pouring into yourself first 🍸

Helloooooooo hi my lovey!! Okay you know what’s WILDLY precious is the other day, I was maybe texting a friend back or writing a caption or it could have been after writing another blog I have no idea but, I was giggling at myself for how I type exactly as I talk, and how I love emphasizing things in capitals or with emojis around words because it just feels so ✨ animated ✨ and fun…..right??? Right and I was wondering if everybody appreciates that or if it’s really just me and I’m doing it for my own pleasure, either way I do not care at all but it came into my mind that I remember loving the Geronimo Stilton 🐭 books when I was in elementary school – if you don’t know them you’re either too old, too young or you simply missed out on iconic literature – but I think the reason I loved them so much is because the author highlighted a handful of words on the page and made them animated or different colours or fonts to reflect what the word was and it was just engaging?! Anyway my point being it’s super cute that I’m basically living out my childhood dreams in being creative in this way hahahaha so happy you’re part of it.

So I started tapping into the threads space a few months ago and I actually really like it, which is so interesting because I never had twitter ever, even when it was in its prime in high school hahah but I seem to be in an era of loving written words clearly so I’m having fun with it 🤭 But something I’m seeing a lot of these days that’s making me as equally happy as it is genuinely SAD is people sharing “I’m not drinking these days, how do I navigate the holiday season and having to explain to people why I’m not / I’m anticipating some societal pressure around it”..................ugh. 

The reason this makes me happy is because 4 years ago I cut alcohol completely out of my life for almost a year and since then only really have a drink or two when the vibe hits, which because of the growth I’ve done on myself to no longer neeeeed alcohol to bring a vibe, it doesn’t happen very often, if at all anymore!! So I simply love to see that as a collective we are shifting more into that space (at least it seems like it!!), and thus the reason that it makes me a lil sadsies is because there are still so so so many people that feel the need to pressure or belittle or judge those who choose not to partake in alcoholic adventures. Which is simply unnecessary but clearly comes from a place of insecurity from a very long time of societal conditioning muwahaha

I want to preface this before getting yelled at that I by no means am here to judge anyone that chooses to drink, truly an espresso martini or a campari spritz does indeed bring me joy from time to time, so I think that in moderation it can absolutely be enjoyed. AND ALSO….. hahahaha fuck I love a duality.. also there is so much research and science backing up all the ways in which alcohol has absolutely zero benefit to our health and well being. And I’m pretty certain we all know that. Sorry 🤷🏼‍♀️ This is my sweet sweet blog space so I’m simply sharing my own personal experiences and in doing so, my intention is that at least ONE person resonates or takes something of value from reading so I’m just here to share my thoughts and you definitely can continue to live life with your own thoughts, that will be just fine hehe but perhaps like the hundreds of people on threads looking for insight and shared experience around this topic, you might lean into this one 👀 

What I’ve learnt since eliminating alcohol back in december of 2020 is that first of all, people ARE DEFINITELY going to ask you questions and try to pressure you, especially if you’re someone that didn’t usually turn down a drink, and so the sooner you accept that, the easier it might be to navigate. To be honest I didn’t even intentionally cut it out in the beginning, it was covid and I was living back at my parents for a year and a bit and I noticed that I didn’t have a drink for a whole month, which for a casual wine girly seemed like a long time, so when I noticed it, I was like WELL let’s see how long we can go, because I also was dialled in on my fitness regime and nutrition and knew that I felt really good not drinking so why would I bring it back when I’m just chilling at home most of the time! I don’t know that many people took that angle in covid hahahah but I’m very grateful I did because truly I felt so amazing and getting to where I am now has been life changing! But absolutely people in my life questioned my reasoning and would often try to sway my decision and it was a little challenging in the beginning but the clearer I got on why I wasn't participating at the time, the easier it was for me to brush off!

I also then noticed that when I started drinking at 15 or 16, it became something I did to get more comfortable and loosey goosey in social settings, and I know for a fact that this is the case for a lot of us.. or when you come home from a stressful day and immediately feel the need to pour yourself a drink, when really it's for the dopamine release that alcohol triggers or the disruption of our neurotransmitters that provides a sense of relaxation and less anxiety...rather than regulating your emotional body on your own which is harder to do but long term way more beneficial BUT ANYWAAAAAY as you stop relying on alcohol as a crutch in those settings, you start to tap into your own personal energy and cultivate that confidence and courage without it! Which is absolutely fucking liberating 😇 again I'm not saying don't ever partake but also being able to build the skill of emotional regulation without using substances is pretty important...!! What you might start to notice as you navigate these waters, or at least what I've found is that all it takes is for me to smell alcohol to feel buzzed at this point hahahaha no but after one drink I absolutely feel it and the second one is a bit much for me that I actually start to feel what I imagine others feel in social settings SOBER, because the discomfort is real lol.. I feel a little out of body and not fully myself because I've cultivated that comfort with myself in any setting without alcohol! And nowadays I just decide not to drink because I know it’s better for my body mind and souuuuuul and that uncomfy feeling, PLUS all the other negative physical effects from drinking, are never going to outweigh how great I feel by not drinking… and if I do decide to have one or two it’s simply to enjoy the taste I guess, some cocktails simply don’t need to be mocktails hahaha 🍸 and I’ve yet to come across any actual good alcohol free wine so there’s that. 

So what I often find myself telling people navigating this space is that you really just need to be confident in your choices, even if you’re just in the stage of being sober curious, just straight up tell people you’re finding a balance and playing around, share your honest thoughts and don’t take it personally when people push you, it’s usually just so that they don’t feel weird about drinking alone or have to question why they’re choosing to.. if it makes others uncomfortable that’s for them to navigate lol I do think it’s WILD that society has normalized and even encourages alcohol to the extent it does when it’s literal poison to our bodies but hey they’re just trying to make money, I get it… 👀🤭 but at the end of the day nothing else matters but you doing whatever the fk feels right to you and if that’s binge drinking all week, great I hope you heal…. if its having drinks for girls OR BOYS night out once or twice a week or a date night or if it’s simply whenever you feel like having a drink, do you boo!! 

From someone that’s done most of the above, can confirm that little to none is best possible outcome for your physical, mental, spiritual health and you really don’t need anything to have a good time but your own precious souls energy 🥹💃🏼💋🌶 but of course we can work together down the road if this is something you’re navigating or looking to tap into wow that would actually be so cute of us….!! Okay night cutie angel thank you so much for sharing this space with me <3 

xx Sarah