Every so often, we may feel a bit out of balance– physically, mentally, emotionally, or all three at once. When this occurs it is usually beneficial to evaluate what or who in your life may be contributing to this imbalance and inharmonious disequilibrium. For me, this disequilibrium is the devil itself–alcohol.
I knew I was drinking a lot. But we’re in college… we’re supposed to drink a lot… right? I thought I had it under control. I would have a glass of wine while watching some chick flicks. That’s ok. But soon enough one glass turned into four or five and I was stumbling my way to bed. Not ok anymore. Even when my roommate would join me, I was exceeding her limit rather quickly. After binging fairly regularly, putting myself and others in danger, and making poor life decisions, I decided to reevaluate my life and the direction it was taking. I knew that drinking was getting in the way of my yoga practice, which I had to put a stop to. My yoga teacher encouraged us to try a 10 day challenge of our choice. She told us to add or subtract something from our lives that we either thought we might need or that was no longer serving us. I knew this was my opportunity to make some changes and see if I could abstain for that long. I had tried so many times before to give up alcohol, but had failed each time. This time I was determined to prove to myself and others that I was better than the way I had been behaving.
The Challenge
Day 1: The first day of the challenge, I was invited to go out for happy hour at a dive bar. I accepted the invitation with no intention of getting an alcoholic beverage, but in the back of my mind I thought I might give in. To my surprise, when our drink order was being taken I blurted out “shirley temple, please”. Everyone looked at me strangely and I simply explained I was on a cleanse. Refraining from the round of drinks my friend picked up was extremely difficult to do.
Days 2-4: The next few days I was presented with the opportunity to drink, which I struggled to turn down. I was home alone and wanted to drink. I was with a friend and wanted to drink. I was going out and wanted to drink. I was in between classes and wanted to drink. I was home from work and wanted to drink. I soon realized that I either drank almost everyday, or had to opportunity to drink everyday. Day two and three and four were a struggle to turn down the free alcohol around me.
Days 5-7: I spent these nights at the bars with my friends. I offered to be the designated driver because of the ‘cleanse’ I was doing, which pleased everyone who got to drink. Luckily the energy of the group was high and I did not need alcohol to have fun and stay out late. This was still a challenge however, because after these long days I just wanted to have a cold beer.
Days 8-10: On day 8 I noticed a change. I was no longer craving the one thing I was depriving myself of. With time it became easier to say no to and not crave alcohol. I was surprised to see these changes. I had expected myself to binge again after the ten days were up. But not waking up with a hangover feels extraordinarily good physically and emotionally.
The Results
Ten days turned into twelve rather quickly without my knowing. After being twelve days sober I felt like better physically, mentally, and emotionally. I recommend a ten day challenge to anyone who feels they need to add or remove something or someone from their life. To me the ten days felt like it would never end, but with patience I was able to prove to myself and accomplish a goal I hadn’t thought possible. I feel accomplished and joyous knowing that I have the power to refrain whenever I want. I think this new skill will help me save a lot of relationships in the future and keep myself and others safe. It’s a tool that I have to come back to the rest of my life when things feel a little off balance.