If someone asked me to consider some of the slipperiest slopes - or even if nobody did, I suppose - I would recite the following: telling lies, eating junk food, cheating, drinking gin, and actual, literal slippery slopes. Think about it. You tell a lie and there is almost always certainly a lie to follow. That icky feeling just got way ickier. The junk food you consumed? There are actual addictive ingredients in those foods to keep you coming back for more. Read more about that here. And cheating? I'm talking more like in games, exchanges, work type situations - if it worked once, there's a good chance you'll do it again. Then, there's gin. I didn't look up any facts or information about why when you have one, you most likely will want another. I didn't need to because I know that it's delicious and I love it, and that it cheers me up and lessens my stress. I wouldn't say that I drank an unsafe or necessarily unhealthy amount of it before, but it doesn't take much for the effects to affect your body, not to mention your mind. Throw your gin in some tonic and consider the amount of sugar you're consuming. Consider the time of day, or night rather, when you're consuming it. No wonder so many of us have to get up to pee so often while we're sleeping. Speaking of such, it big time affects the quality of your sleep. Your body won't really rest. Drinking alcohol before bed blocks REM sleep, can interrupt your circadian rhythm, aggravate breathing problems and more. Not to mention leave you feeling sluggish in the morning. "Why are you on this rant about slippery slopes, Steph?", you may be wondering. Or not. I'm not sure how much thought you put into this blog. I'm just flattered that you're here and if you're listening. Reading. Anyway, I had gin this weekend. It was after work. It wasn't so much that it was busy or that I was stressed, but that I had dealt with difficult customers back to back. It happens. That's why, those of you who are regulars in restaurants and are kind and adored by the staff, are so loved. You are breaths of fresh air and walks in the park, so please do keep being you.
So, where was I? Ah, yes, the gin. No wonder I feel a little off today. I didn't drink enough to get drunk, but it did help me relax. While I haven't done as well as I would have liked to with breaking booze this past week, I do feel good about my progress and am looking forward to starting the new week with even more awareness, acceptance, and understanding.
I did, however, spend some time in the sauna yesterday and drink a detox smoothie. I'm off to hydrate and stretch before work. Desperately trying to make up for the delicious gin. Peace and love.
-Steph
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