Checking in daily to maintain focus #66

End of day 125 AF

First day in a week I had no lawns to do, good thing I got them all finished up last night cause it rained all day and will for next few at least on and off. Give a chance to get that fertilizer in the ground and seeds to start germinating.
Work has been better since day one Monday and Iā€™m enjoying it more, though I am waking at 3:30am which is a tad early and has me exhausted by 8pmā€¦
Hit gym for first time in a week tonight due to a lull in workload, now I am barely keeping eyes open. Switching out of supersets this weekend and into specific muscle groups that shouldnā€™t tax me as much as supersets as they are designed to get heart rate up and keep it up to increase cardiovascular work as well as weights. Iā€™m not needing that added focus currently with two jobs and movement Iā€™m getting, just need more weight training.

Anyway, Iā€™m so happy Iā€™m sober, the energy I have to accomplish things is just amazingā€¦ My focus and determination is on point and my discipline to keep the balls in the air is pushing me forward.

Hoping for positivity to all of you fine folks out there. Stay fighting for thisā€¦itā€™s so so worth it!
:pray::heart::peace_symbol:

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Checking in, im hours away from reaching 1 week, sending :purple_heart: and support to you all :pray:

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Still kicking brother! Glad you made it back from the dark side man!
Busy with way too much work and trying to balance workouts in there when I can squeeze in.

When you joining in the gym world man. Itā€™ll help keep ya disciplined and focused my friend.

Keep checking in here, even if itā€™s short and sweetā€¦ helps keep that focus man :facepunch:t2::muscle:t2:

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@catmancam How did your appointment go today? So happy to hear that you got the ADHD assessment booked finally. Love seeing things moving forward for you. Hope you were able to get the anxiety settled.
@jonase Day 40! Way to go friend. Keep pushing forward ā€“ it does get easier.
@twizzlers Oh man that is some scary shit ā€“ glad you were able to get someone out to the house and check on the Carbon monoxide issue. Grateful everyone is safe.
Oh man that is rough ā€“ I hate when you have to wait on someone and they keep changing up the time. I had that happen to me last week and spent over 6 hours in a car LOL ā€“ luckily I was able to get the task completed when he finally showed up. I am sorry love. I know itā€™s frustrating but do not let it discourage you. Try to look at the positives (the gratitudeā€™s if you will)ā€¦ this helps me when I feel like throwing my hands in the air and laughing hysterically when all is a mess. Hope you are able to get some rest tonight and it all goes smoothly for you tomorrow :people_hugging:
@wahtisnormal howā€™s it going Zoe? You are doing incredibly well my friend with stacking up the days. Donā€™t put so much pressure on yourself to work out or be productive when you have time off. In the early days of sobriety I spent my free time playing mindless game son my phone or sleeping. It was all it could do to not drink and that in itself was a huge productive day. YEAH ā€“ glad you are getting yourself that mini fridge ā€“ think it will be a game changer for you. I totally understand the frustration of someone else drinking your N/A drinks ā€“ you handled it well and who knows it may sway someone else to give up drinking too :thinking: Hope you had a much better day today. :people_hugging:
@sadmemequeen So good to see you checking in Megan. 798 WOW ā€“ see you closing in on 800 days! Could this be a source of your cravings? We are here to help you so please lean on us when you feel the urges. Sending love and strength my friend. :hugs:
@acromouse Way to go with 40 days no Gluten! Sorry that you are not feeling well ā€“ hope that did not last too long. Sucks that you are missing parts of the festival. Sending healing energy ā€“ hope you get better soon.
@juli1 There it is! Way to go Jules ā€“ you are a boomchakalaka fucking rockstar :tada: :tada: So happy to see this :hugs: Glad your mood has improved and you are enjoying your day :heart:
@james83 Congrats on your 8 weeks James ā€“ keep up the amazing work :muscle:
@timetochange So sorry to hear that your wife is dealing with such pain and the appointment is so far off for rheumatologist. Are you able to ask to be waitlisted (in case an opening comes up they can call you for an earlier day) or possibly call daily to see if anything opened up? It does suck to see someone dealing with such pain and not being able to help in any way. Sending her some soothing energy ā€“ hope see feels relief soon. Saw your update ā€“ i can imagine all that is going on would trigger a drink response. Great work on being vigilant and staying strong :muscle:
@aine so good to see you checking in with us. This community has been the backbone for my sobriety. I honestly spent sooo much time reading and interacting when I first started and still have days where I am glued to the site all day. You are in good company here. Loads of amazing people with similar journeys so lots of great advice and no judgement. Looking forward to seeing you around.

