Energy

Day 13. Feeling incredibly content.

One of the hardest things I’m finding with sobriety is tuning in to the natural ebb and flow of energy levels you experience when sober. I’m naturally a morning person and have just rediscovered this through no longer being plagued by hangovers. I wake up on the brink of feeling ecstatic when sober, bounce around the house or go for a sunrise run and waltz into work feeling on top of the world.

From around 3:30pm, my energy levels really start to fall. This co-incides with what I thought was my “witching hour.” I feel the call of wine most strongly when I’m tired, either physically or emotionally. The 3-5pm slump is hard for me, because I lose my momentum at work, get frustrated with myself and feel like I need a wine treat.

This week I’ve been finding alternative ways to manage my energy levels. I’m getting 7-8 hours sleep consistently and have a very good diet that shouldn’t mean I have sugar crashes, so I’ve been investigating what else I can do.

I’ve found a surprising cure to my tiredness: carrot juice. There’s a Pret a Manager (food chain in the UK) opposite my office and for a pricey-but-worth-it-if-it-stops-me-drinking £2 I can pick up a little bottle of carrot juice that gives me the lift I need. It feels like a little miracle in a bottle, because for the next few hours, I have enough energy again to get through the end of the day

So I’m learning slowly that it’s the small things that help. I need to watch my energy levels during party season coming up, and work out how I’m going to handle the transition between work and going out so I don’t reach for one of the free drinks when I arrive to give me a lift.

Every day’s a day to learn something new and I feel secure in my new sobriety. I don’t want to drink, I just need to make sure I’m vigiliant about the things that might trip me up.

If anyone has tips for energy boosters, I’d love to hear them!