Learning To Like Blueberries

It’s easy to throw in the teetotal towel in the early days of alcohol-free living because it takes a while to adjust to a new way of being. Human beings are incredibly adaptable but we do need a bit of time to get used to a different pace of life. Binge drinking tends to bring with it a chaotic existence and despite the alcohol-induced dramas being destructive and upsetting and something most people are desperate to leave behind, ‘normal’ life can seem a little slow in comparison when you finally put down the bottle.

This picture is of my 11-month-old, Lily Jean. She is just learning to eat finger foods and is not (how shall I put this?) approaching the new meal format with enthusiasm. It would be hasty and somewhat ridiculous of me to assume that on the basis of how she handled her fruit selection today (alternating between throwing it at the dog whilst giggling maniacally and staring at it as though I had scraped it off my shoe prior to serving it up) she will never enjoy eating finger foods.

However, after years of heavy drinking, it can feel as though we will never adjust to a new, sober and non-dramatic lifestyle and many of us decide to return to old (and problematic) habits before we have given ourselves a real chance to change.

If you have recently become a non-drinker, try to ride those tempting storms of alcohol cravings and remind yourself that you will eventually adapt to, and enjoy, life without alcohol. It might just take a while longer than you had initially hoped…