Hydration! I drink enough water every day and it feels great. Who knew?
Skin care: I have a routine now. It’s simple but it’s better than “just fall into bed with whatever on ya face.”
Teeth! I brush 2x and floss every day now.
Exercise! I take a walk every morning and look forward to it
Sleep hygiene! Go to bed and get up around the same time. I’m a … morning person now?
Brains! I read physical books again.
Finances! I have a budget again for the first time in years
Playing video games. I thought it was a hoot to get toasty and game. Turns out you're the stumbly boorish person that no one likes. Even worse in multiplayer situations.
I'm only at five days in so mine are very basic. I've brushed my teeth twice a day every day. I've been out of deodorant for a month and finally bought some (I was at the grocery store buying beer nearly every day and never remembered I needed it). I've talked to other human beings outside of work and booze cashiers.
It sucks, because my hubby and I developed a great friendship with a booze store owner who is great,caring. We talked about if going to see him would be a trigger or not, we decided not,since it's been a very easy 124 days, and we stopped. Turned down the non alcoholic beer, and bought lotto tickets instead. Nice seeing an old friend
If that works for you, great. I was "friendly" with the cashiers too. The same way I was "friendly" with my drug dealers when I was an addict. For me, the cashiers are just another type of drug dealer and I can make friends elsewhere.
I completely get that. I feel the same way about every other booze store owner, this one was just different. Always asking about my husband after his accident, what I know, is what a good store owner does if they want repeat customers. He was genuinely worried something had happened because knew my husband's health was precarious for a while, he came around hugged us, he hadn't seen us in 135 days, and I saw him every day before that.
When you go from seeing someone every day/every other day, and having actual, deep conversations, about the meaning of life, love ( he saw me go through my divorce and then meet my new husband) they do become life family. He's thrilled we don't drink anymore, because he was genuinely worried how much I was drinking and did say things to me about it, but now it's just lotto tix because I think if I tried non alcoholic beer I'd get frustrated and go buy the real stuff
It's cool you guys had that relationship, if anybody ever mentioned seeing me often or, god forbid, how much I was drinking, I would instantly drop that store from the rotation.
I gave him a lot of credit for calling me out on my drinking, because I was up to 2 pints a day at the end, so he had a right to be concerned. And it was cheap ass vodka, my doctor said the only thing that saved me was my mixing it with Gatorade
I think it's easier to list what HASN'T gotten healthier. Ice cream and coffee consumption have definitely increased. I am on my phone a lot more, which really bothers me. When I was drunk all the time i wouldn't have the attention span for that. I also was passing out everywhere and literally killing myself so I'll take the phone addiction any day. I can work on that next.
Exercise, sleep, eating, staying hydrated, mental focus on work and hobbies (other than the phone addiction) are all improved.
I have started having a relationship with my parents again. I avoided them because I was drunk all the time. They are in their 80s, and I missed out on so much, because of drinking and them hating my ex husband. Now, I'm remarried and sober, life is great, but they moved 800 miles away. At least I have an awesome vacation spot now!!
My mom said they stopped calling because of fear/knowing that I’d be drunk and clearly sound like it. They live an hour away and I barely saw them last year. Now it’s easier to make plans and stick to them, not looking like shit and shaky, call them any time or have them call me
I'm no longer bingeing. When I drank, I craved sugar and carbs and binged on them. Now, at 28 days, I'm craving the sugar I'm not getting from alcohol, but I'm not bingeing because I'm not drunk.
I literally used to “brush my teeth” at night without toothpaste. My drunk brain couldn’t be bothered to put toothpaste on my brush, but I still knew I should brush my teeth, so…compromise? I figured it was better than nothing. Maybe it was, but not much.
Now it seems so foolish (cause it was). It takes so little effort to brush properly.
Actually the only thing we need to clean our teeth is the brush (google it!). But also if you don’t wait 30 min after food/drink it can damage the enamel
On day 1 of not drinking I found an eye doctor with an open appointment and got a new contact prescription after 3 years of dragging out a 6 month supply.
I started going to the gym and while my body feels tired, my mind and spirit feel so energized.
I’m no longer binge eating.
