strips us of having any sort of confidence in ourselves and our abilities. If we are constantly needing a beverage to feel better about what we're doing, how will we ever learn to do things without the crutch of alcohol?
I'm working on self love for the first time in my life. Like I said in the beginning of this post, removing alcohol from my life has freed up time for me to focus on things that I've neglected for so long. One of those things is loving myself.
Social
I have much better relationships with my family and friends. The most important people in my life can trust me again! Gone are the days of promising my friends I'd change only to turn around and black out again that same night.
People are coming to me for advice. I love when people reach out to me about their own sobriety journeys and ask for advice. After all, that's the main reason I'm doing all of this. But sometimes I struggle with the fact that I don't have all the answers. I'm learning to accept this and be okay with the fact that giving my best is good enough.
I'm building out my sober community!! Biggest perk of sobriety, hands down. I didn't know I needed sober friends until I got sober friends. Having people who understand you and have been through the same thing as you is so important to your healing process.
I'm working on being confident and less awkward in group settings where everyone is drinking. I want to fully enjoy the last of my college experience. I know this will entail going out and being put in potentially uncomfortable and awkward situations where I'm the only one not drinking. This will be a challenge for me but hey, you don't grow when you're comfortable.
Spiritual
I'm accepting the belief that everything happens for a reason. Yes, going through alcohol addiction was awful. There were times where I truly didn't know if I'd make it out on the other side. I realize now that I had to go through that experience to come out of it better than before and inspire others with my story.
I'm working on giving in to the universe, not trying to control everything, and trusting that the universe has my back. What's meant to be will be.
I've developed a belief in affirmations and the law of attraction. By raising my frequency and trusting that everything will work out when and how it's supposed to, I've been able to relax and enjoy life a bit more.
And that's about all I can think of! I am so grateful for my sobriety and all it has allowed me to do in my life, including starting this blog and connecting with all of you! Thank you for supporting me throughout this journey. I truly could not have done it without you!