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my birthday is coming up in June and itā€™s always a huge trigger, and just not having anything to do all day doesnā€™t help

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@zzz congrats on your 1 week of sobriety. Keep stacking up the days :muscle:
@chase.e.u So good to see you checking in friend. Glad you were able to talk with someone yesterday and will be meeting up with someone tonight. Like others have said ā€“ connection is key for our sober journey and so important if you are feeling lonely / depressed. 9 months feels like a long time now but with all the work you are putting in for yourself ā€“ the time will fly by. We are here for you as well ā€“ you are able to get through this time :muscle:
@lotusflower lovely to see you checking in with your amazing days! Hope that you are able to feel better soon and get back to the gym / yoga as I do find that movement really does wonders for our bodies and minds. :hugs:
@lighter Glad you are staying connected here and working up a good plan for tomorrow night. Remember that we are always available if you need someone to talk to. Have an exit plan if needed so you are not stuck there if the urges get too much. Call ahead to see what they have to offer as far as 0% alcohol drinks or mocktails. You will be celebrating 70 days Marie ā€“ you are stronger than the addiction and we got your back :muscle:

YES! Way to go with day 3 friend. That pesky addict voice will forever try to sneak in and make it seem ok to pick up ā€œjust that oneā€. Unfortunately, itā€™s never just the one. WE get sucked into the dark hole and who knows how many times we will be able to crawl back out of it. Way to go on setting up new routines and changing up your thinking ā€“ upwards and onwards :muscle:
@thirdmonkey Oh man I loved the line ā€œAs a drunk I would work to hide from life. Now, It bothers me when work takes away from life.ā€ :heart: So true ā€“ so much we missed out on when we were deep in addiction. Grateful to be free and enjoying the beauties of life.
@K_S sending healing vibes your way ā€“ hope your MIL will recover from whatever she is dealing with and grateful that you are able to be there for her and your family :hugs:
@kvee Congrats on your 2+ months of sobriety. Glad to see you stacking up the days :muscle:
@danwood85 Sorry about your tense day. You do have a loaded schedule this week. I know I get short nerved when I am overwhelmed and lack sleep. Great work on holding back the rage and getting your point across. Check out the Conglomerated List of ā€œThings that can Fck right off (Part 2) thrad ā€“ let out some of your frustrations here (it does help to type it out and let it out in the universe rather than hold it in).
@chevy55 Glad that work is getting better for you and you are enjoying it more. Grateful to read your check in ā€“ Happy, sober and full of energy ā€“ keep going strong my friend :muscle:
@falloutsign Great work Dani! 1 week milestone is impressive work ā€“ grateful to be here celebrating it with you tonight. :tada: :tada:

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@sadmemequeen A birthday really can be a huge trigger and having idle time on your hands can also be disastrous. Are you able to fill the time with a hobby or activity that you enjoy. Plan it out ahead of time so you keep yourself busy? I do hope you are able to do something fun for your birthday and celebrate your special day. Growing up I would take the day off from whatever (school / job) and go do something just for me on my birthday (like a movie, a play, a day trip). Hopefully you and your friends can do something special ā€“ still have plenty of time to plan.