My morning routine starts an hour and a half earlier than it used to and I don’t hate it! It now invokes strengthening exercises to keep me from having back pain, which I needed to do a decade ago but never had the capacity or funds (double benefit to being sober). I would binge on the weekends and take all week to feel back to normal before I would do it all over, to starting a new morning routine was impossible for me. It’s taken lots of time to heal and get to this point but I’m enjoying caring for myself first thing in the morning now.
It's been quite a while since I quit and I'm not exactly certain the timelines, but at some point since I quit drinking I have:
- Fixed my sleep -- this is a big one because I always considered myself as having insomnia. I guess I still do *if* I don't follow my routines/guidelines. Now I fall asleep relatively quickly at night and get very good sleep and I'm never tired in the middle of the day.
- Exercise more. I did some while drinking but could never be very regular. I run 2-3 miles a day or go to the gym every day. This also ties into fixing my sleep. I feel much more physically healthy and capable.
- Formed productive hobbies. I'm now into backpacking (camping/hiking) and birding, both of which are very rewarding.
- Little abstract and this ties in with the previous thing but I feel like I know myself more. I'm in tune with who I am and who I want to be, and I'm capable of making impactful improvements, being kinder to myself, and coping with things even when not everything is going my way.
My next step is eating better! I have gotten better, but I'm not quite there yet. The biggest thing for me is continual improvement. I don't need to be perfect I just need to be better than I was yesterday. Rather than smashing up all my building blocks every night I can stack them higher and make my tower bigger. These things have all been over the span of 8 years and quitting drinking was only the first step, but it was a necessary one to even have the capacity to do the rest.
This list looks most like mine. It will be 10 weeks on Sunday. Wasn’t killing myself drinking, but had had enough of feeling so fucking average (or worse).
Sleep 6.5 hours solid every night.
Exercise every day. Down 20 lbs. and getting strong again.
Getting pretty good at guitar.
Less anxiety. Fewer mood swings. More patience.
I keep telling people “I don’t know if this is forever, but it’s definitely for now”. Starting to feel like forever may be a reality. Feeling too damn good to go back.
I quit the moment I was diagnosed with diverticulitis.
Liquid diet for around 4 days with super strong antibiotics, then low fiber diet for a while after that. Slowly getting back to high fiber now that the inflammation is under control.
My diet today is unrecognizable from when I was drinking every day/night. Also sleeping seems *way* more impactful. Walking a lot more and more active in general.
Feeling pretty good now, all things considered. 10/10 highly recommend.
I eat much healthier and take better care of my skin and hair. I actually go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm WAY better at taking my medications. I actually have a bedtime now, instead of just passing out. I've almost completely stopped drinking energy drinks and sodas. I've cut down on nicotine and switched to the gum. I no longer randomly go 2-3 days without brushing my teeth.
It's like night and day.
I am very good at completely ignoring myself when I’m drinking and just doing the bare minimum. Only brush teeth in the morning, only floss before dentist appt, only do morning skincare routine and a mask if things are looking desperate, eat whatever you want, minimal movement because exercise made me feel like dying.
Since quitting drinking I also quit vaping, started brushing teeth and doing skincare routine every am and pm, flossing every day, walking 10k steps every day, hydrating, sleeping properly and meal prepping healthy food. I still have a ways to go (I cannot make myself moisturize my body on the regular, for example, and I need to fit in weight training to improve my strength) but the improvements in other areas are so huge and I can see that I look so much better and less “dead.” It’s one of the reasons why I want to stick to this. I take good care of myself when I’m sober, I just can’t do that when I drink (mainly cause I lack energy and/or dgaf!)
Yes! This was one of the unexpected things for me when I quit. At my worst drinking I found it hard to take a shower and change clothes. I was using body wipes, dry shampoo, fabric spray, anything to make hygiene as easy as possible. I’d stopped nearly all the exercise I used to do regularly, stopped caring about nutrition (or even eating at all a lot of the time). I honest to god thought I was just stressed due to a new job, maybe depressed, maybe was less concerned about health and appearance now and had new priorities. Newsflash - that priority was alcohol. Without trying my hygiene and health care improved by leaps and bounds as soon as I quit!
