7 days sober…
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.
I’ve officially gone a week without booze—a whopping seven days of herbal tea, sober clarity, and sweaty nights. And let me tell you, it’s been anything but glamorous, but it’s also been deeply eye-opening.
First off, let’s talk about why I’m here. I drank a lot last year—probably more than I care to admit. Wine became my escape hatch, my stress reliever, and my celebratory companion. But somewhere in that haze of nightly pours, I lost sight of myself. My health, my happiness, and my self-worth were all buried under an avalanche of “fuck it” moments.
Enter: Dry January. I needed a reset, a way to prove to myself that I’m capable of living without crutches like alcohol. So, past pissed Jo made a genius move—she signed me up for Hyrox, which is now less than three months away. Thanks to her, I have no choice but to focus on getting stronger and healthier again
The Good
In just a week, I’ve started noticing the upsides:
My face is less puffy, eyes are brighter and I’m down 2kg.
Mornings are easier (who knew waking up without a wine fog could feel this good?).
I’ve rediscovered energy and productivity that I thought was long gone.
I’m embracing early nights and the calming ritual of tea like the granny-in-training I truly am.
Oh, and the gym no longer feels like a chore — I’m enjoying being back on my bullshit!
The Bad
But let’s not sugarcoat it: this isn’t easy:
I’m constantly battling cravings and a lingering tiredness that feels almost cruel.
Social interactions are tricky right now - I’m avoiding situations where saying no to wine feels impossible.
And my inner perfectionist is veering dangerously close to food obsession as I try to regain control
The ugly
The hardest part has been facing the truths I’ve been drowning out with every glass of wine:
Realising I drank almost every day last year and that I fit the definition of a functioning addict
Coming to terms with how much I’ve damaged my body and my brain chemistry
The shame. The overwhelming shame of knowing how much unnecessary extra stress I’ve put myself through
But here’s the thing - I’m doing the work. I’m reading Annie Grace’s This Naked Mind and revisiting The Alcohol Experiment book, which I highly recommend if you’re trying to reset your relationship with booze. I’ve also been diving into podcasts about dopamine and addiction (shoutout to The Diary of a CEO Podcast for this gem of an episode). It’s tough, but it’s helping me understand not just my own habits but the world around me, too.
So, here I am: seven days in, sweating my tits off (at night and in the gym), occasionally crying over past mistakes, but also feeling proud. I’m taking back control, one day at a time.
If you’re on a similar journey, I’m here to listen, share tips, and maybe recommend some AF drinks (seriously, Aldi’s sleepy tea is life). And if you want to know more about the nitty-gritty of yet another one of my sober journeys, I’ll pour it all out here - because honesty, no matter how ugly, writing about it keeps me going.
Here’s to resetting, healing, and maybe crocheting that damn granny square blanket when I’m not too tired.
🧶
