The things we do to feel in control.
If you’re anything like me, you love a schedule – something to follow, something to live by.
From half marathon training plans to a meal planner, from daily to-do lists to annual outlines, we plan.
There’s a reassuring sense of order and control we get from planning.
The same can be said for the rules we set ourselves around drinking… let me share some examples:
“I’ll only drink on the weekends”
“I’ll make sure I drink a glass of water between each drink”
“No more than 1 glass on a weekday and 2 on a weekend (maybe 3)”
“I can drink if I’ve exercised and eaten well”
Do any of these sound familiar?
There was a pang of embarrassment as I typed them because they’re all rules I’ve made for myself over the years. Yep, I lived my life in control of my drinking because I’d created rules around it. And on the rare occasion I had one too many, it was obviously the rules that needed to change and not my drinking.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
There is a life just a moment away from you that is free from alcohol. And I use the word ‘free’ very deliberately here – because it’s not just a life free from the drink, it’s a life free from these arbitrary rules, free from the self-negotiations, free from the guilt, free from the tiredness, the anxiety. And full of everything we have to gain by ditching the drink: health, time, awareness, rest, happiness.
Why do we come up with these rules?
Because we’re trying to gain control. At some point, we’ve felt a lack of control – whether it’s something we’ve said or done after a couple of drinks, or whether it’s waking up in the morning feeling less than amazing and deciding enough is enough. The rules are born.
But here’s an idea…
What if you could be totally in control of your drinking and never lose control of your words and your behaviour? By ditching the drink altogether.
Better yet, after a few weeks of not drinking, you realise you love not drinking. You feel more free and happy than you have felt in years and no drink is going to take that away from you.
If you’re curious about living a life you love, free from alcohol, (and arbitrary rules!) get in touch.