Not drinking can be really hard when you have stress. There are a lot of articles out there about living in the present and meditation and while I think this is great advice, I get a little annoyed at the ease in which this advice is thrown around. Meditation is the new solution for everything.
If you need concrete, simple instructions on how to remove yourself mentally from stress, I suggest details.
Paying close attention to the very small details of what you have in front of you can completely consume your mind, rescuing you from whatever you happen to be feeling for a specific amount of time. You don’t have to chant. You don’t have to sit with your feelings. You just have to go slowly.
No matter what task you’re trying to accomplish, it has to be broken up into steps. By halving those steps, you can slow yourself down and focus your attention thoroughly enough to escape painful emotions.
Example Task: You need to re-organize your closet.
- Break it down into tiny steps: first have a dedicated trash bin for things you don’t want.
- Break it down into tinier steps: use the nice trash bags with the little strings weaved through so it will be easier to bag.
- Break down the next step: Sort through which things you want to toss and which things you want to keep.
- Break down into tinier step: Clear out a designated space for you to go through each shelf in the closet so that you can decide what you want and what you don’t want.
By slicing a task in half and paying attention to the smaller details, you can effectively distract yourself while being productive. This means that you get the reward of feeling good about yourself after the process. If you’re like me, addiction can really hollow out your esteem. This trick is especially good in the beginning of learning how to moderate because there are so many more stressors during this period.
Moderating Addiction 