Self-Exploration in Alcohol-Free Living
Welcome to TUL’s guest blog series, featured every Friday. These articles serve as a platform for guests to share their personal journeys, revealing how they embrace an unwasted life. Dive in and explore Nicole Nettell's profound reflections on her voyage to alcohol-free living.
Dear TUL Community,
My name is Nicole and today I’m sharing something with you about something often called “finding yourself.”
Alcohol became part of my identity at a young age and prevented me from truly knowing myself until my sober explorations. When I quit drinking for good at 22 years old, I didn’t fully realize how much I had been hiding, suppressing, and lying.
For me, self-exploration has involved facing difficult truths and letting go of old beliefs.
I’d caused quite a bit of damage in my seven-ish years of drinking, and alcohol-free living has now given me the space to repair my relationship with myself and others, find self-forgiveness, and accept my authentic self. Going through life not understanding yourself, your emotions, or your behaviors can be extremely taxing, but as they say “You don’t know what you don’t know.”
In this post, I’m sharing eight ways I’ve been able to embrace self-exploration while living alcohol-free and pushing through mental health “damage” caused by years spent in a binge-drinking cycle. Small progress over time creates powerful change!
As I’ve spent nearly five years abstaining from alcohol, I’ve come to realize that every person has a struggle of their own and what might be “basic” practice for me could be challenging for someone else, and vice versa.
In the past, I’ve felt shame about not “knowing myself” or struggling with self-care because in my head that was “standard stuff” I should’ve figured out by now. But part of self-exploration is knowing not to compare yourself to others or even to past versions of yourself.
So, here’s exactly how I’ve been able to embrace my authentic self through quitting drinking:
✦finding my vision
✦improving self-care practices
✦letting go of old truths
✦remembering & discovering values
✦learning to appreciate my body
✦dropping habits I picked up that never suited me
✦embracing creativity and artistry
✦pursuing entrepreneurial dreams
✦understanding deep emotions
Finding My Vision - Increased belief in myself helped me slowly figure out my place in this world, day by day. As someone who wonders “why” all the time - I felt lost after quitting drinking for a while because it was so closely woven into my identity.
Improving Self-Care - While in a binge-drinking cycle, it’s safe to say my self-care practices were non-existent, and not only that but I struggled to feel I even deserved self-care because of my addiction history. Spending time alcohol-free helped me see that every human deserves self-care and that caring for yourself looks completely different for everyone.
Letting Go of Old Truths & Habits - I picked up a few habits (when drinking) from the people around me that I realized no longer suited me, and maybe those habits never did, but in time the misalignment was revealed to me because I was finally paying attention.
Discovering Values - I can remember having a very strong sense of “values” as a youth before I ever picked up alcohol, and I’m trying to find my way back there still even after years of not drinking through conscious self-exploration.
Learning to Appreciate My Body - I wouldn’t consider myself a pro at this yet, but I’m actively working to have more gratitude for my body and wellness. In the past, I was proud of how much I could “drink,” and now I’m proud if I’m drinking enough water. 😉
Creativity & Entrepreneurial Dreams - When drinking, I had no space in my mind for anything but my next sip, even though I had a passion for writing and marketing (yes, marketing). In 2019, I embarked on an entrepreneurial journey as a freelance writer and content creator. There have been plenty of ups and downs and moments of wanting to give up, but the perseverance I learned from quitting drinking fueled me to chase my dreams. In the last few years, I’ve written nearly 100 published blog posts, thousands of words for nationally known non-alcoholic beverage brands, and established a career in the non-alc industry.
Understanding Emotions - Not being able to understand your emotions, whether it’s due to a lack of tools or experience, leaves people feeling in the dark most of the time, confused or frustrated. Even if you’re naturally intuitive, it can be difficult to find clarity in a binge-drinking cycle. Living alcohol-free gives me useful knowledge about myself all the time!
“Part of self-exploration is knowing not to compare yourself to others or even to past versions of yourself.”
I hope that what you read here will give you the courage to try an alcohol-free lifestyle, be extra supportive of a person in recovery in your life, or embrace self-exploration within your recovery/healing journey.
Post written by Nicole Nettell, soberish (alcohol-free) writer from Upper Michigan, brand strategist, and creator of The Recovery Cat Blog. Visit www.therecoverycatblog.com. 😽 IG: @therecoverycatblog
Thank you, Nicole, for your insightful and inspiring words. Your journey and reflections on self-exploration and sobriety resonate deeply, offering hope and courage to others on similar paths.
Interested in sharing your unwasted story?