Why I finally quit my once a week alcoholic drink

On August 22nd, 2022, I reframed my perspective on alcohol, shifting it from being considered a beverage to recognizing it as a poison. What impact did this reframe have? Well, I transitioned from consuming one to two drinks weekly to having had only three drinks since then. 

What motivated this shift in my view of alcohol? It was triggered by listening to the Huberman Lab podcast titled "What Alcohol does to your Body, Brain, and Health" available at https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health.

The transformation was brought about by three key realizations:

1. Alcohol eliminates bacteria in my gut, including the beneficial ones, disrupting my microbiome and hindering its proper functioning.

2. Alcohol disrupts deep sleep, as evident from data collected through my Oura ring and about which I often journaled. This disruption robbed me of about two days of quality sleep, crucial for the body's repair processes, particularly for someone active with past injuries.

3. Alcohol contributes to weight gain, a fact I had previously observed in my journal entries. I often noticed that when I needed to shed some pounds, abstaining from alcohol for a few weeks did the trick.

This podcast served as a wake-up call, although I had already journaled about two of these revelations, and the third was self-evident upon reflection. So why did this podcast become the catalyst for changing my weekly drinking habit?

I believe it simply reinforced what I already knew and removed all the excuses I had for continuing a habit that was clearly harming me. If I truly loved myself, why would I persist in something that was harming my health? I couldn't live with that inconsistency any longer. I needed to make a behavioral change. I shared my new perspective with my husband, and he agreed to the change. We decided not to drink unless there was a genuinely compelling reason.

I've only had three such reasons since, and even then, I realized it wasn't worth it. We now engage in deep discussions before buying a bottle of wine and have consistently concluded that it's not worth it.

Do you find yourself engaged in any self-destructive behavior that you're aware of but haven't stopped? If so, what's keeping you from quitting, and how can you reframe your thinking to reduce self-harm and bring less negativity into the world?

I'm always here to provide support and encouragement to anyone trying to shift their perspective and behavior. Feel free to reach out if you need some encouragement.