For the longest time I couldn’t get through Friday night without drinking.
Each week looked something like this:
Monday: Vow to quit drinking forever this time. This is IT!
Tuesday: Still feeling motivated by painful memories of the last hangover
Wednesday: Gosh this week is long. I’m still committed though. I think…
Thursday: Touch and go. Perhaps one wouldn’t hurt?
Friday: No way. You *have* to drink on a Friday night!
Back then, being sober at the weekend seemed unthinkable.
Nowadays, I love my alcohol free Friday nights.
Today I want to show you how I shifted my thinking about them:
Why being sober on a Friday night matters
If you only ever quit from Monday to Thursday, you keep repeating the hardest bit of sobriety (the beginning) over and over again. You never reach the good bit of alcohol free living. You’re teaching yourself that sobriety is only possible on certain days of the week.
Identify what you’re looking for in alcohol
What is the pleasure, benefit or service that you believe booze is going to provide for you? Be really specific. Do you believe it relaxes you? Do you view it as a treat? A celebration? Journal on this if you need to. Take your time – your answers are important.
Plan an alternative way of meeting your needs
Now you know what you’re looking for in booze, it’s time to work out how else you can give yourself what you need, without using a drug like alcohol. So if wine is your way of giving yourself permission to relax, how else could you do that? I give some examples in the video.
Romanticise being alcohol free on Friday night
Stop the ‘poor me’ thoughts and put your brain to work on finding thoughts that are going to make you feel good. Start using your mental energy to get excited about everything you’re going to gain from staying sober. Write a list and keep adding to it throughout the week.
Ready to shift your thinking around alcohol for good? Find out more about my stop drinking class here.
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