gratitude: getting some lift

Yesterday, day five of Dry January, I felt noticeably lighter in my head.  Maybe it was the sunshine and fresh air as Tansy and I ran through the woods at Griffy Lake, but I felt less weighed down by the grayish mood that has lingered for months now.  (Granted, Tansy and I both are always happier in the woods.) Intellectually I know that alcohol is a depressant, but honestly I'd never noticed much of a difference one way or another.  I suffer from mild depression and sleep disorders in general, and have my off weeks, but most of the time manage to keep an even keel by exercising and eating healthy, understanding what makes me happy, practicing gratitude, and through the miracle of modern medicine.  But as my weekend glass of wine became a nightly glass of wine, and sometimes two glasses, and maybe more over the holidays, I think it has been dragging me down more than I realized, and life has felt like more of a struggle to get through.  Healthy eating seemed like way too much work.  Exercise seemed impossible.   But yesterday, I felt wonderful.  I mean, really really energized and good.  And today, day six, although I had the usual struggles with dragging myself out of bed for work because I will never be a morning person, I felt pretty energized and upbeat once I was up. I've had thoughts of cleaning out the pantry area or maybe a closet--things that have been way beyond my energy level the past few months.  I am definitely noticing a lift, and this insight is very much worth six days of not drinking. (Photo: Tansy, my best and happiest trail running buddy, getting a lift into the blue blue sky.)