Is the world full of skinny sober people?
Actually, it’s not.
However, if nasty self-talk worked, it would be.
Why You Need To Drop Nasty Self-Talk
A core part of what I teach is accepting yourself where you are and then going further to actually LIKE yourself.
I emphasize this because it’s effective. I’m an analytical ‘Type A’ kind of guy (degree in mechanical engineering, worked as an engineer, systems analyst, and construction business owner), and I’m all about efficiency and effectiveness.
I’m telling you that dropping the nasty self-talk is one of the foundational factors in achieving easy consistent moderation.
Why is this so important?
First, to the extent that you drink to relieve stress (and I know you do), a pretty good dose of that stress actually comes from your negative self-talk. You like to blame it on work stress, but start paying attention to how often you criticize yourself and notice how that feels in your body.
When you also beat yourself up over your drinking, you just add to that pool of negative emotion that you want relief from.
Second, that judgment cuts you off from the insight that you need. My approach to helping people moderate involves figuring out what you are thinking that makes alcohol seem so important.
You need to be able to look at yourself with compassion and curiosity to figure that out, and that negative judgment blocks you.
I had a guy tell me the other day: “I know all the things already. Counting drinks, journaling, get a hobby, I JUST NEED TO DO IT”.
Conclusion
What I’ve just told you is one of the factors that you can address that will let you actually JUST DO IT. I know it’s counterintuitive but just trust me.
So notice how you talk to yourself. And try to ease up just a little bit every day.