Tag: journey

Lifestyle

10 Reasons I’m Happier Without Alcohol | My Sober Curious Journey

mindbeautysimplicity

When I ventured into this minimalistic lifestyle, I had no idea it would lead me down the path of a sober curious journey. I’ve dabbled in dry Januaries [ or months ] before, which have become rather mainstream lately. But I never took it to a serious lifestyle change. Last summer, I decided – for my health, to go on this sober curious path for real & potentially give up alcohol for good. I would categorize myself as the “social drinker”, college being the forefront to this slight habit. I wouldn’t necessarily say I had a problem per say, but I didn’t like the way that I was when I drank, so I’ve decided to make a change. And this past year, I’ve noticed just how happy I am without it. Here’s 10 Reasons I’m Happier Without Alcohol:

I’m More Emotionally Aware

Alcohol really numbs certain emotions & can heighten others. One of the biggest reasons I enjoy living an alcohol free life is no longer feeling so anxious as I go to sleep & when I wake up. People say hangovers are bad, but I would say the alcohol induced anxiety is neck & neck. Not only this, but I think people tend to use alcohol to numb their feelings. This was evident with my grief journey after losing my dad a year ago. Instead of meeting my grief head on, I would drown it out with White Claws & glasses of wine. And you can’t put your grief on pause. It only makes it harder to cope with the longer you let it linger.

I Sleep Better

It’s scientifically proven that alcohol can alter your REM sleep. I remember countless nights out, coming home so restless & feeling so groggy the next day. Instead, I feel more rested & have much more productive & enjoyable days without alcohol in my system.

I’ve Discovered New Hobbies

I no longer spend my weekends at bars or breweries [ unless there’s tasty food ] which has lead me to discover tons of new hobbies. I’ve always been an avid reader. But thanks the book community online & the pandemic, reading has become such a wholesome part of my life. I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without books. It’s nice to have a hobby like this that is just for me. I’ve also been enjoying the outdoors a lot more [ even during the winter ]. Hiking has become such a relaxing & meditative practice for me. It’s one of my favorite activities to do with my family. The world is so beautiful. It’s so important to look up from our phones once & a while.

I’m More Present

I no longer go through the motions with blurred vision. I am more intentional with my time & recall moments much clearer. I try to really take in my tasks even if it’s simply eating breakfast. I think we all tend to get in the habit of rushing our days.

I Look for More Experiences

I seriously have the travel bug lately. I’m constantly looking up ideas for weekend getaways, vacations & events. We have so many fun things to look forward to this summer / this year. I tend to look outside the box more & really ask myself what I want to see if this life. A few travels / events we have on the books include Virginia Beach, a Caribbean Cruise, a weekend in New York City, a sunset sailing trip & the Preakness.

I Enjoy My Own Company

I’ve always considered myself an extroverted introvert. I enjoy social gatherings with the right company. Lately, I’ve been at peace with my own company. I’m always busying myself with writing, reading or solo outings. I think it’s so important to be content with our own company because it has really helped me grown as an individual. We know ourselves better than anyone else anyway.

I Have Better Relationships

In balance with my alone time, I have better relationships than I have ever had in the past. Unfortunately, it has lead to losing some & gaining others. But as Drake says, “I’m losing friends and finding peace.” When you make a lifestyle change such as this one, you start to realize who your real friends are.

I’ve Gained More Confidence

I am the most confident I have ever been with myself. Some of that comes with age, but when you decide to let go of something such as alcohol, you really have to learn to be good with yourself. It sounds silly, but my outward appearance has changed for the better which has seeped internally as well. I have more fashion inspiration, creativity & motivation for the future & meeting certain goals.

I No Longer Feed into Peer Pressure

The biggest reason you need more confidence is the peer pressure that comes with drinking. I’ve had to really stand my ground & say no a lot more than ever before. People will say, “oh just one won’t hurt.” or “just take a quick sip.” It’s ridiculous how powerful alcohol has on society.

I’ve Striving For Bigger & Better Things

Now that alcohol is no longer a focus, I am able to brainstorm more for myself. There is so much more to life than drinking & alcohol. I love how healthy I feel. I look forward to the next phases in my life like starting a family, motherhood, possibly adding a fur baby to the mix, moving & traveling around the world. I’m manifesting bigger & better things for me career wise & no longer selling myself short.

I’m not against drinking alcohol & I’m able to be around it just fine. This has simply been a choice I’ve made for myself & one I’m so happy I decided to make. The fact of the matter is, I wasn’t at my greatest potential with alcohol ruling my days. And at the moment, I don’t see myself going back.

