I am currently sitting in my pyjamas, curled up in bed writing this post. My head is pounding, my throat hurts, but the blisters on my feet are 100 % my worst regret from last night. For a little while now I have chosen to stop drinking; for many reasons really, from weight to skin to sheer embarrassment at how I tend to behave when I've had one too many! To be honest, if you told me this time last year, that I would be going into clubs completely sober I probably would have laughed in your face. In this post however I want to share the positive experience I have had since I've stopped necking those shots.
Firstly, I guess many people like to have a couple of drinks to loosen up when they feel awkward in a social situation. In particular, I think, clubs can be extremely difficult places to feel comfortable in. If you feel awkward dancing or singing in front of other people, or turn a lobster-shade of red when anyone from the opposite sex starts talking to you, a double vodka and coke can often help. This was me last year. My first year of Uni, going out with people I had never met before, and at the same time desperately wanted to become besties with- having to demonstrate my horrific 90s dance moves in front of them... disaster! Now I'm in second year though- I no longer care. People who want to be friends with me, want to be friends with me- horrendous dancing including. At the end of the day, the point of a night out is to let your hair down and have fun- and the most fun happens when you feel comfortable and relaxed.
Obviously, there are the added health benefits of abstaining from drinking- but I shan't dwell too long on those as I doubt there are many 20 year olds out there who are all that fussed at the moment. The two that I would like to highlight though are weight-gain and problematic skin. For many young adults these are two concerns for which they would do anything to improve. We all know alcohol is incredibly calorific- especially wine!!! Stopping drinking could therefore have almost immediately apparent benefits, making it a worthwhile option to consider.
Lastly, I want to refer back to my title. After all, how many of us have gotten so bevved that we wake up the next morning wondering how on earth we got home? Forgetting the obvious safety issues here, wouldn't it be nice to have a few memories from your nights out with your friends? Or would it be preferable to reach the age of 26, having little recollection of how you spent the last 10 years or so of your life?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having a few drinks and having fun- I just don't see the necessity in becoming a complete mess every time you fancy a boogie. It's all about balance- it's true, sometimes the best nights are the nights you can't remember- it just seems a shame the the next morning the 'best' nights for you effectively didn't even happen.
