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DO MORE GOOD. NOT LESS BAD.


I sort of accidentally quit drinking in October of 2023. I did the whole "Sober October" thing and felt amazing. It wasn't the first time I'd taken time off. I'd done a handful of dry January's and other 30 day breaks.


After October, I realized I could probably make it to the end of the year, and that taking a few months off would be pretty sick. So I did. And then it was dry January. And here we are. I haven't had a drink in almost 9 months.


I have nothing against drinking. I organized 5k fun runs at breweries for 5 years. I love beer. I've got hops tattooed on my arm. My instagram bio used to be "Skates. Drinks Beer." Defining myself as a beer drinker might have been a little wild, but you get the point. I don't necessarily even think it's over for me either. I may and probably will drink again.

Tattoo by Matt Zins @mvttzins

It is pretty clear that alcohol isn't good for you. In my studies to become a Certified Wellness Coach, my coursework busted the myth that "a beer a day" or a glass of wine or two with dinner per week is good for you. That there's evidence that people who have one drink per day live longer and are healthier than people who have zero. It turns out that this is in fact true. Once you go beyond a drink per day, your life expectancy decreases proportionately. But the key missing piece of information here is that the bucket of people who have zero drinks per day includes tons of people who can't drink because of major medical issues. Therefore the people having zero drinks per day are going to seem unhealthier and have lower life expectancy.


Avoiding things that are "bad" can be a trap. I had a conversation with a friend who is a registered dietitian and works with individuals with eating disorders. Thinking of some foods as "bad" and others as "good" can lead to guilt, shame and ultimately a large problem.


Isn't alcohol a bad thing?

Isn't crushing an entire sleeve of Oreos every day bad for you?

Aren't there foods that are objectively good for you and objectively bad for you?


Well sure. Objectively, yes. There are some things that have data to support being "bad" for you. But what about "everything in moderation?" That makes tons of sense. Go ahead and drink, but not too much. Crush an entire sleeve of Oreos every once in a while. BUT the problem I ran into was summarized perfectly by a post Tommy Rivers Puzey made on instagram.


I’m not very good at moderation. I never have been. I’m real good at addiction, and I’m real good at abstinence, but that grey space in between is tenuous.

-Tommy Rivers Puzey


Moderation requires a lot of decision making. Is one drink moderation? What about two?Two drinks is probably fine. But what if I have two drinks every day? Is that too much?Moderation can be exhausting.


SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?


Focus on doing more good. Not on doing less bad. I didn't quit drinking because I was running away from alcohol. I quit drinking because I was running toward feeling good. Cutting out the "bad" took care of itself.

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