Drinking Less Means Going Out Less

Drinking less means you'll go out less. You'll have to get comfortable with it!

You certainly imagine that part, but you don't really understand until it happens again and again.

When I was drinking, if I had a late dinner or a party on a late Saturday night, I'd have one or two drinks at home first to pump me up when I was dead tired. Honestly, it's the best caffeine you can take at 8 p.m., even if people say alcohol is relaxing. It got me in the mood, and then I could go out.

Same thing on trips with friends.. or the 'boys trip'. We'd go two, three days in a row, sometimes four. I have a lot of natural energy, but without alcohol I'm not sure I could do that. It helped me a lot.

Last Saturday, my brother had a Halloween party. We have two kids, one is four months old, and their mom isn't sleeping super well. I wanted to at least pass by. Around 10 p.m. she went to sleep, and I could have gone. Before, I would have done it, with a little FOMO. But I don't have that anymore. I also had to get up early the next morning with my daughter, and I know going out late would have affected my whole week. So I stayed home.

And it's not just that Saturday. A lot of the time, people want to go out after 9 p.m., and it's not organized or planned, it just happens. Before, I loved the spontaneity of that, a last minute "let's go" and I was in. Now I'm way less spontaneous, and that part is tougher.

I don't miss the hangovers, that's not what this is about. What I'm learning is that you have to get comfortable with going out less, and restructure how you have fun, what drives you, what excites you. I do more productive things now. I still keep time for friends and family, but it looks different: more sports, more day activities, less late night stuff. A Saturday morning 9 a.m. at the swimming class with my daughter is one of those things now. It's not always easy, and I'm still figuring out the rest.

I got comfortable with it. And I'm okay with that.

SP.