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@Soberbilly No, I havenā€™t been to a Refuge Recovery meeting, but Iā€™m definitely intrigued. I used to frequent AA before covid, but the life changes it brought made attending much more difficult now. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m so grateful for this place :pray: Originally I went to AA already sober 2 months, looking for answers on how to live with myself. I found answers that still help me to this day, but Iā€™m never against trying something new :sparkles: Anything that teaches other ways to help navigate this life are welcomed by me :blush:

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Still been tired and out of it. Iā€™m suspecting allergies are to blame, I hope. My eyes have been burning :fire: I still was able to get some odd bits of cleaning done. Last year I mentioned to a friend how cool I thought his hummingbird feeder was.

My familyā€™s always been into birdwatching, especially my mother. Their yard has several feeders. Well, last time I went to my friends house, he gave it to me! He said he didnā€™t keep up with filling/cleaning it. My only thought was to give it to my mom for motherā€™s day, so I got that cleaned up and ready for Sunday.

Pretty good day overall. Glad it was relaxing bc the next 3 days are going to be a lot :face_exhaling: Better get to bed soon so I can have the energy I need. Goodnight :heart:

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@Xlexenex I put your sober date in my agenda so I could congratulate you with your :two: year milestone today!! :confetti_ball:
Hope you are around to celebrate it with us all!

*Day 2060
3 days before holiday
Had an aweful night of sleep. Dreamed I had an very important exam at highschool but hadnā€™t studied for it. I was very anxious in my dream and woke up in that vibe and still a bit in it. Hope coffee helps to get my out of that :hugs:


Did a walk yesterday and captured this big creature. Itā€™s a European Hornet, what a big wasp that is! And look at those eyes, so beautiful shaped and so different then normally round.
Today? Help a friend out in the morning who canā€™t be alone because of physical circumstances. After that work for the rest of the day.
I like reading all of your stories here, itā€™s an honor to be part of a community like this :heavy_heart_exclamation:
Itā€™s here because we all add little pieces to it.
Have a good day ore night all :raising_hand_woman:

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Day 321. We rang the rheumatologist and they offered my wife a cancellation today so thats positive! Couldnā€™t get an appt with our gp till June??? So we will change GPā€™s in the near future

Off to rheumatologist first thing and see what their assessment is.

Bought some plants yesterday so will plant them today and hopefully take it easy.

I will check in if I get any feelings to drink. Not had them for a while. I will sit down later and reflect on why I stopped in detail.

Have a fab day folks

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Thatā€™s good news despite all, I hope they can offer your wife something to help here with the pain! :pray:

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Absolutely, thats a great way of looking at it :blush: i am super excited for the fridge. Today was much better, thank you :pray:t2: hope youre doing well!

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1798


Busy workweek ahead, starting tomorrow. Iā€™ll make the best of today, want to enjoy the weather, do some writing -1000 word story due next week for creative writing class, no time for that after tomorrow- and cook myself some good food.

Writing this down I notice all these are solo activities. I want to do something social too. But what? Go to the bar or join a dating app, is that all I can come up with? Sh*t. I made some great friendships online over the last years. I need some in person contacts too. Still a huge mountain to climb in my mind.

Iā€™ll find a way. One day at a time. Have as good a time as you all can friends. Sober and clean. Pic is my verbena, I love its resilience, love its fragrance, love it all around. I love how I had no idea what kind of plant I got when I bought it three or four years ago. Like when I started this sober journey. Like I love this place and all of you.

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1 week is amazing!! Cheering you on from afar :partying_face::raised_hands:t2::blush:

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Day 26

3rd day in a row off work. Took me 3 days of not working to finally reach a more peaceful and happier state of mind, and feel fully rested. Now i go back to work tomorrow :melting_face:
Got lots of good stuff done these 3 days though. Including rest and spending time to myself and getting to do some hobbies. Its nice to get a reset every now and then.

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Day 1. Iā€™m not ready to share much this morning. Iā€™m committing to checking in here for the next 30 days & I will contribute.

