Since I moved into Manchester City Centre three and a half years ago, I’ve loved every single minute; however, the first year of my moving into Manchester has been completely different to the years after. That is because I got myself into a relationship with a partner who didn’t drink a lot, and their form of socialising wasn’t quite involving late nights in clubs and bars; it was rather coffee shops and long walks.
A very different lifestyle from my own made me adjust and avoid the bad habits in my life. Although I did enjoy this period in my life, the relationship came to an end after 2.5 years, so it was very easy to fall into the old habits I had before this relationship.
Post-Breakup – Getting My Head Back Into Work
Work has something that is something I’ve often committed myself to; however, I was facing burnout, which can happen from time to time. So, I decided to have a short holiday away with my friends in a log cabin that can be considered quite expensive for a weekend away. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the getaway with my friends, having a long weekend away in the Lake District with a hot tub in the evenings. We then explored the local town near us, often having breakfast in some fabulous cafes. It was the breakaway I needed to rest my mind, completely digest everything that has recently occurred and more importantly, get my head back into work.
In the last couple of months, I’ve definitely enjoyed it a lot more, and I feel like I am progressing, dealing with the day-to-day tasks much better than I previously were. That being said, I’ve still got a long way to go, and as long as I can stay focused on my career, I feel like this will be a great way to deal with the relationship ending, as this job is something that I very much adore.
Bringing Back The Healthier Habits
During the relationship, I started to get complacent, which, after speaking with my friends, is quite common. Fitness is something that I have always taken pride in, and that isn’t just for staying fit and healthy. It is also to participate in sports such as running and gymnastics (although that was in my very early years of life).
The gym is something that I also neglected in the relationship and probably let myself go a bit, simply because I was complacent and happy with where I was. That shouldn’t have been the case.
As sort of a quarterly life crisis, I have signed myself up for a half-marathon this year and a marathon next year, so it’s given me motivation to get back to the gym. I am running a lot more, which is something I enjoyed a lot when I was younger, and I aim for roughly 10-15 miles a week currently. Although that will be getting scaled up once I get back into the habit and my fitness comes back.
Something else that has helped me stay motivated with the current training plan is a local run club. Here I have met lots of new characters, enjoying a nice sociable run with people I had never met before and then having a conversation and a coffee with them post run. It’s a nice little community that has helped keep my mind focused on the current things that matter. Not to mention that it helps break up my week.
Not Going Back to Unhealthy Habits
One of the issues I had before the relationship was that I was out every weekend, spending my wage drinking with friends and family. These are habits that I don’t really want to get back into, as I need to develop more important financial habits that help with my long-term goals. That being said, I don’t want a social life at the weekend, and something that I thoroughly enjoy is meeting new people. So every now and again, I do go out with my friends at the weekend, but those two nights every week where I used to go out have changed to once every other week. Not only do I find this enjoyable, but it also allows me to enjoy my life without breaking the bank.
I no longer look forward to every weekend, drinking on Friday and Saturday nights and instead, drink moderately or even go out and get some food rather than drinking. Additionally, I used to smoke a lot, even in my relationship, with electronic vapes, but now I’ve cut down massively because this was alcohol induced. Currently, I use nicopods, which are small flavoured pouches with nicotine. I’m currently using these to gradually reduce my nicotine intake before completely eradicating this from my life.
I want to keep fit at the end of the day and embrace these healthy habits that I’ve brought back into my life, and something that I am thoroughly enjoying. Alcohol brought all of the wrong habits into my life, and although I love the social aspect of drinking, I didn’t enjoy the repercussions of it. Furthermore, alcohol is only a temporary fix, especially after a breakup. Yes, it makes me forget about the relationship on the night, but the next day, I’m sure I’ll get back to thinking about it. This is why I’m loving my new hobbies and lifestyle change, because it keeps me distracted and doesn’t break the bank.
To Conclude
Although it isn’t completely out of my life and I now drink a lot less alcohol than before, the amount I drink is no longer a massive concern. I no longer use it for small celebrations or using it to forget about the other aspects of my life. It’s no longer affecting my work or fitness, and this is something that I need to keep moving forward with. At the end of the day, going completely sober isn’t for everyone, which is why I’ve made these small lifestyle changes which has impacted my life massively in a positive way. Not just that, but I can afford a lot more because of how much I’ve reduced my drinking habits. This means I can afford to do my driving lessons again, finally get those dental implants which I’ve always wanted and see more of the world that I’ve always wanted to do.