i am on day 2 of the annie grace 30 day challenge. so that means last night was the first night in years that i didn't have a drink.
what i noticed:
1. i felt incredibly hungry
2. i drank 3 LaCroixs
3. i remembered the plot of the TV show my wife and i watched for the first time in forever
4. i slept "ok" but mostly interrupted due to a toddler coming into the bed
5. i got out of bed much easier in the am
6. it wasn't as hard as i thought
Are any of these findings strange or similar to what you all see?
does it get harder on the weekends? after 3 or 4 days?
You will sleep better and it will be easier to get out of bed in the morning. That's for sure. Not EASY, mind you, but certainly less difficult. I still drink coffee first thing in the morning, so there's that.
Drinking the fizzy water can be a good beer substitute if you're not so addicted as to be physically dependent. It gives you the sensation of cracking something open, feeling the carbonation, and drinking it. You might not actually be thirsty, but you're subconsciously craving that experience. Extra water won't hurt you.
Re: tv show. Yeah, if you're in the habit of forgetting the plot of TV shows, it's a good thing you're putting down the booze. It's not as serious an issue as, say... missing dinner every night b/c you were out drinking and then coming home and breaking shit, but it's a sign that things aren't right. It's nice to remember stuff, yeah?
Weekends might be hard if you're only used to spending your time drinking. Find things to do that don't involve alcohol or that would be impossible to do well if you were drinking: riding bikes, rock climbing, playing any sport, doing projects around the house, taking your toddler to a playground or to a pool, etc. Otherwise, you'll probably drink.
If your standard social activity is sitting around with friends and drinking, it will be hard to be in that environment and not drink. The thing to remember is that nobody else really cares whether you're drinking gin or water. People are mainly focused on themselves, sadly. You'll probably find that you're still fun, witty, capable of enjoying yourself, etc. with or without booze.