Newbies Nest
Loveless and Katty- Do you have a plan that helps you NOT drink? First get you stomach full. Either load up on fluid, like iced tea and water or bubbly water, real lemon lemonade... If you haven't gotten your arsenal ready, get it ready. Lots of different fluids, something has got to get rid of the type of thirst you don't want to quench. For me that means lemonade with maple and cayenne in it. If you don't have lots of fluid, get lots of fruit and make yourself fruit platters and veggie platters to grab at while you are in the craving periods. Many on here have great advice for what to do but a plan is so important. Make your own list of activities. I had mine in dry erase on my bedroom dresser mirror. Seriously, it's kind-of silly but when you are in the craving stage a simple list to read was important.
Mine was GO for a walk. Anything, walk out the door! Go do laundry, Go clean off the deck. Change out plants from potters. Clean the fridge. Wash windows and mirrors. (not the one with the list!) Exercise, of any kind... make a list for your exercise. Also, make a list of mantras... maybe 5 simple ones and repeat them. When a craving hits, do 10 situps followed by 10 leg lifts each side, squats 10 each side, side stretches, 20 each side, 5 by 5 Slow.... I actually wrote all this and would stare at it to concentrate. I haven't had to do it this time but have during other times when I have tried to avoid drinking. Right now, I am on the nordic trac doing 1/2 an hour and writing this. I took one kudzu and one LGlut. I am doing this because I DON'T want the cravings! I haven't had one in 2-3 days so I was getting in the mind-set of "OH, it's not that bad!"
Also, one thing that doesn't get brought up much is simple breathing exercises. It's so hard to get to 10 before you forget why you are ding them, but it does help.Slowly in through the nose, feel your rib cage extend and your tummy come in... slowly release though your mouth... try to get to 10. If you get there and are still in a frenzy, sit down, legs straight out arms over head and start again. Say a mantra. I LET GO... I LET GRACE. Breathe. Slows your heart rate, rids that fear/panic you feel from depriving yourself.
Why do we fear NOT drinking? WE should FEAR drinking since we know the problems it causes. Also, Journal. WRITE YOUR HEART OUT- here or on paper or a desktop journal. Anything to purge. Try to stay away from the self-berating journal entries. From being here for a while( my second time on MWO) one aspect of this is that WE ALL HAVE very low self-esteem and beat ourselves up more than anyone else could possibly beat us up!
You can do this! AND BTW the more you post the more you HELP others, even those that has long been AF= Alcohol FREE. It reminds them of where they don't want to go. And their posting in turn shows you their progress and WHERE you do want to go...
Katty and Loveless and the rest of us NEWBIES- YOU can set goals and succeed. Day 1 Day 3... I think the first goal should be anything that breaks your pattern for a bit. Mine was 3 days. I am an every other day drinker so to get to day 3 was HUGE. Now on day 7.
What's my next goal? I had said 30... but that is because it's the secondary goal that's primarily posted here. I think I am back to- Today I will not drink and it's DAY 1 again. IT doesn't have to be Day 8.
Loveless and Katty- Do you have a plan that helps you NOT drink? First get you stomach full. Either load up on fluid, like iced tea and water or bubbly water, real lemon lemonade... If you haven't gotten your arsenal ready, get it ready. Lots of different fluids, something has got to get rid of the type of thirst you don't want to quench. For me that means lemonade with maple and cayenne in it. If you don't have lots of fluid, get lots of fruit and make yourself fruit platters and veggie platters to grab at while you are in the craving periods. Many on here have great advice for what to do but a plan is so important. Make your own list of activities. I had mine in dry erase on my bedroom dresser mirror. Seriously, it's kind-of silly but when you are in the craving stage a simple list to read was important.
Mine was GO for a walk. Anything, walk out the door! Go do laundry, Go clean off the deck. Change out plants from potters. Clean the fridge. Wash windows and mirrors. (not the one with the list!) Exercise, of any kind... make a list for your exercise. Also, make a list of mantras... maybe 5 simple ones and repeat them. When a craving hits, do 10 situps followed by 10 leg lifts each side, squats 10 each side, side stretches, 20 each side, 5 by 5 Slow.... I actually wrote all this and would stare at it to concentrate. I haven't had to do it this time but have during other times when I have tried to avoid drinking. Right now, I am on the nordic trac doing 1/2 an hour and writing this. I took one kudzu and one LGlut. I am doing this because I DON'T want the cravings! I haven't had one in 2-3 days so I was getting in the mind-set of "OH, it's not that bad!"
Also, one thing that doesn't get brought up much is simple breathing exercises. It's so hard to get to 10 before you forget why you are ding them, but it does help.Slowly in through the nose, feel your rib cage extend and your tummy come in... slowly release though your mouth... try to get to 10. If you get there and are still in a frenzy, sit down, legs straight out arms over head and start again. Say a mantra. I LET GO... I LET GRACE. Breathe. Slows your heart rate, rids that fear/panic you feel from depriving yourself.
Why do we fear NOT drinking? WE should FEAR drinking since we know the problems it causes. Also, Journal. WRITE YOUR HEART OUT- here or on paper or a desktop journal. Anything to purge. Try to stay away from the self-berating journal entries. From being here for a while( my second time on MWO) one aspect of this is that WE ALL HAVE very low self-esteem and beat ourselves up more than anyone else could possibly beat us up!
You can do this! AND BTW the more you post the more you HELP others, even those that has long been AF= Alcohol FREE. It reminds them of where they don't want to go. And their posting in turn shows you their progress and WHERE you do want to go...
Katty and Loveless and the rest of us NEWBIES- YOU can set goals and succeed. Day 1 Day 3... I think the first goal should be anything that breaks your pattern for a bit. Mine was 3 days. I am an every other day drinker so to get to day 3 was HUGE. Now on day 7.
What's my next goal? I had said 30... but that is because it's the secondary goal that's primarily posted here. I think I am back to- Today I will not drink and it's DAY 1 again. IT doesn't have to be Day 8.
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