I Quit Drinking 6 Months Ago, Let’s Talk About That

A recap on my life since I’ve put the bottle down back in January.

Well, I’ve reached the 6 month mark on my alcohol-free journey. If you’ve been following me at the start of 2024, I made the decision to cut alcohol out of my life starting in January.

I’ve wrote a few posts about my sober living so far, the first was just after one month of sobriety, the latter being 2 and a half months after. I discuss the up and downs I went through in those months so if you’re interested, please give them a read! But now we’re halfway through the year, which means I’m about halfway on my alcohol-free life.

For this post, I’m going to break down what the last 6 months have been like for me. I’ll talk a lot about the lifestyle changes I’ve made over the course of the year, and what the plan is for the remainder of 2024. Let’s dive in!

Halftime Report

I can’t help but feel very humbled and shocked at myself that I managed to not drink over these past 6 months. There were times that I felt like I might give in but over the course of January to June, I’ve become much more disciplined than I’ve ever been.

The difference in who I was 6 months ago versus now is night and day, and getting to this point was no easy task. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of being disciplined in the last 6 months, setting out a plan and sticking to it was never something I was good at, but it’s a skill I’ve learned to get better at thanks to quitting alcohol.

In a lot of ways, getting sober has impacted several aspects of my life. I read something recently that said quitting drinking it just a first step in getting closer to the life you want to live (or along the lines of that) and that couldn’t be further from the truth. While yes, getting sober was necessary for me but it also forced me to change and re-evaluate other qualities of life, outside of drinking.

A good example would be my time management, as its gotten significantly better over that last 6 months. Now that I’m not wasting my time drinking or nursing a hangover, I’m using my time effectively. Whether it be on tasks at my full-time job or personal commitments, I’ve been using my time very wisely and have gotten a lot more done in comparison to last year around this same time. With that, my days have become a lot busier but I can’t complain. Being more productive on things I actually want to do instead of wasting my time with a bottle is a solid trade if you ask me.

So, What Changed?

Now lets get into the nitty gritty of my sobriety, the real meat and potatoes of what's been going on.

Lets get the physical and health stuff out of the way first and foremost. Since quitting drinking I promised myself I’d be even more proactive with my fitness goals for 2024. That meant coming up with a new work out plan, tracking my progress and keeping a keen eye on my diet.

Over the last 6 months, I’m confident in saying that I’m now possibly in the best shape I’ve been in my entire life. I’ve seen tremendous improvements in my overall physique, building a sizeable chunk of muscle while also slimming down in some areas. Mind you I’m nowhere near my semi-unrealistic goal of being as ripped as Jeremy Allen White, but I’m definitely on the right path.

When it comes to other aspects like my diet, that’s improved significantly as well. Nowadays I’m able to finish my meals unlike before, and rarely am I snacking away but instead sticking to whole foods. All this has made a huge change with any stomach issues I used to frequently have back when I was drinking. That’s now no longer something I have to deal with!

This also ties into the liquids I consume now. Water is on constant repeat throughout my days, and I do indulge in some pop or sparkling water. Being that it’s the summertime now I’ve been buying a lot more non-alcoholic beers and coolers to sip on, which not only satiate that craving for a drink, but is a nice alternative that’s helped me ween off real booze.

The social aspects though, that’s seen a dramatic shift over the last 6 months. Being able to interact at gatherings sober has its ups and downs. Most times I feel comfortable engaging with others but sometimes I think to myself I really could use a drink right now. Fighting off that feeling has been (and continues to be) quite tough, but I’m persevering and forcing myself to be uncomfortable as I feel it will help.

My friends and family have clearly noticed my abstinence from drinking and thankfully they are understanding. However, there are a handful of people that have egged me on about not drinking, and have tried to persuade me to break my sobriety. It’s very annoying constantly telling these people to fuck off, and has gotten to point where I’ll just walk out of the room or even simply disassociating myself from them. My social circle has gotten significantly smaller since quitting drinking, and has shown me that the ones who have stayed around care more than the ones who’ve left. Accepting that is not easy, but it’s mandatory.

Becoming Cali Sober

*I want to acknowledge that I am not advocating for the use of cannabis, nor am I trying to persuade those to try it. It too is also an addictive substance with its own drawbacks and complications like alcohol, and can be dangerous for some.

Now I need to come clean and say that although I’ve been alcohol-free these past 6 months, I haven’t been completely sober, but more so “Cali Sober". Since February I’ve re-introduced Cannabis back into my life. I mentioned in my March post that I was a frequent toker, but stopped because it was getting in the way of my drinking.

Since bringing it back, I have been very mindful of my consumption, my biggest fear was that weed would become a replacement for my alcohol addiction but thankfully that hasn’t been the case. It’s weird to me how I have much more self control and discipline with the devil’s lettuce than alcohol but it is what it is.

Following influencers such as Anna The Cannabinista on TikTok who gives some pretty solid advice on consumption habits has helped me a lot in controlling my usage, specifically when it comes to the “intent”. To compare, my intention for alcohol was to run away from my thoughts and anxieties. With cannabis, my intent is to simply vibe out and relax, not to use it to deal with stresses or as means to cope with any issues I have. Consuming cannabis with the right intentions has helped me enjoy it in a healthy manner where I have some semblance of greater control unlike alcohol.

What’s Next?

Over the last 6 months, I took hard a look at my relationship with alcohol and the very severe negative impact it was having on my life. Hitting the pause button back in January and taking the steps to achieve an alcohol-free lifestyle was certainly not easy. I can’t tell you the amount of times I felt so close to relapsing. Thankfully with the help of my great support system of friends and family, using the right resources and educating myself a little more. I was able to make it through the last 6 months.

Within my circle I was always getting asked the same question: “So when are you gonna start drinking again Mark?” For those close to me, I’ve mentioned that I would break my sobriety towards the end of July and share a drink with my dad for his 60th birthday. It’s been my answer every time somebody asked me but truthfully, I don’t think that will happen.

Seeing how my life has improved since quitting drinking, and the amount of effort and dedication I’ve put into other aspects of my life since January 2nd has been amazing. Yet I can’t help but feel that if I do break my sobriety (even just for one day) that I’m afraid I’ll set myself back to square one again. To me, it just doesn’t feel worth it.

The first 6 months of 2024 has taught me a lot about myself, the energy I put out to the world, as well as the energy I put into myself. Like I said earlier, quitting drinking will not solve all your problems or suddenly change your life. It’s simply step one to achieving the life that you want to live. Over the first half of 2024, I’ve been slowly making the necessary changes in order to live the life I want to fulfill. The first step for me to do that however, was to put the bottle down.

With that being said, the plan for the rest of 2024 is to still abstain from alcohol. At this point I don’t see any reason to want to have a drink anymore. Taking in the improvements I’ve made, as well as the vast options of alternatives I have at my fingertips. There just isn’t a solid justification for me to want to bring back drinking into my lifestyle again.

I’m quite excited to see how the next 6 months of the year will play out, and as such you can expect a year end update of my alcohol-free journey sometime near the holidays. As always, thank you for reading!