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@Mno I totally get how getting to know new people in real life is very difficult. Iā€˜m struggling with this too. Most of my interests are solitary and I donā€˜t really want to do them with others. On the other hand I lack social contacts in my lifeā€¦ I realised I like playing board and fantasy games. So thatā€˜s where I will start finding a group for as soon Iā€˜m healthy again. Good luck in your endeavours.
@Timetochange I hope your wife is going to find relief from her pain soon. This is such a stressful situation for the both of you. Donā€˜t forget to take care of yourself too. Especially if drinking is crossing your mind.
@SoberWalker Thankā€˜s for that picture. I really love it when you post these treasures from your walks. Hope your anxiety lifts soon.
@Just_Laura I can see how allergies will make you very tired. All this inflammation is taxing on your whole immune system. After all your body thinks it is fighting a really infection. I hope you get some relief soon.
@FalloutSign Congrats on your week sober :clap:
@Chevy55 Wow to all that energy :raised_hands: Keep it going and donā€˜t forget to get some down time :wink:
@K_S Thanks for your well wishes. Iā€˜m very sorry your mother in law is ill. I will keep her and your family in my prayers. I hope you get to relax a bit and take care of yourself today.
@Thirdmonkey I hope you get to see your little buddy soon. Itā€˜s really great so hear how now life and your loved ones are more important to you then work. :slightly_smiling_face:
@Twizzlers I know everybody has been on it, but an online meeting could really get your mind off things. And you can just listen in. You donā€˜t even have to share or have the camera on. Thatā€˜s how I did my first meeting. Just listening helped.
@Butterflymoonwoman Nice to see you so excited for your trip. Have fun, enjoy the day!

170 sugar
34 UPF
41 gluten
20 dairy
7 overeating/binge

Iā€˜m having a hard time anxiety wise right now. This tummy bug - or whatever that is - is still going on. The pain or digestive issues are not really that bad. I am just extremely fatigued and have spent yesterday mostly in bed watching tv and reading.
But my mind is on high alert all the time. Iā€˜m not at home. The appartement Iā€˜m renting is booked til Sunday and I have a train ticket for Sunday as well. My mind keeps running in circles catastrophizing how I wonā€˜t be able to get to the train station, or get on the train, or make the tripā€¦ Alternatively it keeps spinning out of control about how this is not just a tummy bug but some kind of serious health issue.
I know if I was at home in my own flat Iā€˜d just let things go their way. But being here alone in this mini flat gives my mind plenty of material to go nuts. Iā€˜m using my anti-anxiety tools: breathing, grounding, mindfulness, meditation. In the worst case situations like last night Iā€˜m using the insight timerā€˜s talks for acute anxiety.

Today I want to get to the grocery store around the corner. Iā€˜m running out of food. I want to make a small kind of plan for the day so I have some structure and my mind will be occupied. I want to at least watch the talks on the festival live stream. And I want to work on the game that has been most on my mind lately. If I have the strength to do so Iā€™ll do some more of my game design studies. Maybe Iā€˜ll try to get to the festival grounds in the afternoon.
One thing is for sure. With this tummy stuff going on, chances for overeating are slim :wink:

I can use a day of peace, kindness, and freedom today and that is what I wish you all :peace_symbol: :people_hugging: :dove:

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@happyfeet Anne my moka percolator is back in use but Iā€™m still with you brewing coffee this oldschool style :slight_smile: Now coffee from moka tastes a bit metalic for me (maybe time to buy a new Moka) and I like muddy one better. Coffee with muddy ground drinkers unite! :fist:t3::grin:

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I have a Kitty. Biagaletti so joining you.

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Day 53.
Been a busy week, glad itā€™s over and I get to spend time with my son. Heā€™s keen on crocodiles at the moment so while mums at work over the weekend, weā€™re going for a drive to an animal sanctuary where they have crocodiles and a heap of other native animals.

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