Experiences During A Year Without Alcohol: A Journey of Personal Growth

Each year, I take on a new challenge to test my willpower. In 2024, I gave up alcohol. I didn’t have a drink the whole year. No more mojitos or moscow mules.

I found my experiences as a non-drinker and everyone’s reactions to my resolution interesting. I want to share my experiences and reflections with you as we begin a new year. They might provoke you to reflect on your own goals.

The “Why” Behind My Resolution

I had more than one reason to give up alcohol in 2024. It wasn’t just about willpower.

Health

I didn’t like how my stomach felt after a glass or two of wine. My mind felt too alert to fall asleep after a late night.

Even though it felt good at the moment, it always felt uncomfortable after. I didn’t like being too tired when I returned home from a gathering.

But, living in California, it is hard to escape. The beautiful vineyards aren’t far from where I live.

People gift wine for almost every occasion and serve it at every gathering. A Casual gathering? Wine. Birthday? Wine.

Alignment

Over the past few years, I have been building a meditation practice. My meditation teachings have taught me that a disciplined mind leads to happiness, while a lack of discipline in our minds and lives leads to poor judgment and choices.

Having alcohol felt like it was defeating the purpose of my teachings. How can I have a clear mind and control what I say and do with something known to lower my inhibitions?

So, it was the natural next step to take a break from it.

Experiences as a Non-drinker

It wasn’t hard not to drink at the parties. I was never hooked on it, so I just blocked it out of my mind. What’s interesting is how it affected the way people viewed me.

At every gathering, I found myself explaining why I wasn’t drinking. Shouldn’t the other people explain why they were having so many drinks? Why is it the other way around?

A friend of a friend once asked, ‘Oh, Shilpa, isn’t she the one who doesn’t eat meat and doesn’t drink?’.

Was this my new identity? I wondered. Is this what people consider when deciding who to be friends with?

Another friend asked me at a party when they realized I wasn’t drinking, Are you following the monk path? Meditation and no alcohol might have given that impression.

Other friends were eagerly waiting for my resolution to end so they could share a drink with me.

Reflecting on the Year

Time flew, and a whole year had passed before I knew it. I managed without a single drink and didn’t crave it much.

Without the alcohol, my energy levels were up, and I didn’t feel sick or too drowsy during events anymore.

There were only two times I craved a drink. First, when I was lounging by the beach in Hawaii. Whenever I saw someone carrying a tropical cocktail, I wished to take a sip.

The Second time was around my first violin recital. I wished I had a drink to calm my nerves, but I had to remember to rely on the positive tools I was building to deal with stress and not on quick fixes.

A Taste of the Past

A few nights ago, I had my glass of wine on New Year’s Day. It was a familiar feeling. But it wasn’t a ‘Thank goodness I can finally drink’ feeling.

We had someone over, and I decided to give them company. It was a familiar feeling.

I then decided to have another glass. I could now feel my body relaxing. I was slouching a little more and struggling to stay alert.

I wasn’t jumping into conversation every time I had something to share. I was slowing down but aware of the sensations and thoughts.

Do I want this? I thought. Do I want to feel less alert and lose control over what I say or how I say it? I don’t think so. I poured the bottle’s leftovers into the sink. There was no point in refrigerating.

Growth in Reflections and Resolutions

Every time I turned down a drink this past year, I felt empowered. Like I was moving closer to the person I wanted to be. Not having a drink felt more right than having one.

I am not trying to be a monk but someone with a clear and disciplined mind in control of my thoughts and actions.

I don’t have any hard and fast rules for alcohol for the new year, but I can already see that it doesn’t align with the person I want to be. I want it to have a natural progression.

My 2025 goals will be more challenging than before. I am giving up deep-fried foods and anything made with refined flour. I also want to be more consistent and productive in my work and deepen my meditation practice.

How did your resolutions in 2024 go? Are you carrying them over to 2025 or have a new focus? Whatever the resolutions, reflections are as critical as the resolutions.