Then Listen Up!

When we go alcohol-free our lives potentially EXPLODE – in an amazing way.  Unexpectedly, we feel alive, alert, and we have time and motivation to do more. We are interested in life again. Alcohol-free weekends are not about laying in bed as long as possible, or carb binges to ease out of the hangover.

Alcohol-Free weekends are for doing things – for feeling ALIVE.

And yet…

For some of us, the change to alcohol-free leaves us hanging in a different way. We don’t know ourselves, or know what to do with our time…

This is called the ‘LIMINAL’ space. The spot between what you once were, and who you might be.

The word “liminal” comes from the Latin word LIMINS, which means, “threshold.” If you are at the threshold of this change you may feel a bit lost or overwhelmed. It's perfectly normal and will soon pass.

To make it pass faster, do something memorable. Reframe this unfamiliar time with an amazing memory of something. Something interesting, something exhilarating, something cultural.  DO ANYTHING, rather than nothing! Make this a time new, and make this time amazing. Don't dawdle and dwindle this time.

At first, alcohol-free weekends feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  But don’t class it as a ‘mental-health’ issue – everything today is a ‘mental health issue'.  Maybe it’s a simple rite of passage?  More and more, society is talking about ‘our right to be shame-free about mental health' (which is how it should be).  But maybe at times, it has tipped a little bit too far – everything is a mental-health issue.

What used to be ‘character-building’ or ‘growing a thick skin' or a ‘rite of passage’ is now a mental-health crisis.  Maybe we are eternally learning and growing, rather than mentally ill.  Both are OK. Fragile mental health is OK.  To be growing and getting stronger is OK.  Both are the same maybe?

So – why do we wait until an annual holiday to do things?

We should be doing these things once a month minimum on our alcohol-free weekends. Hell yeah!  Let's live more!

HOW ABOUT THIS COOL IDEA?

Create a list of things to do, write down on paper. Cut out each idea as a strip, and then fold-up small. Then chuck in a container. Come Thursday nights do a lucky dip.  Pull out ideas for your alcohol-free weekend and get really excited about planning what to do!

Take these ideas and then Google search local places to make an alcohol-free weekend happen:

• Horse riding: every town and country has a stack of horse schools that will be delighted to take you on a pony-trek – no riding experience needed.
• Watch swans: find a local river/swan sanctuary and pitch up with the picnic.  Preferably half a mile down river from the main feeding.  Then you'll see real swan behaviour if you relax, get mindful and a hang about for a few hours.  Take in the river view and enjoy the nature watch.
• Beehives:  Towns and countryside are full of enthusiastic bee-keepers who would love to share their knowledge.  Best to call and arrange ahead.
• Riverwalk:  River walks are free and abundant with dogs, people, and wildlife.  A few pubs or river-boat cafes can often be found too.  A splendid way to pass a few hours.
• Take a boat out: A canal-boat, a small-engine boat or a small sailing-boat … either or.  So much fun and relaxation to be had chugging along the river.
• Woodland walk:  With friends and family, with furry pets, or alone … wonderful times can be enjoyed in the woods.  And it's free – yay!
• 5K or 10k challenge:  Oh yeah! You've been training.  You feel nearly ready – head out and test your time and stamina.
• Butcher a pig day:  Yep!  We know many who have had a beast of a day, learning about some meat and butchery skills.
• Sports massage:  Come on! You deserve it.
• Take a driving experience:  Come on! You want it.
• Zip wire experience:  Come on! Bring a gang and do it! (lots going on in Wales for this – Google it!)
• Volunteer experience with local wide life society: Meaningful and enjoyable…
• Come Dine competition:  Create a monthly dinner party scene where friends dine and compete – you'll create memories, and you'll roar with laughter in years to come as you recall these nights.  Everyone gets SO competitive!
• Pottery class:  They are everywhere.  Try something new!
• Bake day: If you don't usually, try baking a cake or tart or bread.
• Shop & cook for a recipe: Decide on a new dish and get all you need to try it out.  Great with a bit of X Factor – Saturday night sorted!
• Snowdome:  Got a fake ski slope nearby?  OMG, you're so lucky! Go for it.
• Wall climbing:  Try this, then with a bit of confidence you can head out to the wilds to try out the real thing!
• OMG – we could continue …as we have so many ideas and life is so damn exciting AF.

So get thinking and make the next few weekends something special.

PROMISE US THIS THOUGH… you'll send photos to us if you do any of this?

Hell yeah!