Sarah Duffy’s alcohol free lent was just what she needed
While everyone on social media seemed to be observing ‘Dry January’, I was travelling around India with my best friend. I thought I was becoming genuinely Zen until we arrived at Alleppey in Kerala where nowhere served alcohol. Panic ensued.
Instead of accepting our fate, we raced to the first off-licence we could find. It was a government-run shop that had barred windows and a long line of men waiting in the blistering sun for their turn at the till. Sober, sunburned and female, we didn’t fit the mould of the regular clientele, but we didn’t care; we were getting a drink.
There, I joked that during my adult life I didn’t think I had ever gone a week without drinking. But suddenly, the joke turned into a realisation — I really had never gone a week without drinking.
I flew back to London, a city I had moved to 18 months previously and where I could find myself out socialising, drinking four or five nights a week. I couldn’t shake off my Indian wake up-call ; I needed to try life without alcohol for a while and Lent was the perfect opportunity.
Drinking was making me tired, anxious, and less productive for days on end after a night out. I was drinking up to 45 units of alcohol a week, women shouldn’t exceed 14.
I wanted to see if I could go cold turkey for the 40 days. As a Irish girl, nothing can beat a bad habit quite like Lent, but you don’t just have the option to give things up, you can also take things on. I set myself a goal to take on a good habit every one of the seven weeks. Seven goals in total. I hoped to improve in mind, body and soul.
I bid a boozy farewell to my old life on Pancake Tuesday and became a teetotaller on February 18.
I read. I bought what I hoped would be uplifting material to inspire me on my journey. This included ‘The Pilgrimage’, ‘The Secret’ and ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’. The first book was certainly inspiring, as was the second. The third is still on my shelf. I could never find time to read it and, judging from the title, it’s clearly one I should have paid more attention to.
I got mindful. I did a guided 10-minute mindfulness meditation every morning using an app called ‘Headspace’ which describes itself as a ‘gym membership for the mind’. The idea is to let go of all your thoughts and live in the moment. It turns out it is very difficult to think of nothing, especially when you are thinking about thinking of nothing. But it definitely made me more relaxed for my daily commute on the Tube — and it wasn’t a glass of wine.
On the third week I rose again to judge the lively and the drinking. This week I juiced. I bought a Nutribullet, which is basically a really fancy blender that costs £100 because it calls itself an ‘extractor’.
I made 18 juices to be consumed during a three day juice cleanse. To be honest, the results were not worth the effort. I felt tired and lost little weight. It was nice to be constantly sipping on something but a shot of wheatgrass really can’t give you the burst of energy a shot of whiskey can.
Nonetheless, my blender purchase had me well prepared for week four. I ate ‘Paleo’. This diet involves eating like a hunter-gatherer and cutting out processed carbs and sugar. A diet without bread is not a good one for drinkers who need soakage so I had never bothered trying it before.
After a week of eating lean chicken breasts and plain vegetables I did see an improvement in my energy levels and I definitely looked leaner.
I also jogged. I used a running app to slowly build up my fitness levels and by the fifth week of Lent, I was jogging 5k every morning. Waking up had become easier. I had a clear head without alcohol coursing through my body and I was sleeping better.
Finally, I worked on my soul. It was important for me to try some things that would be best experienced while sober and so, I raved. I got up at 6am and went to a club in East London with my housemate.
Saturday morning gym! Maybe the only merit of giving up alcohol for lent! #soberlent #smug #5krunDONE
— Sarah Duffy (@IamSarahDuffy) February 28, 2015
There, we danced and drank coffee and tried to suss out who was sober and who was on a roll-over from the night before. Everyone was so happy to be alive at this event, run by Morning Gloryville, that it was hard to tell.
We got our faces painted and danced to 90s Pop and Funk with people in unicorn onesies and mums who brought their babies. At 8.30am we washed our faces and headed to work, delighted that we had done so much with our day before 9am.
I cycled. I bought a bike and used it as my main method of transport. I have wanted to get back on the saddle for years but terrifying London city traffic put me off it. With a clear, sober mind, I felt I could take on the challenge.
I cycled morning and night around the capital. It was scary at times but very freeing to not be dependent on buses or trains.
Outside of accomplishing these weekly goals, I got on with everything else in my life. I didn’t shy away from events that I would usually drink at, I just experienced them differently. I went to house parties, watched the Six Nations in pubs, went on a date, joined after-work drinks and survived a sober Paddy’s Day.
I found other people to be more uncomfortable about my sobriety than I was in these situations. Overall it was a very valuable experience and, although I was dying for a glass of red wine on Easter Sunday, the positives of not drinking far outweighed the negatives.
My mood improved. I had more energy, no alcohol-related anxiety and this seriously smug sense of satisfaction on days that I got my washing done, went the gym and made my lunch – all before work. People have commented that I am glowing — and not pregnant — I know it is due to my lifestyle.
I also sought out activities that didn’t involve alcohol and in 40 days ended up seeing theatre, watching films, visiting new markets, going to galleries, learning to cook and spending quality time with friends.
In some ways I might miss being teetotal. In many ways, it was more freeing than limiting and I had much more control over my life.
I may give up alcohol again but for now, six and a half weeks has been long enough.
DISCOVER MORE CONTENT LIKE THIS
What regular heavy drinking is doing to you
Heavy drinking interferes with the neurotransmitters in the brain that are needed for mental health. This can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.
Alcohol can damage your memory. Short-term memory failure or ‘blackouts’ can happen soon after drinking alcohol but drinking heavily on a regular basis can have long-term effects on memory.
Drinking can affect the quality of your sleep. It disrupts deep sleeping patterns contributing to a lethargic feeling the next day.
Excessive drinking can lead to cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and heart attacks.
If you drink most days of the week you will increase your risk of developing liver disease.
Drinking alcohol regularly can increase your risk of developing seven types of cancer, including liver, bowel and breast cancer.
It can contribute to the conditions that cause diabetes such as increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin and causing weight gain associated with type two diabetes.
Consuming alcohol over a long period of time can damage the reproductive systems of men and women leading to serious fertility problems.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
