I’m reading another Quit-Lit book. This one is by a guy named Allen Carr. He’s written other books on addiction. I think I mentioned him in one of my last journal entries. Anyway, I’m almost done with it. It’s good. I think I’ll keep it in my arsenal of the ones I’ll refer back to when I need extra help. There’s a lot of positivity in it. He really does a good job of helping you to focus on what your life could look like if you gave up booze for good.
So for today’s blog entry I’m going to do a “Freedom Exercise.” I’m going to list all the positive ways my life could change if I abstained from alcohol, some of these things I’ve never mentioned before.
First and foremost…
1) My physical health.
Since this is the obvious one, let’s break it down more.
If I quit drinking…. I’d never have to worry about another yearly physical. I wouldn’t be watching my inbox for blood test results, wouldn’t wait for the “all clear” mamo letter sent through the mail, wouldn’t stew over whether I’d get a call from my gyno that I had an abnormal pap. Okay, going through life I still may face health scares, but at least I wouldn’t have the ADDED worry of knowing I drank too much “poison,” a.k.a., “alcohol,” and therefore was upping my chances of developing cancer somewhere or liver disease.
If I quit drinking… I’d successfully remove the alcohol belly. It’s a proven fact that alcohol is stored differently than other food/drinks you ingest. It goes against trying to get fit, working out, dieting, etc. When you drink you are a million times more tempted to eat everything in your pantry or fridge. You don’t care. Your inhibitions are turned off, and you basically eat whatever sounds good at the moment, no matter that you’re pounding unnecessary calories at your face.
If I quit drinking…. I’d never miss an early Saturday or Sunday morning workout again (b/c of a hangover). I’d get up with energy, be excited even to start my day with building up a sweat. The endorphins mixed with jumpstarting my metabolism would put me on a great path for my day ahead, whatever day that may be.
If I quit drinking… I’d get better sleep! I wouldn’t wake up at 3:00 AM with a stream of stimulants pulsing through my body. I wouldn’t feel my heart racing, my mind clicking on (and racing), my stomach rolling, my head throbbing. I wouldn’t toss and turn, have to get up to use the restroom multiple times. I wouldn’t worry about waking Rob up, or the dogs, or even the kids. I wouldn’t ruin my next day–typically a weekend day–by feeling exhausted and struggling with a headache or stomach ache. Because I’d gotten good sleep, I’d be more up for doing something fun with our day, getting the kids out of the house, going for a walk with the dogs, etc.
If I quit drinking… My hair would be fuller and my skin-tone would be more even. I wouldn’t be depriving my body of nutrients. I wouldn’t be making my liver work hard. And I wouldn’t be upping my chance for getting an ulcer (like my dad has).
2) My Mental Health
If I quit drinking…. I wouldn’t hate myself so much. I wouldn’t feel disappointed that I caved and had a drink. I wouldn’t have to put pressure on myself to drink or not to drink. The inner tug-of-war that goes on inside my brain would die. I would free up my willpower for more important decisions. I would generally like myself more, feel stronger, feel capable of handling life’s ups and downs. I would be proud of myself.
If I quit drinking…. I would have a better memory. I wouldn’t forget what Rob and I did over the weekend, where we went to dinner, what I had to eat, what our sex was like. I would remember the funny things the kids said, remember the looks on their faces as we all did something fun together or celebrated a birthday, holiday, etc. I wouldn’t worry over my memory like I have been.
If I quit drinking… I would free up more brain power overall. Since I wouldn’t be in a constant battle between my unconscious and conscious desires, I could finally think about OTHER things. I wouldn’t be so obsessed with thinking about alcohol. Eventually, I could even stop reading my quit-lit books. Alcohol would lose its power over me. It wouldn’t enter my thoughts, other than to remind me how happy I am that I no longer live in its trap. Who knows? Maybe I’d even feel the desire to start writing again.
3) My Pocketbook
If I quit drinking… Rob and I wouldn’t spend so much money on booze. We could use these savings and put them towards more dinners out, activities with the kids, extra vacations. I could indulge now and then and buy cute, trendy clothes from a boutique, treat myself with a spa day, pay for a little more self-care, and I’d be able to justify it to Rob by showing him how much we’ve saving with my abstaining from alcohol.
4) My Social Calendar
If I quit drinking… I would probably think outside of the box more. Life would not revolve around booze. Our activities would not revolve around booze. I wouldn’t think about NOT going somewhere because they DIDN’T sell booze. We would go! And we’d have a good time! Outings to the zoo, to parks, to museums, to movies, to lakes, the pool, etc. would happen more often. Sitting around home so I can drink late afternoon on a weekend day would not appeal to me in the slightest. This is wasted time where I could be having fun with my kids, making memories!
The Sober Venture 