I started Conscious Boozer because I noticed that I wasn't alone in wanting to cut back on my drinking.
Way too many of my friends and acquaintances were feeling uncomfortable with the amount of drinking they were doing. And while they didn't feel they deserved a spot at an AA meeting, they intuitively knew something was wrong.
Alas, there aren't really any resources for the people in between. We're the people "working through some things." We're not necessarily at rock bottom because of drinking, but we are definitely approaching a grey area.
That's why today's blog is dedicated to exploring the most straightforward approach to this problem: saying no.
Part of being a conscious boozer is making a conscious decision to drink (or not drink) exactly when you decide.
That means you need to be able to give a clear "no" when you don't want to. But let's break this "no" down...
First and foremost, you need to practice saying "no" a lot. You need to learn to say no to another drink; you can say no to drinks (how about a hike?) or no to just hanging out with people you know you'll feel pressured to drink around.
No can also be a hard no to yourself. Next time you really don't want to drink but feel that inner pressure, say NO to yourself.
This is when self-love comes into play (though that is a whole other blog). Pretend you're talking to your child or your puppy or someone you really love and are responsible for, be as detailed as possible. For Example:
"No, Edna, red wine is starting to give you terrible hangovers- I love you too much."
"No, Edna, every time you get drunk, you make bad decisions- I have too many dreams for us."
"No, Edna, you promised yourself, and you are a woman of your word."
See where I'm going with this?
You need to decide the type of person you are (not want to be). Your true self is the best version of yourself you can imagine, and you need to live as that person as much as you possibly can…NOW
Sure, there are always mistakes- but they should not fall under the same category of continuous bad choices.
You learn to do things by repetitiveness so just keep saying no to booze when you are not 100% in it for fun. When you're using it as a bandaid or as an avoider, it is time to say no. I promise the more you do it, the easier it will be to start burning through your anxiety in more productive and healthier ways.
If you want to check out some additional ways to cut back on alcohol check out my free guide to being a Conscious Boozer here
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