How to Make Dry January Work for You by Elizabeth Graves
Elizabeth Graves, MSS, and Certified Mindset and Life Coach, is a professional woman who found herself thinking about wine more than she was comfortable. But, it wasn't the alcohol that finally led her to stop drinking, it was the shame she felt about it. She decided to take a break from drinking for 30 days, to get clear on her path forward. The experience was so life-changing, she decided to get certified and work with other women and men on this same powerful journey. She provides a compassionate and judgment-free space to get clear on what you’d like your relationship with alcohol to look like and the tools to create the life you were really craving all along. In this issue, she talks about how to make a dry January work for you.
The language we use around taking a break from drinking often sounds restrictive. Dry January makes me think of an endless, cracking desert. But, the reality is, for most of us, the experience of giving up alcohol for a period of time or even forever, is a really soothing, nurturing time of growth.
When I think of “dry” January, I prefer to envision “dormant” January. I like to imagine flowers and their seeds, settling in during these long, dark months. They send their energy and nutrients straight to the seed, slowly growing while the stem prepares for the coming spring.
This coming January is a time to settle in and understand what really energizes you and how you would like to root down this year. This month is the perfect time to cut back on drinking and get really clear on what really gets you going and growing.
As you think about how to make dry January work for you, I invite you to reflect on the following areas of your life:
What really stimulates you intellectually?
How do you like to connect emotionally?
How do you want to feel physically?
What can you do to increase the satisfaction in your sexual life?
How do you grow a meaningful spiritual life?
Next, circle back to each of these spaces and ask yourself, “Are the gin and tonics doing what I think they are?” “Is the wine adding or detracting?” “What would change if I slept soundly or never woke with a hangover?” “Is alcohol really what I am craving?”
As you spend this time getting clear, make choices that bring you closer to your ideal, and refrain from using alcohol to numb your desire for a full, rich, lush life. You can create the life you’ve been craving.
I offer coaching for women who want to stop drinking and start living the life they’ve been craving all along. I work with them to stop drinking and start building a life so fulfilling they don’t even want to drink. Seems impossible? I get it. I thought so too, but take this journey with me and see how beautifully possible it is for you.⠀
You can schedule a free 30 min session with me at www.takeabreakfromdrinking.com , DM me @takeabreakfromdrinking or email elizabeth@takeabreakfromdrinking.com with questions, I love hearing from you.