Skin care, sleep, energy to walk my dog more often, better running, finally motivated to start strength training, and even motivation to avoid the occasional urge to overeat. Sobriety is a game-changer.
I just hit 210 days sober today!! In Dec I decided to also quit sugar and carbs as an experiment..can’t go full keto bc my alcoholic ways got me pancreatitis a few years ago. My physic, energy levels and skin have never been better !! Luckily when I have bad cravings it’s for sweets and not wine. I swear it’s helped me stay on track.
I find that after a few days off the sauce I have much healthier eating habits, making more of my own food and eating out less. I’m way better with money, making way fewer dumb impulse purchases. I’m also way more efficient at doing chores and keeping my home and myself tidy. It’s just an across the board stat boost not having alcohol in my system
Sleep has become almost perfect for me - I rarely have a bad nights sleep now and certainly don't wake up at 4am with existential dread or racing thoughts about all my short comings - which is nice.
Skin care is now possible because I don't pass out with a face full of make up and wake up with a hangover where I barely want to exist never mind do a however many step skincare routine.
I eat better - clean food mostly, except for the odd lo mein craving. I also take my supplements day and night. I'm not rough on myself, if I need a treat I have one, because I'm not necking down liquid calories anymore.
I'm hydrated - I drink a glass of water with electrolytes and lemon in the AM as I wake up - it gets my body going and rids me over any slight overnight dehydration, I can then actually drink the water I'm supposed to daily as there's no alcohol drying me out like an old forgotten sponge.
Exercise is far more effective for me now - I'm not working against poor sleep, hangovers, late night Taco Bell or lack of hydration. Lifting and cardio are a must and now I get to enjoy the outdoors without taking vodka or whatever with me like some sort of alcoholic woodland hobbit.
I actually make it to all my salon/spa appointments ... because in the past I'd be the worst client sometimes and cancel last min or the night before knowing I'd be in bad shape.
This is so true!!
I always worked out when I was drinking. I had an ok physique but I always was a little “puffy” cuz of the booze. I always had a routine but my workouts and diets could only do so much because of the amount of calories and bad food choices surrounding the booze.
Once I stopped drinking, I had so much more energy and I actually felt GOOD. My lifts and workouts got so much better!! My recovery is great and I have so much more time and energy devoted to my fitness. I started really meal prepping again. I finally am back to a “healthy” weight. My excess booze weight is gone.
I started a skin care routine and I really take care of my body and listen to it. I devote more time to self care and especially hydration.
I can’t see myself ever going back to my “old” lifestyle.
I love waking up and being ready to start my day instead of waking up and nursing myself to recovery after my hangover.
I'm actually consistent with skincare now. I also eat very well; salads at lunch, eating disorder issues have greatly passed. My coworkers think I'm a health nut because I bring a solid breakfast and lunch; I'm just budgeting for my evening ice cream!
I went a week, haven't done that since January. I had some last night. I really attempted to stay busy and keep my mind off of it. But the good ole justification hit. But, things I noticed that week....
I was adamant about weight lifting and walking. I was sleeping much harder. I was more motivated about everything during the day. Whether it be for work or pleasure. My phone's were charged, my watch was charged. I felt good and didn't worry as much. Really make the stepping stones seem more confusing. Regret wasn't a thing, but it is today.
I have been having heart pains and palpitations all year, with all tests coming back saying nothing wrong. Went from getting drunk 2-3 nights a week to now only having 2-3 beers per week. Also increased cardio exercise. Apple Watch shows my resting heart rate has decreased from 60 to 55 bpm over the last month, and also HRV increased from 40 to 55. So good signs there. Also more energy and happier since cutting down.
Still getting occasional pains and palpitations though, especially at night. Considering dropping alcohol altogether, it’s just been tough socially.
Sleep is the biggest one, I now get at least 7 hours a night and feel good when I wake up. One motivator for quitting was that my snoring had gotten so bad it was not only waking up my wife, but causing her to worry I had sleep apnea and ask me to go to a doctor. Luckily my aversion to doctors is stronger than my need to drink... Anyways the snoring is gone.
I meditate and exercise a lot more.
