May 20, 2024
So, most of you know that I went on an alcohol-free journey from 2019.
I had been trying to cut down my wine drinking since 2017 – and finally, from September 2019, I stopped completely.
I must just explain that I was a ‘social’ drinker like most sophisticated, upwardly mobile women. I drank expensive wine every weekend, at events, over lunches at restaurants. The idea was never to get drunk. I can count on my fingers the occasions that I was drunk. I drank my beautiful wine happily, you know, it was normal, it was social, it was a lifestyle.
But that started bothering me. I got even more bothered when I tried to have a wine-free weekend and I couldn’t!
That was in 2017. To cut a long story short, in 2019 I began a Sober Spring program that is run by the incredible Janet Gourand in September every year – and I never looked back.
I had not touched wine from that moment! I went through 2019 December wine-free! And the entire 2020. Yes, I think lockdown helped, I really do, but even after the government opened liquor sales, I didn’t go there.
Whenever I craved wine, I would have the non-alcoholic versions. Some are great – such as the Lotus range from Woollies. And some are just bad. I also rather enjoyed the non-alcoholic beers – especially Heineken.
So… this year, however, I had occasions when I had wine. About 2 glasses with company. I never have it alone because that’s part of the issue. I have probably had wine 5 times this year. And it’s been strange – my relationship with wine is definitely not the same. It no longer has that intense hold on me. I even forget it exists…
That’s all I wanted – to be in control of my life and not to struggle with impulse control. Now that I seem to have found that during lockdown, I’m wondering if I should stop completely… that I should lead a full-on alcohol-free life…. Decisions, decisions…
To be continued…
Anyone doing Sober Spring or OcSober? And also, if you don’t mind, how’s your relationship with alcohol?
“Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am Lebo Pule, teacher and founder of stretchschoolsa. Aka Principal.
The school is officially open. We launched it on the 1st of September with a free mini-course. You are welcome to enroll and do the free course.
Enroll and try it out. Who knows, the stretch program may just be exactly what you need.
Here is the link to join the school: https://stretch-school-sa.teachable.com/p/home
And here is the link for the free course:
