I’ve never really been one for new year’s resolutions. Unless you have picked up some really anti-social habits in the previous 12 months such as chain-smoking, chewing khat or compulsive public masturbation, then I can’t see the point in starting a new year with a new ‘you’. And why wait for January if you want to make a lifestyle change?
But times have changed. To prove that I’m a hypocrite open to new ideas, I’ve decided to start the new year (well, from the 3rd actually) with a self-imposed ban on alcohol. And I can assure you that it has nothing to do with my recent trip to a Muslim country, where booze was harder to come by and expensive. Neither is it due to a worry that I have a drink problem. I don’t.
I have, in fact, thought carefully about my reasons for taking on this challenge, and they are (in no particular order of importance):
Health – clearly alcohol has no health benefits, except arguably for the occasional glass of red wine every so often. But then I’m more of a beer man myself, which means that I run the risk of, at least, an unsightly beer belly if I drink too much or, at worst, a multitude of health problems. Plus, I seem to have developed an allergy to beer. No kidding, fate has dealt me the cruellest of hands. I now suffer from nasal congestion and the worst hangovers, from drinking as little as four pints of beer. How has that happened?
Money – booze is becoming more expensive by the year. I now have to shell out more than £4 for a bottle of beer in some places. That’s less than a pint! So perhaps, I can protest in my own small way with a self-imposed prohibition, and register a micro-wave on the beer Richter Scale of the British Beer and Pub Association and, in the process, save myself a few quid.
Education – I am currently studying for exams so the denial of alcohol for one month makes perfect sense. Even if I only have a few drinks, they still disrupt sleeping patterns and induce a degree of lethargy the following day. All of which makes for a less productive day, which I can do well do without this month.
Willpower – I want to find out if I can socialise without the demon drink and actually enjoy myself, make intelligent conversation (because there’s a first time for everything) and feel at ease in such scenarios. I also want to discover if I have the mental strength to ignore the inevitable peer pressure to break the beer ban. And if I can, then there is no reason why I can’t take exercise more seriously and return to the four times per week routine of previous months.
Future lifestyle – let’s face, I’m not getting any younger. So, if this month-long booze deprivation is successful, then I see no reason why I can’t take on board what I’ve learned from my experience and use it to affect some permanent lifestyle changes. Although nothing too drastic. I couldn’t ever give up alcohol completely. Ugh… what a dreadful thought.
Well done, Look forward to reading your blog “my month without booze” on the 3rd February. 🙂
Haha – there will be a post then!
I wish you the best of luck sir! I think it’s something I should contemplate because of all the reasons you have mentioned above.
You never know at the end of the month you may be thinking a life without alcohol is not such as bad prospect.
Here in Australia we have a FebFast. Check it out!
http://www.febfastfundraising.com.au/event/febfast2012
You can say you are joining in a month early!
Is it because February is the shortest month or that it starts with an ‘f’ which fits nicely with ‘feast’ for aliteration purposes?
Best of luck to you. Not much of a drinker myself, but giving up food for a month might be a good idea.
Giving up food may be a tad drastic!
Hey there! It’s me! You checked out my blog and I’m checking out yours like I said! I love it! It’s pretty amazing I must say! I really love the theme too! This is sooo going on my blogroll!
Oh, thanks very much. Hope your blog evolves into something great!
Best of luck with your studies. I’m sure you’ll pull through and graduate/finish.
I enjoy white wine and some reds. Problem is that I’m allergic to alcoholic drinks and it only takes less than half a glass for me to become slightly drunk.
There is an upside to all this:
When you get older, drinking less alcohol…means less calories. So I’m not easily tempted unless I was to make a fool of myself, particularily at weddings and business functions. 🙂
Thanks. Your allergy sounds better than mine. Would much prefer to get drunk easily than have a blocked nose and nausea!