I’m an anxious person at the best of times. Throw in a pandemic, ever-changing border closures, moving house, remote working, – and right now, a shift in seasons, and I’m the queen of anxiousness. Her majesty of mayhem. Princess perpetually stressed - ah, you get the idea.

I’m also a big believer in the mantra ‘Give me the courage to change the things I can, the patience to see through the things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference’. Yes, yes, it’s very ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ but we do have the power to make changes in our lives that can send a ripple effect into how we approach challenges.

The past three weeks I’ve given up two things, just to see how I would feel. Was there a way to control how anxious I felt on a day-to-day basis? And not to sound like a clickbait headline from the weird part of the internet – but the results have been incredible. Although, in hindsight, it should have been obvious.

Number one. Alcohol.

Yep, no-one wants to read this. And I get it. I love a big glass of pinot noir while curled up on the couch watching a movie. Or a zesty gin and tonic on a warm summer afternoon. Any excuse for a celebration sees me with a glass of sparkling wine in hand.

What I didn’t love was the broken sleep, the waking-up-in-a-sweat, feeling tired and lethargic, and the lingering anxiety that would keep me company for many hours.

The irony is that many of us – myself very much included – drink in the hopes of easing anxiety; especially in social situations. In reality, it was in

creasing mine. I’m very familiar with the term ‘hangxiety’; even if I’d just had one or two glasses the night before, I would wake up feeling like I’d been hit by a bus, a wave of anxiety encompassing me like an itchy blanket.

And of course, there are other health implications with alcohol consumption. According to Vic Health, ‘Excessive alcohol consumption creates multiple social and health problems for individuals and society, and is one of the top 10 avoidable causes of disease and death in Victoria’. We’re a culture of big drinkers; whether it’s a wedding, the footy, after work drinks, or even a funeral, we bond over booze, and it has consequences.

I knew the hangxiety wasn’t serving me, so I created a challenge for myself. Go five weeks without the booze, to see if I noticed any changes. I stocked up on kombucha, sparkling apple juice and a (much too sweet) non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Three weeks in, and I’m already sleeping better. I’m making better food choices, because I’m not reaching for junk when I’m exhausted the next day. I have more energy, which in turn means I’m doing more exercise every day. I’m not wasting my weekends feeling lethargic and bloated. And as a nice little bonus, the scales have tipped down slightly, too.

Most people haven’t even noticed, and I’ve found as long as I’m stocked up on plenty of alternatives, the wine witch is kept at bay.

Number two. Instagram.

This one surprised me, even though it probably shouldn’t have.

Instagram can be great. Discovering content creators, getting a news update, looking at cool house interiors, marvelling at travel photos, seeing what my fave celebs are up to, getting craft inspiration – oh, it’s 11pm and I’m still mindlessly scrolling through my phone when I should definitely be asleep.

Sound familiar?

Don’t get me wrong, not everything on IG is mindless – it's great to see what old friends are up to, it’s a way to connect and share content, and support artists and content makers.

But as the old saying goes ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’, and Instagram is a mecca for comparing your life with everyone’s highlight reel. As someone who doesn’t have a close group of girlfriends from school, I would feel a pang of resentment every time I saw a big group of high school friends together on someone’s stories. Everyone’s house/pet/friendships/parties/holidays always seem better than your own when looking through the filtered lenses of social media. And given our lives are so intertwined with social media these days, the line between reality and filter can feel a bit blurry.

Without really thinking about it, I just uninstalled the app. The result? I'm more present in my everyday moments. My screen time is down. I’m not refreshing constantly, hoping for the instant dopamine hit when someone likes your content. I’m less worried about projecting a great life onto my little personal grid, and actually, you know, living it. Yes, I know what you’re thinking... ‘D’uhhhh, Kate. That’s obvious’. And it is. But sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, and a little reminder never goes astray.

Now, these two things have made me more present and less anxious. The knot in my chest has frayed apart, and my energy levels have increased. That doesn’t mean it’s a solution that works for everyone, and our mental health is a multi-faceted, complicated beast that takes more than a break from bubbles to tame.

But I implore you to find two small changes you can make to your life, and see if you can spot a difference. And I'll be here, on the sidelines, cheering you on, with a glass of slightly-too-sweet nonalcoholic sparkling wine.