Research shows that we make most of our decisions based on how we feel and not on the facts.
We are mainly emotional, not rational, when it comes to making decisions.
Think about buying a car. If we were 100% rational and fact-based, we would buy the lowest price car with great gas mileage so we can get from point A to point B.
But we have feelings and emotions about cars. Maybe we want to have a certain status or want a particular brand or color because of how it makes us feel.
Our decisions are driven largely by our emotions.
Just like with our drinking.
Our drinking is emotional. 100%.
If you ask people why they drink, you get:
- I just want to.
- I want to feel better.
- This will make me happier.
- This will be more fun.
- I feel lonely so I want it.
- I won’t feel those negative emotions.
- I want to turn my brain off because the thoughts cause me to feel a certain way (stressed).
Our thoughts create our emotions.
How you think about something will determine the feelings you get in your body.
I call this knowing the secret to the universe.
Because then you don’t have to drink to feel better. Or shop. Or over-eat.
You can just change your thoughts.
Alcohol doesn’t change our thoughts. It makes us not aware of them.
And chronic alcohol use adds more negative thoughts to the mix.
We feel bad about our drinking (because of our thoughts) And then we get stuck in the drinking cycle.
Different thoughts create different feelings.
Drinking can become irrelevant if you learn to reprogram your brain with different thoughts.
This is the skill I teach my clients.
When you think differently about drinking, you don’t desire it as much. You don’t feel like having another. And another.
I help women reprogram their mind about drinking. Then, the over-desire for alcohol is gone.
You can take it or leave it when it comes to drinking.
