Episode 62 - It’s Easy to Take a Break from Alcohol Mind Zoning®
As the holidays roll in we’re granted with an abundance of joys, more time off work, a shift in the seasons and time with family and friends. This for many of us, also includes an overload of comfort foods, sweet treats we’ve adored since childhood and social events surrounded by alcohol. Christa shares she’s been indulging in more alcohol than she’d like to with the stresses and celebrations surrounding the launch of her new book, Strategic Vitality: 11 Small Steps to a Big Transformation.
She explains coming off an amazing high after her book launch party which occurred last Saturday, excited that she could continue to share her story, her struggles and how she works on overcoming them. Christa has always been very open with her listeners about her love for wine and donuts, and is proud to bring more awareness about how common our reliance on sugar, refined carbs and alcohol truly is.
If you have a tendency to relay on booze, Christa challenges you this holiday season to take a break from the spirited beverages alongside of her and husband AJ, as they start a six month sober stretch starting January 1st. With a community backing you up for support and guidance, we will work through the fears and discomfort as we create new, healthier habits and bring on the dreaded social settings, knowing it’s an easy choice to be sober. We know this task can be hard, maybe even unimaginable so we created this Mind Zoning® to make it all a little bit easier throughout the process.
Make sure to find a quiet, comfortable space where you’re not driving or distracted
Sit or lay down, however your body feels most relaxed
Start by taking a few deep breaths in through the nose and exhaling through your mouth
Allowing every inhale to refresh and clear your mind
And with every exhale giving you the ability to release any stress or tension
Let go
Be present here
Allow yourself the opportunity to relax
If you have other thoughts imagine there’s a cloud floating by you can put them on
Trusting that they’ll come back to you when you them need to
Let your mind focus on taking a break from alcohol
We’ll start with a question to ask the deepest part of your mind
Why?
Why are you considering taking a break from alcohol?
Think about all the reasons you want to take a break
Let it all bubble up in your mind now
Maybe you notice it can be a crutch from stress and you want to find healthier ways to manage it
Maybe it’s preventing you from reaching your greatest level of health and wellness
Maybe you notice you don’t like the way you feel the next morning
Maybe you want to invite more focus, greater productivity and all the things that come with taking a break from alcohol into your life
Now for a moment think about all the cons when taking a break from alcohol
Maybe there’s fears
Or concerns
Allow yourself with full honesty to think about all the reasons you wouldn’t want to take a break from alcohol
Are you afraid that social setting will be challenging?
Are you feeling a sense of deprivation that you can’t just eat and drink what you want?
Are you worried about being bound by rules?
Are you just afraid that your relationship with it is so strong that you couldn’t?
Think about all the things that have prevented you from taking a break from alcohol previously
Calling all those cons and all the pros
Imagine the two lists
Do you notice one is longer than the other?
Which one is it?
Studying your pros and cons list, what have you determined what you might want to do?
Are you okay with things just as they are?
Or, are you seeking change?
Are you seeking to connect with an even healthier version of you?
Connecting with that powerful part of you
That wants to connect with all the pros that come with taking a break
Whatever you decide is perfect
And you can decide that right now
If you’ve decided you’d like to take a break from alcohol
Think of how long you’d like to do this
Is it one day?
one week?
a month?
Is it forever?
Ask yourself, what is your deepest desire?
Go ahead and lay down that timeframe
Commit to that in your mind
Whatever is right for you
We Invite you to find strategies that will support you in taking a break for the length of time you’ve chosen
What do you need in place in your life to be successful to take a break from alcohol?
As you continue to think of all the resources to support you
Maybe it’s an accountability group?
Or having conversations with your partner, or friends and family asking them for support?
Maybe journaling your emotions everyday would help you?
Or having a really strong exercise and meditation practice can help calm your mind and ease any stress
Trust that you know the strategies that are perfect for you
Continue to think of those right now
Now for a moment think about the times you want alcohol
Maybe it’s at night or during dinner?
At parties or in social settings?
Think about a healthy replacement you can enjoy in these moments while attaching the same benefit to it
Maybe sparkling water with a splash of grapefruit juice
Or even a flavored mineral water
Or a nice warm tea
Think about something that you can enjoy that supports all the pros that you came up with
In this moment I want you to think about, is there anything else that you need that would help you be 100% successful in taking a break from alcohol?
In a moment we will come back to our day
And our thoughts
The pros and cons
The strategies
The excitement that comes with taking a break from alcohol
All the possibilities
Recall everything that came up during this session
As the days and weeks unfold, you may become even more excitement to take a break from alcohol
You might find it easier
Thinking of new ways to support yourself on this journey
Reaching out to the resources you need and putting plans in place
When you’re ready, come back to the space you’re in
We encourage you now, to write down all the things that came up today.
If you need further inspiration or resources, don’t hesitate and join us in the Fitlandia Facebook group! If you’re ready to not only give up alcohol but also create a new relationship with food, make sure you sign up for the 30 Days of Thriving! In this program we will fight the tough battle against our reliance of sugar, refined carbs and alcohol together. Christa explains this as a “beautiful time of awareness.”