Day 25
All good here. Did my first Pilates reformer class today - surprisingly effective! I have no core after two years hunched over my desk during the pandemic.
I can feel the siren call of the beers as my month milestone approaches. I’ve joined a challenge to get me to at least Day 50 and hopefully beyond. I’m finding the idea of “never ever again” too daunting even though that is that I want. So I am following advice and focussing on daily milestones and hoping everyone is right about the impact of having enough of those under the belt.
I met a friend for lunch today who has seen me suffer over the last year. I was able to tell her that I am really happy at the moment, and that not drinking is part of that. Another close friend has decided to do Dry Feb and March after me talking with her about my decision to stop.
Day 26
Grumpy. Went to parkrun for first time in two months - hobbled round with the Cardiac Crew at the back. Failing miserably at my writing task for Monday, so feel that I have wasted my valuable Saturday and have nothing to show for it. Apart from doing four loads of washing! I’ve got a “right cob on” as we would say back home. Gonna have to find something positive to do to shake the mood.
Day 27
Much less grumpy than yesterday. Was at my desk writing at 4:30 am - eventually sent of my writing homework for review at 9am. Then it was the gym and the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the Hayward.
Today was saturated with alcohol, from the smell of red bull and tinnies being downed by the football fans, to the bars of the South Bank. A little voice in my head was whispering “you could just go and have one - no one will know, besides you’ve nearly done a month and you can start again on Tuesday with the challenge.”
There was no way I was going to act in the voice - mainly because I also was having such a great time without the drink. I genuinely believed that a drink would not enhance my experience and would actually make it worse. Just the Beer Goblin trying to sneak up on me!
Day 28
Post writing group treat was two donuts: Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Lemon Meringue. Feedback on my work was good (even though I had vowed never to write again yesterday!). 28 days ago I would have been two pints (at least) instead of two donuts down. Am pleased to have broken this association between drinking and treating myself.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
The you could have just one, no one would know, start again at this other “reasonable” time is real! Sometimes easy and sometimes hard to let that one just travel past without considering it.