Episode 89: Breaking the Cycle: Your guide to overcoming unhealthy habits and alcohol use with Psychotherapist Orlagh Reid. 5 simple, effective steps to begin changing unwanted behaviours in a compassionate way.
Jessica Cooke is a personal trainer who helps women over forty get fit, feel great and great and find their inner calm. In this episode, I talk to Jessica Cooke about 5 steps to changing unwanted behaviours and unhealthy habits that might be holding you back right now relating to food, sugar, substances and alcohol. Jessica provides online personal training, videos and a podcast for women who are focusing on their health and fitness.
Jessica shares how it feels to be one year free from alcohol and comfort eating, and she says, ‘it feels like the hackles have been removed from my wrists.’ We talk about the benefits of alcohol sobriety, the difference between conditioned drinking and mindful drinking and how problem alcohol consumption may be anything from one alcoholic drink to binge drinking, depending on the person.
Lead the healthy life you strive for, free from unhealthy habits
We often consciously or unconsciously get caught in a familiar cycle of using alcohol, binge eating, experiencing a temporary high or fulfilment, then plunged downward into feeling bad after, then making a commitment to change, relapse and repeat again. This is similar to a cycle of addiction. These five steps can help you consciously and compassionately start to move away from unwanted habits and behaviours.
Read more about the addiction cycle and starting recovery in the Day One Recovery Series blog
5 Steps to changing unwanted behaviours and feeling empowered!
- EVALUATING
- DEVELOP SELF AWARENESS
- SET GOALS
- PLANNING & PREPARING
- EXPERIENCING CHANGE
‘When I think of my clients, whether they are there for one session, five sessions or a year in therapy, they are really there because they want to change something that in their gut and their intuition feels wrong or feels off, or they are just not feeling happy with it.
There is much to explore around alcohol use. Whether you are thinking about reducing it, minimising it, stopping altogether or just learning to mindfully use alcohol in a way that feels 100% what feels best for you. Knowing that you are in control of what, when and how you drink as opposed to being on autopilot or it being in control of you, which is a problem space.
When your starting to do habit changing, habit forming, creating a new habit, just taking it one day at a time and have short term goals. As you start to meet these goals, you start to build confidence and things begin to feel easier, otherwise thinking long term will feel overwhelming. Take it one day at a time, particularly in recovery is an effective strategy.’
If you would like to talk to me about any concerns around unwanted habits, alcohol use, starting sobriety, assessment book an online therapy session today and start making positive changes in your life.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about these 5 simple, effective steps on The Jessica Cooke Podcast on your favourite podcast platform, or click here to listen online.
