I trust you all had a fantastic break and are now looking forward to a more positive and productive 2022.
The New Year brings with it, a tradition of making resolutions to do some things differently and, if you, like me, have used the pandemic to slip into some bad habits, then now is a great time to re-balance things.
I know, during the first lockdown, I started doing more exercise, DIY, gardening and having more time to relax and reflect, but, with it, came an increase in alcohol. I started drinking every night, sometimes too much, and this habit was an easy one to explain away. I began telling people “It’s ok because I only drink at night and I get up and do what I need to do, so it’s not impacting my life or anyone else” The fact is, it effectively made me a ‘functioning alcoholic’ and I wasn’t facing the fact, it was having an impact at some level, albeit a hidden impact.
My blood pressure was high and, unknown to me, my tolerance level was lower than normal, which my family had picked up on, but not really mentioned. This eventually morphed into a degree of lethargy at times when, normally, I’d be full of beans and getting things done. Nothing big or obvious but little indicators that, when I look back, could have had a big impact if it got worse. One small change in habits could have started impacting many other areas of my life, and not in a positive way!
Fortunately, I like my health and fitness and I always train during the week, so I was very aware that sometimes I was not as good as I should have been and that was because I’d had a few beers the night before.
So, here we are, the 10th of January and I haven’t had a beer (or any alcohol) since the 4th and it’s no big deal. I haven’t struggled to sleep, wake, rest, work or anything else. I do appreciate it’s only 6 days in and that’s normal for quite a few of you and, if I do fancy a few beers I will have them. I just needed to do the annual ‘check in’ on myself and keep on top something that could have been an issue if left to develop further.
What one thing do you need to reign back in, reduce, increase, stop or even start? Something that gives you a positive output and then overlaps and seeps into other things in your life.
We all know we have an area that needs attention and if, like me, it relates to a potential health issue, then now is a great time to deal with it.
Good luck and, once again, Happy New Year. I hope it brings you everything you wish for.