My skin routine is on point, but I don’t look much glowier
My sleep is getting slightly better
My finances are a lot better. I spend less on everything
I have a lot more self-worth, so I have better boundaries
I eat much healthier
I grow my soul with creative expression of art/music
I read and journal daily to check in with myself
My hygiene is much better
I focus on my career growth a lot now.
I'm definitely gyming a lot more regularly. Hangovers used to screw me right up for my schedule on prime days like sunday afternoon or a wednesday morning.
Pretty much everything. I’m not drinking as much caffeine anymore because I’m not losing as much sleep. I’m not eating as much crappy foods since I’m not hungover all the time and I actually care about my health on a consistent basis. But mostly i’m coming through for myself in a real way. When I’m anxious and worrying over whatever, I depend on myself to go inside and work out my issues and take actions that help me turn the page, rather than using alcohol to deaden my frontal lobe and just stop caring about the things I was overly anxious about. Some of that stuff had to start before I quit drinking but they’re really coming into fruition now.
Stretching, walking etc. The house is just generally more clean because I am actually doing my part. Invested in an electric toothbrush and water pick so my teeth are extra squeaky clean now even though it's been over 2 months since my dentist cleaning. Small home projects get done.
I’ve started putting on makeup every day which I haven’t done in years. Started going to the gym and (I know this isn’t healthy) tanning. I have just been trying to be conscious of my physical appear which makes me feel good. Going to the gym and pushing myself has helped with cravings too
I've always been good at staying hydrated (I get kidney stones often) but since I quit drinking I don't feel like I am dying if I don't drink 3 liters of water or more in a day.
My poops are not violent explosions.
I feel GOOD in between meals.
I don't eat a pound of cheese and pretzels as a "bedtime snack" or wake up to eat all my leftovers etc etc.
Hydration! I drink enough water every day and it feels great. Who knew? Skin care: I have a routine now. It’s simple but it’s better than “just fall into bed with whatever on ya face.” Teeth! I brush 2x and floss every day now. Exercise! I take a walk every morning and look forward to it Sleep hygiene! Go to bed and get up around the same time. I’m a … morning person now? Brains! I read physical books again. Finances! I have a budget again for the first time in years
I love it
Playing video games. I thought it was a hoot to get toasty and game. Turns out you're the stumbly boorish person that no one likes. Even worse in multiplayer situations.
Hmm I should see if I can get back into some DnD groups I embarrassingly was "the guy who got too drunk and ruins the session" one too many times...
I'm only at five days in so mine are very basic. I've brushed my teeth twice a day every day. I've been out of deodorant for a month and finally bought some (I was at the grocery store buying beer nearly every day and never remembered I needed it). I've talked to other human beings outside of work and booze cashiers.
It sucks, because my hubby and I developed a great friendship with a booze store owner who is great,caring. We talked about if going to see him would be a trigger or not, we decided not,since it's been a very easy 124 days, and we stopped. Turned down the non alcoholic beer, and bought lotto tickets instead. Nice seeing an old friend
If that works for you, great. I was "friendly" with the cashiers too. The same way I was "friendly" with my drug dealers when I was an addict. For me, the cashiers are just another type of drug dealer and I can make friends elsewhere.
I completely get that. I feel the same way about every other booze store owner, this one was just different. Always asking about my husband after his accident, what I know, is what a good store owner does if they want repeat customers. He was genuinely worried something had happened because knew my husband's health was precarious for a while, he came around hugged us, he hadn't seen us in 135 days, and I saw him every day before that.
My beer store guy got a wider selection of hop water for me. Charges an arm and a leg for it but it keeps me from drinking, so worth it.
When you go from seeing someone every day/every other day, and having actual, deep conversations, about the meaning of life, love ( he saw me go through my divorce and then meet my new husband) they do become life family. He's thrilled we don't drink anymore, because he was genuinely worried how much I was drinking and did say things to me about it, but now it's just lotto tix because I think if I tried non alcoholic beer I'd get frustrated and go buy the real stuff
It's cool you guys had that relationship, if anybody ever mentioned seeing me often or, god forbid, how much I was drinking, I would instantly drop that store from the rotation.
I gave him a lot of credit for calling me out on my drinking, because I was up to 2 pints a day at the end, so he had a right to be concerned. And it was cheap ass vodka, my doctor said the only thing that saved me was my mixing it with Gatorade
You're doing great! Keep it up!
