When I was trying to moderate my drinking, my aim was to only drink on the weekend.
However, it often seemed that any day ending in ‘y’ was a good enough reason to pour a glass … and often the next, and the next.
Canadian comedian Julie Nolke’s ‘Impossible New Year’s Resolution’ sketch on YouTube, really resonated with me. Or at least, the old me.
She decides on a healthy new year’s resolution – drinking only two nights a week (Fridays and Saturdays).
She quickly adds in Wednesdays as ‘they’re hump days’ then Thursday as it is such a party day.
Then there is Sunday which is roast day. And then Monday because she gets uptight at the beginning of the week.
And then finally she throws in Tuesdays ‘just in case’.
“That’s all the days,” her alter ego reminds her.
And while I laughed, I could so relate to that way of thinking.
Always a reason to have a drink
Although I liked to describe myself as a weekend drinker, my definition of ‘weekend’ was pretty loose.
It would cover at least three nights – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then Thursdays would often get thrown into the mix because they were almost the weekend.
So that then left Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as alcohol-free days although, even if I didn’t drink on those nights, my body was still processing the alcohol from the previous four nights.
And I was thinking of drinking on the weekend!
Also, if I found an exception to the ‘only drinking on weekends’ rule – I’d had a tough day at work or I had something on a weeknight – all bets were off.
Like good-intentioned Julie in the video, there was often a reason for a drink.
It was the weekend, a party night, a stressful day, a nice meal. I had a whole list of reasons ready to go.
Questioning the reasons
It was only when I started to really question whether alcohol was serving me in all these ways – picking me up when down, reducing my anxiety when worried and helping me to enjoy an occasion when happy – that I realised it was doing none of these things.
In fact, the more I broke it down, I realised it was stealing my joy, exacerbating my worries and making my lows even worse.
So, while I can laugh at the skit because of its relatability, I’m so glad that this type of thinking no longer is in my life.
If you’re sick of the way you’re drinking and would like help to change, you can book in for a free discussion call to chat about the ways I can support you.