Do I drink too much?
The most important relationship to nurture and attend to is the one with ourselves. With everything we are balancing in our lives like work, friends, family, kids, exercise, healthy eating, etc, it can feel like extra work to have to also show up for ourselves at the end of the day. Many of us turn to a glass (or two, or three) of wine in the evenings, to take the edge off, to come down softly on a Friday evening, to get that feeling of escape or relief from the dense forest that our mind can feel like at times.
Many of us have questioned our relationship to alcohol. Many of us have wondered if we are drinking for the right reasons, if we are drinking appropriately. Many of us have scoured the blogs and taken self-help quizzes to see how our drinking adds up. Our behavior may not look “alcoholic", we may never have gotten into serious trouble due to our drinking, and the people who know us best in our lives would not say that we are problem drinkers. But, we may still have curiosity about our relationship to alcohol.
One possibility that I recommend to clients is to explore their relationship to alcohol. Take a week off or a month off from drinking and see what that feels like. Waking up and consciously changing our relationship with alcohol can be exciting and open new doors. You might discover that you love rolling out the yoga mat for 30 minutes when you get home after work, rather than reaching for that glass of wine. You might discover your love of essential oils, peppermint tea, and journaling. If you are one of these people that is interested in further exploring your relationship to alcohol, I invite you to come in for a session. I will provide a judgement free zone for us to explore this together. Read up on cognitive behavioral therapy to learn effective ways to cope rather than reaching for the pinot, and always remember that self-care is important relationships!
