What it’s like being teetotal. Spoiler: it’s pretty sh*t.

Another month, another habit conquered.

Month one of my 2016 habit-themed challenge was no meat, February’s was no booze.

I’m no alcoholic. But rarely would a weekend go by without me having at least one alcohol fuelled ‘binge’ (government’s definition), consuming the recommended weekly allowance of six pints in a short three hour window of a Saturday pub session. And I’d just be warming up. Sorry Mum.

I’d thought about giving up booze for a while.

I’d always been curious to know whether the positives of alcohol (sociable, decent beer, proper pubs, dutch courage) truly did outweigh the negatives (hangovers, poor sleep, health, expensive, the ‘fear’).

And as anyone over the age of 25 can testify, the negatives get so much worse as you get older. I can’t emphasise that point enough.

So as fearful as I was about February’s challenge, I was looking forward to giving my body, mind and wallet a rest for the month.

This is what I learnt:

Brits like to drink.

Not exactly breaking news, but it was a lot more noticeable when not drinking. Pretty much all social occasions revolve around alcohol:

After work drinks? Meet at the pub.
Watching the game with mates on Sunday? Meet at the pub.
Mid-week catch up with the brother and sister? Meet at the pub.

Wait what? You’re not drinking!? What the fuck is wrong with you! — yeah, that also happens a lot.

I have a new found sympathy for those that choose to be teetotal.

There’s a day called Sunday.

Did you know that? Because I didn’t. Suddenly my week consisted of seven days instead of six. That’s a whole 16.66% more week.

Having a productive hangover-free Sunday, or Smugday as I now like to call it, is pretty great.

It’s really fucking boring.

This is the important bit so listen up.

I know your hangover hurts like hell, I know you spent £42 on a 3am Uber, I know you can’t remember everything you said to that mate of a mate, and I know the thought of heading into the outside world seems more daunting right now than an expedition to Mars.

But you know what? It’s all worth it.
Every single last shit thing associated to alcohol is worth it.

I eat out a lot, I went to two gigs, I went to the pub numerous times. I was sober and I had fun, I really did. But with a drink in my hand, I know it would have been a lot more fun.

Without booze I was tucked up in bed by 11.30pm latest. With booze who knows what dumb shit I would have got up to. The unknown is exciting. And I miss it like hell.

Throw in the fact I actually enjoy the taste of alcohol, and it’s a simple equation: Positives of alcohol > Negatives of alcohol

I’ll never complain about a hangover again.

Next up: 10k steps a day.

Disclaimer: this is my opinion on alcohol, and mine alone. There are lots of very happy teetotallers out there, I know that. I’m just stating that it ain’t for me :)