First year of Sobriety ...... saying yes to everything ... except alcohol

First year of Sobriety ...... saying yes to everything ... except alcohol

Let's fast forward again, back to after the retreat at the end of 2020 that ripped me open and then put me back together. When I got back from the retreat, I took my last sips of wine that NYE and made the decision that the next day would be the first day of being completely alcohol free and saying yes to anything and everything that would help me stay sober. 

I knew exercise was key for me and at this stage I was already doing F45 which was a huge kickstarter for me when I jumped on a 45 day challenge in February 2020 and didn't drink the entire time. It also provided with me a community and something to get up for every morning so that I didn't drink the night before. Back then the classes were packed, and you had to book in and if you didn't show up it meant someone else was missing out, knowing that definitely helped me to stay on track. So, in 2021, I also started yoga with a friend which then led to doing 12 months of hot yoga, every Sunday morning which was a day that would have normally been a total write off for me, so this was super important to me in many ways. 

I also went to some AA meetings but I wasn't able to take my dog with me and didn't want to be away from her every night so I jumped on the online meetings and then found a group called "she recovers" which was locally based and had an online meeting every Thursday  night as well as some catch up events like monthly walk and dinners etc, so perfect for more connection which is what I was really craving. This group is still running and the online sessions on Thursday nights are available to women all over the world to access. (reach out if you need more info). 

I also completed a Boss of your wardrobe course to get me out of wearing black all the time, this helped me to find out what colours suited me and also you had to take lots of pics of yourself in different colours and outfits and that pushed me out of my comfort zone when I really needed it. I did a kindness workshop, a Wim Hoff breathwork workshop, 21 day abundance course which is available on Spotify, I did reiki healings to help me release some old trauma as well as relive some significant events that had happened in my life to help me release the trauma connected to them. 

On top of all of this I also did true grit that year with some friends which almost killed me but I made it. I finished the year of 2021 doing an F45 calendar to help raise money for beyond blue (refer pic) so much fun and the cause completely aligned with my journey at the time and still does as mental health will always be important for me to prioritise. 

So I guess you are getting the gist of what I mean by keeping busy in the first year because it can be really tough, and it can be lonely socially especially on weekends hence why the different communities were so incredibly important to me and my mental health and well-being. One thing you certainly realise when you step away from drinking is that some people will step away from you, for hosts of reasons, they find you boring now or they don't want to trigger you or perhaps you hold a mirror to their own relationship with alcohol. 

I also ate a lot of chocolate and cake, I was barely finished eating dinner and already wondering what sweets I could shove in my gob, the sugar cravings are real. I was a bubbles and wine drinker, full of sugar and so my body was craving it so hard, but I just went with it because it was still better than me picking up a drink and the fitness was kind of balancing it all out!

Sooooooo .... keep yourself busy is the key, jump on shit you wouldn't normally, move your body and eat the sweets if it gets you through the day :)

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