100 Days Without Alcohol- Challenge Completed! Pt. 1

Well I can honestly say that me 8 months ago would not have predicted attempting the 100 day sober challenge, let alone completing it. And yet here I am, having successfully run through the finishing line ribbon. The road has been long, difficult and, spoiler alert, absolutely worth it. Anyone who knows me would be forgiven for having had their doubts. It’s the first challenge I’ve completed of its kind in my adult life, save perhaps when I was prepping for my MMA fights. I am not someone who barely drank and for whom this challenge was an easy adjustment. Neither am I someone who had hit rock bottom and had no choice. I, like most people for whom drinking is the norm, didn’t know if it was possible for me to go entirely without this most socially acceptable of drugs, and questioned what that would mean for my life.

I want my journey to be a testament to you that it is in fact possible. Not only possible but highly recommended. This challenge has helped me to grow in innumerable ways and had a huge impact on not only my health but my mental tenacity. It is a marker for achieving things I didn’t think I could before. I hope as you’re reading this it inspires you to join me on this journey of self-improvement and levelling up (in which case give this account a cheeky follow).

The more you nurture that belief in yourself, the more challenges you believe you can face and conquer. And now without further ado, you can follow the trials and tribulations of my final 40 days. If you are just joining me now, you will find all the other posts in this series (including my research into the effects of alcohol, the first 30 and 60 days) linked at the end. As with previous posts I have split my account of events into two parts, so stay tuned for the finale, during which I overcame yet greater difficulties.

Day 61 — Sound In the Background

Emotional setbacks in my life are making me realise how consistently the very quiet trigger voice of ‘I need a drink’ was there before and I didn’t even realise it. Like when a background noise suddenly stops and you notice it so suddenly, but if it had persisted you wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

Day 62 — Wine Filled Dreams

So last night, for the first time since the beginning of the experiment, I dreamt I had some wine. This also happened at the start of the challenge, but back then the dreams were of over indulgence. This time I dreamt of having a single glass of wine. A single glass, and I panicked, because even dream me knew the challenge wasn’t over. The intense relief I experienced when I woke up was crazy. I found myself thinking, it wouldn’t have been worth it, even though it was only a single glass. As the days go on, the less I think of alcohol as being “worth it” or necessary.

Day 63 — The Cage Fight

I don’t know that I’ve ever attended an MMA event as a spectator without having at least one drink. The amount I had was decreasing and become far mor moderate immediately prior to the experiment, so I felt more prepared than I would have been in years previous. This was also a quieter, calmer venue. The BT Studios. Alcoholic drinks weren’t allowed into the event itself and no one was drinking all that much. This was a sharp contrast to some of the more raucous crowds I was used to. It definitely increased the intensity, vividness and focus of everything. I appreciated that profoundly. I do now feel it an asset to attend these sorts of events with this level of presence. Not drinking didn’t take away from the experience at all. I felt my nerves more, watching a family friend fight, but I did not feel a desire to suppress that.

Day 66 — Weight Loss

As of now I’ve dropped 11kg since before the fasting experiment. There have been a number of reasons for this, including some emotional upheaval, but not drinking has certainly played its part. I’ve reached a point I haven’t in years without trying, and mentally reached a point I never have, of not wanting to lose anymore weight and seeking to remain stable.

Day 67 — Joy

I feel like I finally know the meaning of being drunk and high on life. You don’t need alcohol to feel like that. It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining. Everything is in crystal clear clarity. I feel genuine joy in my life. I’m feeling motivated to compete in Jiu Jitsu again and to keep building on every small achievement.

Day 71 — The Birthday Party

I barely even think of alcohol anymore. It’s lost its sparkle. Connected to good memories still but also a lack of vividness in my memories. It feels like it no longer has a solid place in my routine, more a take it or leave it route. I attended a Birthday party and was one of the only people not drinking. Overall it didn’t affect my experience. I reconnected with old friends and didn’t have to feel self-conscious about the things I said or how I presented myself.

With these events I notice my own awkwardness and shyness to begin with but as the event goes on, I warm up. Conversation flows. As I’ve noticed previously, time is much slower than when I’ve had a drink and my social battery gets used up faster. After 2 hours or so I’m ready to leave but relieved I don’t have to think about where the night will go, how much money I’ve spent (the barman even kindly gave me a non-alcoholic beer on the house) or how I’m going to get myself home. The train ride back is contemplative. I notice drunk people around me and smile at their joviality but am also glad I’m not one of them.

Day 75 — It’s More Common Than You Think

As I discuss my sober challenge with a friend, they revealed to me how they had become conscious of their own issues with alcohol. They reflected that perhaps it was an unhealthy coping mechanism or habit to have a beer of an evening. A lot more of us than we realise fall into the category of I’m not an alcoholic but… When there’s a but, there is no shame whatsoever in that you’ve considered your own relationship with alcohol.

Shame is the biggest deterrent to progress. It’s not about having a “problem” but about framing things in a more positive and less threatening way. Like I would like to be healthier, I’d like to reclaim some of my time and money as examples. A big thing is realising that you’re not alone. In doing this challenge, I had more and more people opening up to me about and questioning their own drinking habits. Most found it inspiring. I hope that in recording my journey this can extend outwards. I hope it prompts people to start asking questions, to wonder if there might be a different way of doing things.

*

*

*

Follow and stay tuned for part 2 of the completed 100 days sober journey! I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. All hearts appreciated if you did. I look forward to your comments and questions. If there’s a topic you want to see written about, tell me! I welcome all suggestions.

To see more of my self improvement content or to checkout the rest of my series early you can visit my medium account:

Other Articles in this Series:

• 100 Days Without Alcohol- Challenge Completed! Pt. 2
• What Happened When I Went 60 Days Sober? — Pt.2 The Broken Heart
• What Happened When I Went 60 Days Sober? - Pt. 1
• You Went Sober for 30 Days? Pt. 2
• You Went Sober for 30 Days? Pt. 1
• What I’ve Learned From Going 30 Days Sober
• Why Should You Be Sober Curious?
• Could Alcohol Be Making You Ugly?