When we think of festivals, revellers trudging through mud with cans of beer springs to mind. But one festivalgoer, who quit alcohol last October, has been pleasantly surprised at how going to events and festivals sober has meant she has enjoyed them even more.
Speaking amid Reading and Leeds Festival this bank holiday weekend, Cat Merrick, 43, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, has shared all the things she hasn't missed when being intoxicated at festivals - from the multiple portaloo trips to saving a fortune on booze. This year, she has been to a handful of gigs sober and as she hit 10-months without drink this August, attended the Soul Circus Festival in Gloucester - where she found she was still the person doing the most dancing among the crowd.
Although Cat admits she didn't have a drinking problem, she began to look into cutting back on her alcohol consumption as she turned perimenopausal. "I found that my hangovers were lasting way too long," Cat, a yoga and breathwork coach with her own business Breathe Dance & Yoga, tells The Mirror.
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"Brain fog felt too intense, anxiety sat heavy in my chest and my eczema felt like it was taking a turn for the worse. In October 2021, I decided that I had nothing to lose to try and cut out alcohol.
"The key was having a really clear intention to feel better in my mind, my skin and my body and it has kept me going with ease and I'm reaping the awards now."
The mum-of-one says she now makes the most of her days after nights out and events because she wakes up feeling fresh - without any feelings of dread or anxiety.
"My ‘fun’ personality is still there," she adds.
"I gave alcohol way more credit for the fun I had but now I’m a bit more discerning about what I choose to do. I’m still the person that does the most dancing at festivals."
Here, Cat shares her experiences of partying at Soul Circus Festival this summer without a drop of alcohol compared to her previous visits in years before:
Camping
"My tent and camp set-up was all done without a hitch and without any early alcohol to interfere, even the beds were pumped up correctly," Cat recalls.
"Not to mention that knowing exactly where it was at the campsite meant that there was no getting lost on the way back to it - sober walking through a campsite has got to be a plus and no tripping over guy lines!
"Packing away felt much easier too because there were no hangovers to deal with."
Toilet trips
"In the arena, the trips to the toilets were much less frequent and when they did happen, it was easier to navigate the dreaded portaloos without any mishaps such as dropping of items on the toilet floors.
"Whilst I drank some of the alcohol-free options at the bar, I also drank water and could fill my bottle at the water points so I had much less queuing at the bar and more time to actually enjoy the festival."
Music
"Great music is so much better when you're sober.
"If you're going to see an act that you like, being sober doesn't stop you from feeling the electricity and buzz of epic music, being in the crowd still feels amazing and you just remember so much more of it.
"The details are way clearer and so much more memorable.
"I still got caught up in the energy of it all, sang along with the crowd and danced just as much as I would have with alcohol, maybe even more so but with a little less falling over!"
Sleep
"No alcohol means a better sleep although an eye mask and ear plugs also helped with that as well as the properly pumped up airbed, I woke up feeling fresh each day ready to fully enjoy the full day of offerings and not just from late afternoon.
"There was also no middle-of-the-night desperation to find the zip and get out of the tent to get to the toilet because my bladder was so full like I've often experienced."
Money
"I spent much less money and also ate healthier too.
"You don't get too much choice with food but the drunk and hungover version of me would definitely have eaten way more chips and fried foods.
"I would say that considering the alcoholic drinks were around the £9 mark and with the way I would have been drinking, I'd say I've saved at least £40 each day and that was just after 7pm."
Home
"I would normally need a few days of recovery after a festival but once home, just one night's sleep in a proper bed and I've been able to get on with life and work as normal.
"Life without alcohol just opens up more space to do what I love."
If you would like support on giving up alcohol, please head to the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/
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