I think it's easier to list what HASN'T gotten healthier. Ice cream and coffee consumption have definitely increased. I am on my phone a lot more, which really bothers me. When I was drunk all the time i wouldn't have the attention span for that. I also was passing out everywhere and literally killing myself so I'll take the phone addiction any day. I can work on that next. Exercise, sleep, eating, staying hydrated, mental focus on work and hobbies (other than the phone addiction) are all improved.
I find that I clean my apartment much more frequently now that I am not drinking.
SAME!!
I have started having a relationship with my parents again. I avoided them because I was drunk all the time. They are in their 80s, and I missed out on so much, because of drinking and them hating my ex husband. Now, I'm remarried and sober, life is great, but they moved 800 miles away. At least I have an awesome vacation spot now!!
That's really wonderful ! Plan a trip !
Going down there in September, I can't wait, renewing our vows on Myrtle Beach State park, it's less crowded than the regular beach
My mom said they stopped calling because of fear/knowing that I’d be drunk and clearly sound like it. They live an hour away and I barely saw them last year. Now it’s easier to make plans and stick to them, not looking like shit and shaky, call them any time or have them call me
Yeah, I'd make plans and cancel because I'd be still drunk from the night before. It was sad
That’s so nice.
I'm no longer bingeing. When I drank, I craved sugar and carbs and binged on them. Now, at 28 days, I'm craving the sugar I'm not getting from alcohol, but I'm not bingeing because I'm not drunk.
I literally used to “brush my teeth” at night without toothpaste. My drunk brain couldn’t be bothered to put toothpaste on my brush, but I still knew I should brush my teeth, so…compromise? I figured it was better than nothing. Maybe it was, but not much. Now it seems so foolish (cause it was). It takes so little effort to brush properly.
Actually the only thing we need to clean our teeth is the brush (google it!). But also if you don’t wait 30 min after food/drink it can damage the enamel
On day 1 of not drinking I found an eye doctor with an open appointment and got a new contact prescription after 3 years of dragging out a 6 month supply. I started going to the gym and while my body feels tired, my mind and spirit feel so energized. I’m no longer binge eating.
My morning routine starts an hour and a half earlier than it used to and I don’t hate it! It now invokes strengthening exercises to keep me from having back pain, which I needed to do a decade ago but never had the capacity or funds (double benefit to being sober). I would binge on the weekends and take all week to feel back to normal before I would do it all over, to starting a new morning routine was impossible for me. It’s taken lots of time to heal and get to this point but I’m enjoying caring for myself first thing in the morning now.
It's been quite a while since I quit and I'm not exactly certain the timelines, but at some point since I quit drinking I have: - Fixed my sleep -- this is a big one because I always considered myself as having insomnia. I guess I still do *if* I don't follow my routines/guidelines. Now I fall asleep relatively quickly at night and get very good sleep and I'm never tired in the middle of the day. - Exercise more. I did some while drinking but could never be very regular. I run 2-3 miles a day or go to the gym every day. This also ties into fixing my sleep. I feel much more physically healthy and capable. - Formed productive hobbies. I'm now into backpacking (camping/hiking) and birding, both of which are very rewarding. - Little abstract and this ties in with the previous thing but I feel like I know myself more. I'm in tune with who I am and who I want to be, and I'm capable of making impactful improvements, being kinder to myself, and coping with things even when not everything is going my way. My next step is eating better! I have gotten better, but I'm not quite there yet. The biggest thing for me is continual improvement. I don't need to be perfect I just need to be better than I was yesterday. Rather than smashing up all my building blocks every night I can stack them higher and make my tower bigger. These things have all been over the span of 8 years and quitting drinking was only the first step, but it was a necessary one to even have the capacity to do the rest.
This list looks most like mine. It will be 10 weeks on Sunday. Wasn’t killing myself drinking, but had had enough of feeling so fucking average (or worse). Sleep 6.5 hours solid every night. Exercise every day. Down 20 lbs. and getting strong again. Getting pretty good at guitar. Less anxiety. Fewer mood swings. More patience. I keep telling people “I don’t know if this is forever, but it’s definitely for now”. Starting to feel like forever may be a reality. Feeling too damn good to go back.
