“We probably won’t ever stop the conflicting voices in our heads but we can get used to them, determine which one is on our side and then try our best to listen to that one.” – Janey Lee Grace
Conflicting thoughts about alcohol – day 3 of sober challenge
Have you ever experienced conflicting thoughts about alcohol? You wake up in the morning with a hangover and say to yourself, “I’m done with this drinking.” But by the time 5 p.m. rolls around, there’s another voice that says, “you deserve this drink! You made it through the day and everyone else is doing it!”
I used to think that if I had the thought about drinking alcohol, then I hadn’t made much progress in my journey to reevaluate my relationship with it. That’s why this article by Janey Lee Grace on the Alcohol Change U.K. site is one of my very favorites to share with people who have conflicting thoughts about alcohol.
Because it shows us the complexity of the human brain – and that we are capable of creating new habits for ourselves, but it takes work. Making decisions, little by little, add up to big results. But you have to actually make those decisions – instead of wishing that you did! (this goes back to Day 1 where we talk about how our decisions – not our dreams – determine our destination).
When the boys were going through their terrible twos, I would daydream about getting in the car and driving to the beach – or until the car ran out of gas – and just starting a new life there. I obviously didn’t do that! But I didn’t beat myself up for having a voice that wasn’t necessarily on my side.
Day 3 Recap
- Write down your goal to stay sober today – make a different decision (Day 1)
- If you find yourself getting pulled into wanting a drink, remember a time you persevered through something challenging and use that as inspiration (cravings are just internal temper tantrums) (Day 2)
- Listen to the voice that’s on your side and share successes or challenges in the Facebook group
