Plan To Drink

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Welcome back to Thinking about Drinking Thursday, where we discuss tools to help you drink less. If you are a highly functioning gal who has decided to just cut back on your drinking - this is for you. If you have been saying you want to drink less, but haven't been successful I want to help by sharing some tools with you.
We have trained ourselves to feel this desire to drink without conscious control, and now we want to unlearn this habit. This week I want to talk about planning to drink. Yes- we are planning to drink! All of this work is based on strengthening the managing part of your brain (pre-frontal cortex), and using a drink plan will help you do that. Doing this exercise will empower you as you bring awareness to your drinking, and take control of the planning.
Here’s how you do it. Let’s say you have a holiday party this weekend. You will want to take at least 24 hours in advance to complete this. It doesn’t matter if you want to have 2 or 22 drinks at this party - the point is deciding ahead of time and honoring the commitment you make. Be very specific.
What is the date and time?
What kind, and how many, cocktails do you want to have?
Why are you deciding to have these cocktails?
How will you feel before?
How will you feel during?
How will you feel after?
It’s important that you decide in advance, and write the answers down. Do not just give into the moment. You want to be very conscious about this decision - do not respond to an urge. All of your work has been on de-conditioning the “desire - reward” loop and the last thing you want to do is interrupt your efforts to this point.
Please keep in mind - this exercise is not for you to feel resistance or deprivation. It is just a way to take control of your thinking about drinking and decide on purpose how much and why you want to drink. It takes you off auto-pilot and in control, which is amazing place to be!

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