Monday 29 May 2017

I DON'T GET DRUNK ANYMORE...



It seems I'm returning back with quite a big post! This may be quite a personal one, but it is a post that I feel is important to share! I haven't been properly drunk since 3rd September 2016, and these are my reasons why...


It's uncommon to hear of a student my age, admitting that they don't get drunk anymore. It's not really something those sober few of us shout about, in fear of becoming outcasted or branded. If I have one aim by the end of this post, it is not to preach, but to abolish this idea that the reason for any individual not drinking is because they're "BORING". Before I begin, I want to be clear that these are not excuses, nor are they pointing faults at anybody else for the individual choices that they make. These are my own reasons, my own feelings, and my own thoughts. Much like it is always my own body, my own mind, my own choices, and my own life. This list does not necessarily fall into any prioritised order.

Negative Moods & Feelings


Possibly the biggest negative effect of alcohol, for me, was how it would effect my mood. Whether it was on the night, or the day after, was I actually having a good time? In most cases, I either don't know or (particularly the day after) the answer was no. As a fresher, I started University, having not much experience with alcohol or nightclubs. I have had a lot of night outs during my time here, some of them undoubtedly became great memories, but some of them also became not-so-good memories. I could never predict what drunk I would be. You know you always have that friend who's the giggly one, or the angry one, or the crying one? It seemed I could be all of those, and I had no idea which one was coming next! At one point, I was going on 2/3 nights out a week, and I was consuming unnecessary amounts of alcohol just for the sake of it and because everyone else was doing it. It became something to do, and a reason or a place to see people - stupid right? Not only would alcohol make me feel ill, and exaggerate any negative feelings that I had, I began to notice that it would provoke anxiety in me. Before, I can only really remember having a panic attack in a school swimming pool, but let me tell you, having a panic attack whilst drunk is horrendous. I think that realisation was the final straw for me. I decided to put my happiness first, always, and so far I have been the happiest that I have ever been since starting University.

Lack Of Sleep


Admittedly, I am a very sleepy person. I absolutely love my sleep, and these days a healthy sleeping pattern is very important to me. In my second year of University, my sleeping pattern was completely destroyed, and I struggled to claw back any sign of a routine during the week, because of my night out habits. My lack of sleep would cause me to miss out, it would provoke a negative mood, and my lifestyle became unhealthy. I realised the importance of sleep and a routine, and how much healthier and able it made me feel.

Weight Gain


It's no secret to you guys that I have lost over 1 and a half stone this year. My body has completely changed, and my health has greatly improved. I dread to think about the unhealthy food and calorific alcoholic drink that I was fuelling my body with a year ago. I cannot even comprehend the amount that I would consume in a typical night out. Considering one bottle of white wine contains over 600 calories, a meal at McDonalds could add another 1000+, along with some vodka lemonades or Jager bombs... It makes me feel ill thinking about it! 

Training: Properly or Not At All


In September, I began training with weights. I'd been going to the gym for 9 months already, but most or all of my sessions only contained cardio. I wasn't seeing the results that I wanted, and at this point, I was introduced to weights. I knew that this was going to be a huge deal for me, and I found it so daunting. I decided that if I was going to do it and push myself out of my own comfort zone, I was going to do it properly or not at all. So I decided that I needed to cut the alcohol, cut out the drunk-binge eating, and the hungover bad habits that I had, for good. As you can all see for yourselves on my Instagram via transformation pictures, my body has changed so much and now, I can't imagine going back to how I used to be. 

Waste of Money


This one speaks for itself really. If I am being honest, I probably now spend that money on lots of good food, my gym membership, dining out, and new clothes, and I wouldn't want it any other way!

My Precious Time


I think it's only as you grow a busy schedule that you realise how absolutely precious time is! Sometimes, there aren't enough hours in the day, and the months are flying by without you even noticing. As a repercussion of my night outs, I would spend so much of my day lounging around in my pyjamas, or asleep, when I could have been doing so much more with my time. As a now committed student, a blogger, a part-time sales assistant, and a regular gym goer, I cannot really afford to be hungover, and I also wouldn't want to be.

If It Doesn't Taste Like Juice, I Don't Want It


Since giving up alcohol, you'd think that I would miss the taste of a cheap bottle of co-op white wine, or a Jager shot. Truth is, I don't at all, because I realised that I didn't really like the taste of it. I wasn't enjoying the drink, I was drinking for the sake of being drunk with everyone else! I almost feel like that was a facade. A facade of me trying to impress or fit in, when it wasn't neccessary. Don't get me wrong, I am not completely non-alcoholic. I now enjoy a cheeky cocktail every now and again, or an evening glass of wine, but that is me enjoying the drink, something that I wasn't ever doing previously. There isn't any pressure for me anymore, if I want a soft drink I'll have one, and if I want a glass of rose or a shandy, I'll have one!

....

 I don't know if divulging into those reasons and thoughts were necessary, but I urge you to please consider somebody's own personal justification for not choosing to do something. I cannot lie and sit here pretending that I didn't lose contact with people, because I did, but that is okay.  I don't hold grudges, as it was always my personal choice and the correct one for me, but I thank those who understand. 

I believe most of my readers are 18+, so if you're going into Univeristy (or if you're already there) and you're fearing the drinking culture, please just remember the freedom of choice, and you personally can choose what you do or drink. As a society, we are moving forward, and respecting the choices of indiviuals, so I think you'd be surprised at the amount of people that will purely like you for who you are, regardless of how many pints you can drink.





2 comments so far

  1. Nice post, I honestly agree with every point you have made and I don't see why a lot of others are not realising this today. Admittedly, I give into the peer pressure and waste money on unnessecary amounts of alcohol but like you said, I do it just to fit in. I realised before and this has made me realise further that I should make more of an effort to get into something new. I would never force somebody to stop but I would help them realise what they are doing. Personally I see a lot of my friends just hiding behind alcohol and I hope that at some point, like you and myself have realised, that alcohol isn't the only source of entertainment. Again, great post!

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge my post and engage with it! It's so nice to read your response and hear that you are making positive changes yourself! Take care Xx

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