The day is done…

What now? 

Maybe time for a little tipple of your choice (perhaps a glass of wine, or bottle of beer) 

You pour a drink and take a sip…

The alcohol hits the back of your throat… dopamine is released from your brain, and you feel a sense of calm wash over you. You sigh with relief ‘ahh’ breathing out…and for a brief moment, all feels well. 

As the alcohol is doing it’s work… entering your bloodstream, your muscles start to relax, and suddenly you feel at peace. 

What’s wrong with this? 

Absolutely nothing. 

However, the issue is that… you’ve been doing this most nights, and consuming more than usual. 

You’ve started to notice your sleep suffering. You wake up each day with a groggy feeling, your thinking lacks clarity, your skin complexion looks a little duller, your joints and muscles ache a bit more than usual, and you’ve noticed extra weight gain around your midsection. 

All of a sudden, you look at yourself in the mirror and berate yourself.

After all, it’s you that’s created this, nobody has forced you to drink… 

Uncomfortable feelings arise, feelings of guilt, shame, anger, and frustration. 

As you stare at your reflection, a thought pops into your head… “why am I doing this to myself?”

While your brain searches for the answer…

Despite feeling bad, you struggle to motivate yourself to change, and you feel trapped and helpless. “How do I break the spell?”. You want to change but don’t know how. You feel like giving up.

Does this feel familiar?

Maybe it’s time for a reality check. 

Alcohol is no longer serving you… if anything it’s weighing you down both mentally and physically. 

Don’t worry if this sounds like you…there is hope, and you can change. I want to help you, and that’s why I’ve written this post…

I’m All For A Good Time…

Now, before I go on, I’m not against alcohol, it’s one of life’s many pleasures. 

I’m all for letting my hair down, having a good time with friends, and having a social drink (when lockdown is over).

I’ve even drank more myself recently…

Typically, I’ll drink no more than five times per year:

• My Birthday
• At Christmas
• Social Events (friends wedding, party, etc.) – maximum 2-3x per year 

However, over the last two months (since lockdown), I’ve drank seven times (every Friday) with my friends on a Zoom call. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I only have a couple of whiskey and diet cokes, so I don’t feel too guilty. I’ve enjoyed it, BUT I can see how easy it is for people to get into regular drinking. It can be a slippery slope…

The Slippery Slope…

At first, you drink once per week, then two months later you’re drinking two times per week. Not only that… instead of only having two drinks, you’re now having three. Then two years pass…

You’re drinking two/three glasses EVERY EVENING, and the habit has become so embedded that you can’t break the spell.

Ok, I know I may have gone over the top here, but the truth is this is a common story, and it happens to people all of the time…

It may even feel like I’m talking about you? 

I Get It…

I get why people drink.

I’m not calling you out. I’m far from perfect myself.

But if you are regularly drinking, and you feel like it’s getting a little (or VERY) out of control, then here are some suggestions…

List the Benefits Of Drinking…

“Nick, What do you mean?”

Well…

I want you to write down how alcohol is serving you. You may be annoyed at yourself for drinking, but it’s clearly giving you some benefit(s); otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing it?

For example, drinking may be serving you because you perceive it to:

• Help you relax
• Switch off
• Improve Sleep 
• Reduces stress
• Make your problems disappear
• You like the taste
• Social time with your spouse
• Helps you deal with uncomfortable emotions
• Covers up boredom 

Be entirely honest with yourself, and write down as many reasons as possible as to why you drink. 

How else can you get your needs met?

The next step is to find other ways to serve your needs. 

For example, for everything I’ve mentioned above, there are other ways to achieve the same outcomes, let me give you examples:

Instead of drinking alcohol to help you relax, switch off and cover up uncomfortable emotions…instead you could:

• Go for an evening stroll in the fresh air
• Keep a journal and reflect on the day’s events 
• Speak to a loved one
• Meditate
• Take a relaxing bath (with some muscle soaking Radox) 
• Do a home workout 

All of the above will help you and be a healthier substitute compared to drinking.

Now I know you may be reading this and thinking, “that all sounds great on paper Nick…but it’s so much easier just to pour a drink!”. 

I get it, and you are absolutely right, it is. And if that’s the way you want to go… then be my guest. BUT don’t complain the next day when you’re waking up with stomach cramps, lacking in motivation, low libido, and criticising your body shape.

You can’t have both i’m afraid. 

It’s your choice. 

If you are still struggling to get motivated, here’s another thing to try…

Associate your behaviour with pain

Imagine your drinking continues…

Five months pass, and your skin looks even duller. 

Five years pass, and you’ve gained another 30lbs. Your jeans no longer fit, and you can barely walk up the stairs without gasping for breath.

Twenty years pass, and you lie on your deathbed, contemplating what you did with your life. You feel guilty that your life has been cut short because you didn’t look after your body…

Had you have done things differently… 

You could have gained another ten years of life. Another ten years of running around with your grandchildren, and time spent with your spouse.

But you abused your body. You failed to change years ago, and now it’s too late.

Depressing right? 

I know it is. 

Yes, i’ve laid it on thick, but do you get my point? 

And sadly…many people die this way. And If you don’t act now… this could be you. 

REMEMBER that what you are doing right at this moment is impacting your future. 

If you are struggling to change a behaviour (whether with food, alcohol, drugs, etc.), then you need to attach as much PAIN as possible to your behaviour. Make it so painful that you have no choice but to change. 

Do this, while at the same time attaching POSITIVE feelings towards your new behaviour. 

It will take time to break the cycle (usually 20-90 days), BUT it will be worth it for the return you get on the quality of your life. It will be priceless I can guarantee it (100%).  

Are you Still Struggling? 

Now, I know it’s not easy to do this by yourself. Just because you know what to do…doesn’t mean you’ll do it. 

I understand the challenges ahead. I’ve had to overcome many myself… 

BUT during my own journey I’ve learned so much about the human body and mind. I spend most of my life studying these two subjects.  

I’m confident that I can help you to transform your life too. 

I can help you improve your mindset, fitness, and body shape. All of which will positively seep into areas of your life that mean the most to you. 

You’ll not only get a boost to your mind and fitness, but the benefits will transfer into your career, personal relationships, and the quality of life you lead. But don’t just take my word for it; check out the hundreds of testimonials on my site. 

If you want help and are willing to commit to a better future, then I strongly suggest we talk. 

Let’s get a date in the diary and discuss the things that you are struggling with and want to change. I’ll give you my full attention and give you some tips that will have a meaningful impact… 

You’ll start to notice changes in a matter of weeks, and before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to looking and feeling the best you’ve ever felt, and your struggles will feel like a distant memory. 

If this is what you want, please get in touch below…

Thanks for reading,

Nick Screeton – Founder Of LEP Fitness – https://lepfitness.co.uk/