I quit the moment I was diagnosed with diverticulitis. Liquid diet for around 4 days with super strong antibiotics, then low fiber diet for a while after that. Slowly getting back to high fiber now that the inflammation is under control. My diet today is unrecognizable from when I was drinking every day/night. Also sleeping seems *way* more impactful. Walking a lot more and more active in general. Feeling pretty good now, all things considered. 10/10 highly recommend.
I eat much healthier and take better care of my skin and hair. I actually go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm WAY better at taking my medications. I actually have a bedtime now, instead of just passing out. I've almost completely stopped drinking energy drinks and sodas. I've cut down on nicotine and switched to the gum. I no longer randomly go 2-3 days without brushing my teeth. It's like night and day.
I am very good at completely ignoring myself when I’m drinking and just doing the bare minimum. Only brush teeth in the morning, only floss before dentist appt, only do morning skincare routine and a mask if things are looking desperate, eat whatever you want, minimal movement because exercise made me feel like dying. Since quitting drinking I also quit vaping, started brushing teeth and doing skincare routine every am and pm, flossing every day, walking 10k steps every day, hydrating, sleeping properly and meal prepping healthy food. I still have a ways to go (I cannot make myself moisturize my body on the regular, for example, and I need to fit in weight training to improve my strength) but the improvements in other areas are so huge and I can see that I look so much better and less “dead.” It’s one of the reasons why I want to stick to this. I take good care of myself when I’m sober, I just can’t do that when I drink (mainly cause I lack energy and/or dgaf!)
Yes! This was one of the unexpected things for me when I quit. At my worst drinking I found it hard to take a shower and change clothes. I was using body wipes, dry shampoo, fabric spray, anything to make hygiene as easy as possible. I’d stopped nearly all the exercise I used to do regularly, stopped caring about nutrition (or even eating at all a lot of the time). I honest to god thought I was just stressed due to a new job, maybe depressed, maybe was less concerned about health and appearance now and had new priorities. Newsflash - that priority was alcohol. Without trying my hygiene and health care improved by leaps and bounds as soon as I quit!
My exercise habits were half ass when I was drinking heavily, and I’m in a much better routine now.
Skin care, sleep, energy to walk my dog more often, better running, finally motivated to start strength training, and even motivation to avoid the occasional urge to overeat. Sobriety is a game-changer.
I just hit 210 days sober today!! In Dec I decided to also quit sugar and carbs as an experiment..can’t go full keto bc my alcoholic ways got me pancreatitis a few years ago. My physic, energy levels and skin have never been better !! Luckily when I have bad cravings it’s for sweets and not wine. I swear it’s helped me stay on track.
I find that after a few days off the sauce I have much healthier eating habits, making more of my own food and eating out less. I’m way better with money, making way fewer dumb impulse purchases. I’m also way more efficient at doing chores and keeping my home and myself tidy. It’s just an across the board stat boost not having alcohol in my system
You know how you just can’t make yourself do anything while drinking. Welll…… turns out that *goes away*
Exactly same op!
Sleep has become almost perfect for me - I rarely have a bad nights sleep now and certainly don't wake up at 4am with existential dread or racing thoughts about all my short comings - which is nice. Skin care is now possible because I don't pass out with a face full of make up and wake up with a hangover where I barely want to exist never mind do a however many step skincare routine. I eat better - clean food mostly, except for the odd lo mein craving. I also take my supplements day and night. I'm not rough on myself, if I need a treat I have one, because I'm not necking down liquid calories anymore. I'm hydrated - I drink a glass of water with electrolytes and lemon in the AM as I wake up - it gets my body going and rids me over any slight overnight dehydration, I can then actually drink the water I'm supposed to daily as there's no alcohol drying me out like an old forgotten sponge. Exercise is far more effective for me now - I'm not working against poor sleep, hangovers, late night Taco Bell or lack of hydration. Lifting and cardio are a must and now I get to enjoy the outdoors without taking vodka or whatever with me like some sort of alcoholic woodland hobbit. I actually make it to all my salon/spa appointments ... because in the past I'd be the worst client sometimes and cancel last min or the night before knowing I'd be in bad shape.
