Taking a break - a Hypnotherapist's tips on alcohol use
Scientists' Advice
Our government has been doing some studies on our behalf. They are keen to find out what constitutes wellbeing and good health management, and have been looking at our alcohol intake. Oh dear! It seems (and a straw poll amongst friends corroborates this) that we are drinking a little too much and a little too often. If you really want to toast your good health then you should avoid alcohol for at least two days a week, it was suggested by Andrew Miller, chairman of the cross-party House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.
In the US, the Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism are saying the same thing, it is much better to avoid alcohol for at least two days a week on a regular basis, if you are a regular drinker.
A Liver Specialist at Southampton University goes a step further and recommends a "Liver Holiday" of four to six weeks every year to allow any damage to heal completely.
Taking that Break
Which is all well and good for most people who consider themselves moderate drinkers who like "a glass or two" each evening with their meal. It is easy to be in total agreement with the principle... until we reach that "witching hour" when we have at last decided to down tools for the day and relax for the evening and an image or a feeling floats into our mind of that glass of wine, and before we even have a chance to challenge our belief that it is "just what we need" to accompany us through the evening, that glass is in our hand and the first gulp (or three) is already sloshing around in the stomach. If we do pause for a moment to wonder whether this is a good idea, there is always "tomorrow I'll be good", and conveniently forget to remember that Tomorrow Never Comes!
Prepare for the Moment
Viktor Frankl (1905 - 1997), the Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, said that: "between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom." Finding that space when you are in the middle of your rewarding-glass-of-tipple-trance is well nigh impossible. This is where the hypnotherapist can step in and help you to take a microscope to that time and change the tune so that you can dance past that moment of weakness and hear the voice of inner health and wellbeing, your liver asking for a rest, perhaps.
However, here are some ideas you can try for yourself;
When you next go shopping, look out for some interesting and tasty fruit juices or other non-alcoholic drinks that you like the look of.
Rehearse in your mind during the day how delicious that fruit cocktail/sparkling water/etc will taste and how much better it will be for your body
Imagine how smug and pleased you can feel when you wake up after an alcohol-free evening and notice how much more alert and refreshed you feel.
Do a quick online search on liver damage and remind yourself that you are the owner of just one body, another one is not an option, so you need to take good care of it.
When you pour that refreshing, non-alcoholic drink, use an attractive glass, ice, and slow down and notice every sip, use it as a symbol of relaxation, time to change the pace and go down through the gears.