-B

Self Growth

How To Be Resilient Even When The World Feels Against You

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For most of my 20’s I felt pretty lost. Every time I thought I reached that Ah Ha moment, life would push back & resist me from my destination. And my initial reactions were annoyance & discouragement over whether I’d ever have it all figured out.

The thing is, I don’t think we ever have EVERYTHING figured out in this life. That’s the beauty of it really. Not to sound cliche, but life is this constant journey. As we age & more years go by, we are forever striving for more, evolving as individuals & molding ourselves into these creatures of endless possibilities.

But I completely understand the struggle of pursuing certain aspirations & watching them blow up in your face. I’ve been there countless times. And I’ve had my fair share of sleepless nights, crying into my pillow wishing things would just fall into place already.

I’ve always been a rather dramatic person. Blame that on my zodiac sign (Leo the lion). I am a great mix of positivity, always down for fun with a sprinkle of “my life is insane.” So, when I found myself as a lost psychology student who should have probably stuck with journalism & was graduating with no plan whatsoever, I went into panic mode.

People told me my degree wouldn’t get me anywhere without more education. And as someone who hated the idea of more school, brushed that off as a silly threat. Around 7 years later, the most I’ve used my degree for was babysitting rowdy children & writing advice posts for you all. So, I guess they had a point.

In all honesty though, I never regretted my decision on my college studies. Sure, sometimes I question why I switched majors half way through & went with focusing on the human mind, but whatever. To quote my dad, “It is what it is.”

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

Yes, my advice is starting with a basic inspirational quote. Deal with it. But as cheesy as this saying is, I love to follow it. There is no sense in worrying about the past. My decisions were made & if I don’t like it, the only thing to really do now is to change my future. And every moment, good or bad has lead me to where I am now. So, I’m happy.

Going through tough times of finding jobs & discovering my passions all lead me to the person I am today. I’m stronger, wiser & full of “don’t do as I did” type of advice. So, you’re welcome.

Every rejection letter, ghosting & down right NOPES lead me to this very moment. I had times where I wanted to completely give up. I thought I wasn’t meant for anything. I was going to quit or just settle in something I hate but was good at forever & then die of old age having never accomplished anything grand.

Related Post: Let’s Celebrate Our Small Wins for Once

MEET YOUR OBSTACLES HEAD ON

But when you finally muster up the courage to actually make a change & follow your heart, it can send you to someplace beautiful. In my post, What Truly Makes Me Happy, I discuss how a single book changed my perspective on life completely. Thanks to good ol’ Oprah Winfrey & her novel, “The Path Made Clear”, I learned you have to dive deep into reflecting on yourself to discover your true passions. And mine? Well, you can guess what it is by my blog. But this book taught me to listen to myself & my own feelings to find my calling.

For most of my 20’s, I primarily followed the paths & advice of other people way too much. I changed my major in college on the sole purpose of running away from a path that was a “dying bread.” Which, journalism is definitely NOT dying. And I get it, when life is tough & you’ve been knocked down over & over again, the likely suggestions is to receive help from others. Not all advice is bad. And help, when done right, can move you forward to great things. But I found, I was finding advice in the wrong places. Every idea that was sent to me caused me to roll my eyes.

DON’T CHOOSE THE EASY ROUTE

When shit got hard, instead of pushing back, I sat down & wallowed in my own self pity. I chose a path that was close by, easy & well below my full potential. But there’s comfort in safety. And it was definitely a safety net. When people asked me how work was I had to smile huge & hold back my feelings of complete misery & boredom. It was money & I had somewhere to go so I shut up. But deep down I knew I wanted more for myself. I just wasn’t doing anything about it.

DON’T STOP WORKING ON YOURSELF

For 4 entire years, I stayed at my safety net & never made a plan to bust out. It actually took a pandemic & being furloughed to gain the courage of even considering other options for myself. So, thank you coronavirus….seriously. Being stuck inside & fully being alone with my thoughts for months caused me to make a change. It was only me, myself & I ( & my fiance) who encouraged me to start this blogging journey. I stared fear, judgment & resistance in the face & powered through. For once, I have gone after something I’ve been wanting for years.

It’s funny how the greatest parts of my life: my relationship & my passion for writing fell into my lap because I took away those expectations & just let life happen. I took a risk & just went for it! And her I am: 4 months later, writing my little heart out & doing the damn thing one word at a time.

-B

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