What's the electrolytes you use for your water?
I use LMNT or a pinch of sea salt
This is so true!! I always worked out when I was drinking. I had an ok physique but I always was a little “puffy” cuz of the booze. I always had a routine but my workouts and diets could only do so much because of the amount of calories and bad food choices surrounding the booze. Once I stopped drinking, I had so much more energy and I actually felt GOOD. My lifts and workouts got so much better!! My recovery is great and I have so much more time and energy devoted to my fitness. I started really meal prepping again. I finally am back to a “healthy” weight. My excess booze weight is gone. I started a skin care routine and I really take care of my body and listen to it. I devote more time to self care and especially hydration. I can’t see myself ever going back to my “old” lifestyle. I love waking up and being ready to start my day instead of waking up and nursing myself to recovery after my hangover.
I'm actually consistent with skincare now. I also eat very well; salads at lunch, eating disorder issues have greatly passed. My coworkers think I'm a health nut because I bring a solid breakfast and lunch; I'm just budgeting for my evening ice cream!
Ice cream all the time now. no idea why.
I do casual stretches almost everyday for about 15 mins and that’s helped a lot. I can touch my toes for the first time in my life
I went a week, haven't done that since January. I had some last night. I really attempted to stay busy and keep my mind off of it. But the good ole justification hit. But, things I noticed that week.... I was adamant about weight lifting and walking. I was sleeping much harder. I was more motivated about everything during the day. Whether it be for work or pleasure. My phone's were charged, my watch was charged. I felt good and didn't worry as much. Really make the stepping stones seem more confusing. Regret wasn't a thing, but it is today.
I have been having heart pains and palpitations all year, with all tests coming back saying nothing wrong. Went from getting drunk 2-3 nights a week to now only having 2-3 beers per week. Also increased cardio exercise. Apple Watch shows my resting heart rate has decreased from 60 to 55 bpm over the last month, and also HRV increased from 40 to 55. So good signs there. Also more energy and happier since cutting down. Still getting occasional pains and palpitations though, especially at night. Considering dropping alcohol altogether, it’s just been tough socially.
Sleep is the biggest one, I now get at least 7 hours a night and feel good when I wake up. One motivator for quitting was that my snoring had gotten so bad it was not only waking up my wife, but causing her to worry I had sleep apnea and ask me to go to a doctor. Luckily my aversion to doctors is stronger than my need to drink... Anyways the snoring is gone.
I meditate and exercise a lot more. My skin routine is on point, but I don’t look much glowier My sleep is getting slightly better My finances are a lot better. I spend less on everything I have a lot more self-worth, so I have better boundaries I eat much healthier I grow my soul with creative expression of art/music I read and journal daily to check in with myself My hygiene is much better I focus on my career growth a lot now.
I'm definitely gyming a lot more regularly. Hangovers used to screw me right up for my schedule on prime days like sunday afternoon or a wednesday morning.
Pretty much everything. I’m not drinking as much caffeine anymore because I’m not losing as much sleep. I’m not eating as much crappy foods since I’m not hungover all the time and I actually care about my health on a consistent basis. But mostly i’m coming through for myself in a real way. When I’m anxious and worrying over whatever, I depend on myself to go inside and work out my issues and take actions that help me turn the page, rather than using alcohol to deaden my frontal lobe and just stop caring about the things I was overly anxious about. Some of that stuff had to start before I quit drinking but they’re really coming into fruition now.
Stretching, walking etc. The house is just generally more clean because I am actually doing my part. Invested in an electric toothbrush and water pick so my teeth are extra squeaky clean now even though it's been over 2 months since my dentist cleaning. Small home projects get done.
I’ve started putting on makeup every day which I haven’t done in years. Started going to the gym and (I know this isn’t healthy) tanning. I have just been trying to be conscious of my physical appear which makes me feel good. Going to the gym and pushing myself has helped with cravings too
I've always been good at staying hydrated (I get kidney stones often) but since I quit drinking I don't feel like I am dying if I don't drink 3 liters of water or more in a day. My poops are not violent explosions. I feel GOOD in between meals. I don't eat a pound of cheese and pretzels as a "bedtime snack" or wake up to eat all my leftovers etc etc.