Practice being still was a hard lesson for me to learn. From as far back as I can remember life was a rush. Rush to school, rush to play, rush to work, rush to promote, rush to fall in love. I even rushed to motherhood. Practice being still can help avoid alcohol misuse that can lead to abuse and beyond.

Imagine a bike speeding along. Going as fast as it can and it hits a rock – disaster, right? That’s the equivalent to going through life as fast as you can.  Only when I hit the rock, it seemed to happen in slow motion over the course of a few years. While trying to keep the momentum, I was making one bad decision after another. When I finally skidded to a halt, I was battered, beaten, and nearly broken.

Can you see the manic circle this creates?

When you are in a state of rush and trying to keep your head above water, it’s not unlikely you look for some relief. Alcohol gave me that quiet time I not only craved, but in my 30’s so badly needed. Only when you set your life up to go fast and hard, it becomes a habit, and it doesn’t feel normal to do differently. Can you see the manic circle this creates?

Stillness can be a laughable and a hella scary proposition. We all know what thoughts seem to haunt us, and it’s not the ones that remind us of our brilliance, beauty, and acts of kindness in the world.

I want to offer you a couple of tips to start practicing stillness in your life. Especially, if you’re thoughts are spinning out, and you are using alcohol to quiet the chaos.

Tips to start a practice of stillness and reduce the need for alcohol:

• Start with just 2-5 mins.
• Shut all influences from the outside world down.
• Create a short mantra to repeat to yourself when ugliness comes for a visit. Something like – This is my quiet time to soothe and heal. Don’t fight the ugly win it over with beauty and grace.
• Don’t make a bunch of rules.
• Don’t expect anything from it – just gift yourself the moment.

It will take practice, and chances are this is just a step in a system of solutions for you. But it’s a good way to create momentary peace and enjoy a bit of calm.

If you would like to work together on creating a strategy overcoming your struggle click here to schedule a time to talk.