I hear people tell me all the time that they want to cut back on their drinking. They want to cut back so bad. But then, they don’t. Or they cut back for a few weeks and soon are back to where they started. These women are successful in every other area of their lives – career, parenting, exercising – you name it. And their brain is telling them it is okay – it’s just a bottle of wine at night, more or less. It’s not THAT serious of an issue. They repeat the same promise, “I will get serious about it tomorrow.” All of this thinking feels like they are doing something about their drinking. They wonder why they are so exhausted from trying to cut back all the time.
The problem is they aren’t doing the most important thing to cut back on drinking. They aren’t taking action when they don’t want to. They are giving in to their subconscious brain. They make excuses on why it is so hard.
You have to decide, commit, and take action – even when you don’t want to.
You have to decide, commit, and take action – even when you don’t want to.
Like….
You have to not drink when you are feeling bored, lonely, depressed, or other negative emotion. You have to practice not drinking when out with your friends and make new brain connections and associations, where the brain learns that alcohol is irrelevant to experiencing fun.
Get serious about your relationship with alcohol and don’t let others’ opinions dictate how you show up for yourself and what you want to accomplish FOR YOU. Learn to treat your body in a manner that feels right, healthy and respectful instead of giving in to a harmless urge. Want to cut back on drinking? Learn how to do all little things you don’t want to do.
You have to want it….and take action.
