A couple of weeks ago I shared a post that included an update from someone we work with who'd made amazing progress with their healthy habits.
The catalyst to the great progress in this case was taking a break from alcohol.
As you know, we never make judgements on behaviours and alcohol can be a sensitive subject, but the update inspired me to do a review of my relationship with alcohol.
It’s a useful thing to do at any time, particularly after the festive period.
In the past I’ve done periods without alcohol - 4 weeks, 3 months, even 6 months - but since Covid I'd say my approach has been more passive than proactive.
Anyway, as I said, we never give direct instructions on what behaviours work - we're all individuals after all and we'd never TELL anyone to stop drinking - but I wanted to share my observations.
Mainly because even I’m surprised at the difference.
After just 2 weeks!
I sleep better
My energy levels are better
I feel like I have way more time
I feel calmer
I’m making better food choices
I'm reading more
I'm enjoying my work, family and down time more
That’s how I feel and I can also see a dramatic difference when I do my weekly review of health stats from my watch.
As you can see from the screenshots below:
Here's the data from mid-December 2023:
And here's the same KPIs after 2 weeks alcohol free:
By removing alcohol:
I’ve done more exercise
I’ve taken more walks as I know that, thanks to better energy and a clearer head, these times are great for creativity and problem solving
Run times and distances are improving
My stress levels are down
My resting heart rate is down
Sleep is up by 90-minutes per night. That's like getting a whole extra night's worth of sleep across the week!
So, a massive thank you to our amazing clients who inspire us every day and keep us on track!
And remember, whatever healthy habits you're working on at the moment, who can you inspire to great results of their own?
Further reading
If you want to explore your relationship with alcohol, here are some other articles that might help.