How does your drinking make you feel?
Safe, relaxed, enjoyable and in control? – if it’s a ‘YES’ fantastic! There is no daily drinking battle, no fears, doubts or mounting stress and anxiety as the day wears on. You can choose to sip slowly a glass of wine, or to leave an open bottle in the fridge for another day.
Or do you feel stressed, anxious, guilty and ashamed? – alcohol has become a daily battle, the guilty secret (that’s not as secret as you would like), leaving you feeling tired, depressed, lost and confused the next day..
I used to live in fear of myself and my drinking.
Every day started with the dull thud of failure, followed by the decision that today would be different, today I wouldn’t drink….which became I wouldn’t drink as much, which became a drunk me again.
My battle was hard and long for over 29 years, I was white knuckling my days, and there was very little peace of mind or real joy.
And then, suddenly, ‘magically’ my battle was over.
Alcohol ‘lost’ its hold, I regained my power.
And I didn’t get stronger, I got wiser – I understood the truth of my drinking, I learnt to recognise the thoughts and feelings I had believed to be true about alcohol and how hard change was, and I learnt the easiest way to change myself and my drinking.
I easily started to walk my Pure Path to alcohol freedom and easy control.
I call it the ‘Pure Path’, because with every step I took, on a Path I couldn’t see in front of me, I learnt a powerful new perspective which resonated deeply with me, and the next step appeared.
I knew what to do to ease, comfort and release my old thoughts and feelings around alcohol, and instead embrace different thoughts and feelings which allowed me to break free from my drinking pain, and gifted me my ultimate aim in life, PEACE.
I know that your life does not have to be this way,
💫 You can change your drinking, and it doesn’t have to be a ‘never again’ solution.
💫 You can enjoy a social drink without it controlling you.
💫 You can wake up feeling proud, clear-headed, and full of self-respect and energy.
💫 And you can do it without guilt, struggle, or sacrifice.
To get you started on your Pure Path to alcohol freedom, below are the 5 Simple Shifts I use to change my clients relationship with alcohol, and step into a life that feels lighter, freer, and completely yours.
These five easy changes are the first steps toward breaking free—on your terms.
5 Simple Shifts to Regain Control Over Alcohol (Without Giving It Up Completely)
Shift 1: Reframe Your Relationship with Alcohol
Open up your awareness to how your life is when your need for alcohol feels strongest? What are you thinking and feeling? Are you trapped in past memories or projecting in to the future? Are you actually hungry, thirst, tired or needing some space?
Explore why cravings aren’t about alcohol itself but the comfort you crave, and how to fulfill those deeper needs.
Shift 2: “Mindful THINKING “
You’ve probably heard of Mindful Drinking….I get my clients to focus on Mindful Thinking…this is really drilling down on the awareness of why they are choosing to drink, what are the thoughts that they want to be free from, and the simple way of replacing that thinking with thoughts that show them how easy it is to regain control, and make them feel proud of themselves rather than desperate and afraid. Without the painful thinking, you can easily choose when and how much you drink.
Shift 3: Rediscover Your Inner Compass
There are many simple tools to help you reconnect with your true needs and desires, reconnecting with your true desires, passions, and goals to replace the “void” alcohol always fills.
Ask yourself these two questions;
What moments in life have made you feel truly happy and fulfilled?
- Think of experiences, not material things. Describe the feelings, people, or actions involved.
(Example: Spending time laughing with friends, helping someone in need, achieving a goal.)
What are you seeking that alcohol might temporarily provide?
- Examples could include relaxation, confidence, connection, or relief from stress, find your answer and then deliver on your true need.
Shift 4: Identify and Interrupt Your Triggers
Learn to recognise what your specific triggers are, people, places, memories.
When you have identified your triggers, pause, breathe deeply, feel your automatic alcohol response slow down and let calm flow back into you.
Acknowledge your effort to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically. Remind yourself:
“Every time I pause and choose, I’m building my strength and freedom.”
Shift 5: Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
The journey of changing your drinking habit, is not hard, it is NEW.
And as it is a NEW way of thinking, feeling and drinking, you must celebrate every win. There are no small wins on this journey, and each one needs to be fully acknowledged and felt as you re-build yourself as the amazing woman you truly are, safe and in control of your drinking.
Remember, consistent small wins, add up to BIG transformations.
If you would like to discover more about your painful drinking, and how to find peace and freedom, I offer a 20 minute FREE discovery call, click here to book.
Sonia Grimes
The Alcohol Control Coach
