You know how it is
Waking up, bleary eyed and clutching your temples – in bed with a banging headache. Rolling over to check the time feels like it takes all your energy, your stomach lurches… and your breath…
Dear Lord, your breath!
But you deserved that time to relax, switch off from the day. Yeah okay, you only planned to have one, which turned to two, and then more.
Still, it was worth it, right? Or actually, when you think about it for a second… was it?
Now all the plans you had for the day feel scuppered – there is no way you feel well enough to get up yet.
But you promised yourself you would get through so much today!
And you had better hide the various packages and left over remnants from your midnight snack before someone sees – the embarrassment would send you over the edge!
All you can think to yourself, as you rub your face and pray for quiet is: “I’ve done it again.”
But this isn't your fault
Unfortunately, we live in a world where drinking surrounds us at every turn. Years of psychological conditioning have set you up… to slip up. And there’s a simple explanation for that.
Alcohol is entrenched in the very fabric of who we are and what we do – and over time your brain has built specific neural pathways that all end up in one particular place when you think about relaxation and fun.
That’s how our society has trained you – from a very young age.
But that doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, or even a devoted binge-drinker. Far from it.
It can be as innocent as the couple of beers you relax with during the week, or the glass of wine that helps you unwind after a hard day’s work.
Or even the snap decision to grab the alcohol menu when sitting down for dinner at the restaurant.
Because right now you probably didn’t even think about going straight to that wine list, or about ordering that beer as soon as the barman asked what you wanted.
It’s a reflex, not a choice. And when people don’t follow this habit they stand out like a sore thumb.
Breaking this neural link and enjoying absolute control in your life and decisions can be an exhausting process… unless you do it with the proven methods behind One Year No Beer.
Truth is, there is another way. If you hadn’t had those drinks last night – or you had managed to stop ‘after just one’, then you’d be up, making the most of your day. Your head would be clear, you wouldn’t be sat worrying about what you might have said to upset someone, and you wouldn’t be worried about leaving the house in case you need a quick visit to the porcelain gods.
If you think about it, it is pretty crazy how much alcohol, and one decision to drink it, can impact so much of your life. One night of restless sleep leads to a groggy morning… to an irritated outburst… to a bad mood… to an unproductive workday… to a stressed evening – and on and on and on, like a domino effect.
And all it takes is one choice to set those wheels in motion. That’s why you don’t even need to be what you’d call a “problem drinker” for alcohol to be quietly smothering your dreams, right under your nose.
It doesn’t take long for OYNB members all over the world to realise this. In fact, we’re inundated every day with reports of amazing benefits discovered by going completely alcohol-free instead of just cutting down a bit.
And when the benefits of your own alcohol-free period come to fruition, you’ll see just how little you actually “gave up” – yet you gained everything in return.
That’s the truth of taking an alcohol-free challenge.
Want to know more about how our challenges work? Read our beginners guide to starting an alcohol-free challenge here!
If you are concerned you might be experiencing alcohol withdrawal or have physical symptoms you are unsure of then please contact your local GP or click here to find services in your local area.
