I’ve never been a heavy drinker. In fact between 2016-2020, I think I had a total of two drinks. And If I recall correctly, they were singles at most!
But then the Pandemic hit. During the beginning stages of COVID-19 where most businesses slowed down, our business actually became busier than ever before. The demand to train both Online in addition to at our Private Training Facility was at an all time high. When most Commercial Gyms were forced to close their doors, we were fortunately permitted to keep ours open. Ofcourse there were numerous challenges that we had to overcome such as controlling numbers of clients on the floor at any given time, the usage of masks at all times, implementing hand sanitizing throughout the gym, ensuring that everyone maintain a 6 foot distance from one another, and following all other COVID-19 Rules & Regulations that were given to us from our Provincial Health Officers here in British Columbia.
During those first few months, I feel as if I handled the stress of the increased volume in business quite well. In fact, I felt incredibly fortunate to be able to continue to work, never mind have more work handed off to me. But as those 12 hour workdays started to turn into 18 hour workdays, and those 6 days of work, turned into 7 days of work, the pressure started to build up.
I needed a break.
I needed an outlet for my newly developed stress.
I needed a drink…….
My Abusive Relationship With Alcohol
I have to be honest. As much as I occasionally enjoy a neat scotch at the end of a LONG work day, alcohol does NOT work well with my body. Alcohol does NOT make me more productive. And alcohol does NOT fit well into my lifestyle. I’m a fairly active person. I like to get shit done. And I like to get A LOT of shit done in a day. Not only do I need to use my brain constantly in order to keep up with the demands of a business that continues to grow, but I need to remain physically fit and healthy at the same time. Alcohol does NOT fill well into this equation for me.
I wake up at 5am and go to sleep at 11:30pm EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don’t go home and plop myself in front of a TV for 5 hours and play video games after work. I don’t “Netflix and Chill”. And I don’t feel the need to sit down with a bottle or two of wine in order to discuss my day with a friend or loved one. I want to be clear that I’m not judging those people that do enjoy partaking in these activities though. These are simply just not activities in which I have any aspirations to ever take part in personally. I love working, I’m obsessed with training, and I enjoy being active.
Unfortunately, I also like to drink……
The Functioning Alcoholic
I know quite a few Functioning Alcoholics. And despite being full blown alcoholics who can’t go more than a single day without one drink, all of these people are actually highly successful. They all own their own businesses or have fulfilling careers. They all make impressive incomes. And they all seem to live their lives to the fullest.
Unfortunately another trait that all of these Functioning Alcoholics share though is that not a single one of them is in good shape or appears to be healthy. In fact, the majority of these people are either overweight due to their sedentary lifestyles, suffer from high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol levels caused by following a poor diet, and appear to have fluctuating energy levels (which I strongly believe is caused by erratic blood sugar levels within the body).
Again, I’m not judging those people that enjoy a drink (or two or three) each and everyday. It’s your life and how you choose to live it is your business. I’ve just come to the realization that alcohol no longer serves a purpose within my own lifestyle. How can I expect my own clients to take me seriously with their health and fitness goals, if I’m not taking my own health and fitness goals seriously? I can’t. And therefore a change needs to be made.
The Change
As much as I would like to sit here and promise that I will never touch an ounce of alcohol again in my life, I know that it would be a lie. Even though I have an addictive personality, lucklly for me, alcohol has never been much of an issue. I can go days, weeks, months and even years without having a single drop. And the benefits in which I experience whenever I quit drinking alcohol for a prolonged period of time far outweigh the benefits in which I experience when I reintroduce alcohol into my life.
With that said, I’ve decided to remain 100% sober for the remainder of 2021 and potentially all of 2022. I will continue to go out socially but will refrain from indulging in some of my favourite alcoholic beverages. I’m not doing this because I feel I have a problem. Nor am I doing this because I want to prove a point to myself. I’m simply doing this because I wish to become more successful and more healthy, and as I mentioned above, alcohol currently does not fit into that equation for me.
“Remember, ADDICTION is giving up everything for one thing. Recovery is giving up one thing for EVERYTHING.”
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Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance