If you're familiar with Wisconsin drinking culture, you probably understand. Alcohol is everywhere. It's how people celebrate, socialize, unwind, and sometimes just pass the time. Heavy drinking isn't necessarily viewed as unusual.
For years, I drank about a bottle of prosecco almost every night.
Here's something I've come to understand about myself: I strongly suspect I have ADHD. My brain is constantly going. I describe it as a tornado of thoughts. I'm also someone who experiences an almost unbearable amount of boredom, even when I have plenty of things I could be doing.
Alcohol helped with both.
That first glass gave me something to look forward to. A little lift, some stimulation, and eventually a quieter brain. It took the edge off the boredom and slowed down the constant mental chatter.
I didn't necessarily drink because I was sad or because something terrible had happened. I drank because I liked the way it changed how I felt.
And that made it a particularly difficult habit to question.
I'd thought about taking a break from alcohol plenty of times, but there was always something uncomfortable about explaining why I wasn't drinking. Especially when drinking is so normalized in your social circle.
I didn't want the questions, the assumptions, or the conversations about whether I had a problem.
Enter the fitness challenge.
Suddenly, I had an excuse that nobody questioned.
"I'm doing a fitness challenge, so I'm not drinking."
That was it. No awkward explanations. No big declarations about sobriety. No need to label my relationship with alcohol.
And perhaps even more importantly, I had accountability. I had committed to something with rules, a purpose, and a goal beyond simply avoiding alcohol.
I wasn't giving something up. I was doing something for myself.
The first week or two was an adjustment. I was exhausted for a while, and the boredom didn't magically disappear. Neither did my busy brain.
But something really interesting happened as the weeks went by.
I started genuinely enjoying my healthier routines. I was strength training, walking, eating better, and beginning to appreciate what my body could do. My sleep improved, and I started feeling better physically.
And eventually, I realized I wasn't constantly looking forward to that evening glass of prosecco anymore.
I still get bored. My brain still runs a million miles an hour. Quitting alcohol didn't suddenly fix those things.
But I'm learning that I don't have to reach for a drink every time I want to change how I feel.
I think the biggest revelation for me was that I needed an excuse to stop drinking before I was comfortable admitting that I wanted to.
The challenge gave me social permission, structure, and accountability. It also gave me an opportunity to experience life without alcohol without the pressure of declaring I'd quit forever.
And I'm incredibly glad I gave myself that opportunity.
I'm sharing this because I know there are people here who might recognize themselves in parts of my story. Maybe you're not ready to make some huge, permanent declaration. Maybe you're tired of explaining yourself. Maybe alcohol has become your solution to boredom, overstimulation, or a brain that just won't quiet down.
For me, it helped to attach not drinking to something positive I wanted to accomplish, rather than making alcohol itself the center of the whole experience.
I know that approach won't work for everyone, and stopping heavy daily drinking can require medical support. But it was the shift I needed.
I started out using a fitness challenge as an excuse not to drink. Somewhere along the way, I realized I didn't need an excuse anymore.
IWNDWYT. ❤️