In my 25 years of experience with alcohol and drinking, no, wait, 12 years of experience…I definitely wasn’t tucking a flask in my pull-ups to take with me to my Chuck E Cheese parties…I have made some observations worth noting…
Drinking gives you that “feel good” that we all want. Your body relaxes, your spiraling, stressful thoughts disappear, your body lightens up, your confidence skyrockets, and everything is funnier, just to name a few. Wow, pretty good stuff!!! Why wouldn’t everyone drink? Unfortunately, there are repercussions, depending on how much you drink. An achy or pounding head, a tired body and mind from a crummy sleep, an upset stomach, perhaps some vomiting over the toilet…ok, you catch my drift! So here is one of my observations…drum roll please… you can get an even better “feel good” without those awful repercussions AND increase your overall health at the same time!!
Since I’ve been on my life coaching journey I’ve been able to re-connect to and feel my body and emotions WAY more than ever before. I can now feel the difference between the artificial “feel good” that alcohol gives you versus the natural “feel good” that you can cultivate within yourself when you simply practice mind-body awareness. For me, the alcohol-induced “feel good” gives me feelings of happiness, excitement, and confidence, but I now recognize it has a bitterness to it. It’s not a clear “feel good”. It feels fake and cloudy, and I can physically feel the detachment of my body and mind. My body feels relaxed, and my mind may be more at ease, but my mental clarity and focus is not there, and my creativity is nowhere near as creative as it is while on my natural “feel good” high. Now that I have strengthened my mind and body connection, I can look inward easier and faster. To be honest, I’m not sure I ever “looked inward” before I started on this journey. Checking in with your body and emotions becomes habitual the more and more you do it. And the more and more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more peace and joy you can feel in the present moment, without alcohol! This natural “feel good” tastes of freedom. It’s clear, it’s focused, it’s authentic, it’s the truth. It relaxes your body, it calms your mind, your confidence increases, you’re more loving towards yourself and others, your patience increases, you laugh easier…!!! Do you want me to keep going? 🙂 The benefits are endless…you can navigate your life much more effectively in this state.
I am not preaching sobriety!!! I am only asking you to notice your habits. I love to drink wine with friends, but my craving for alcohol is far less than it used to be. I invite you to take a moment to notice your drinking habits and why you drink. What are you trying to escape? What are you trying to feel or not feel?
…ok, now go pour yourself that glass of wine!!! 🙂
Meghan Lea Currie 