Dr. Sarah Wakeman

If instead you think, okay, I, you know, started to realize that when I drink every single night, I don't get the work done that I want to get done because I'm too tired and I fall asleep. I don't feel refreshed in the morning because I'm not sleeping very well. I'm not getting up early to exercise and that's something that really matters to me.

If instead you think, okay, I, you know, started to realize that when I drink every single night, I don't get the work done that I want to get done because I'm too tired and I fall asleep. I don't feel refreshed in the morning because I'm not sleeping very well. I'm not getting up early to exercise and that's something that really matters to me.

I'm not like as present with my family as I wanted to be. Then it's all these little micro goals that make it much easier to make a change. So you may decide, you know, I'm not going to drink. I'm only going to drink two days out of the week. And when I do drink, I'm going to keep it to this amount. But the reason why is not some vague recommendation from some doctor.

I'm not like as present with my family as I wanted to be. Then it's all these little micro goals that make it much easier to make a change. So you may decide, you know, I'm not going to drink. I'm only going to drink two days out of the week. And when I do drink, I'm going to keep it to this amount. But the reason why is not some vague recommendation from some doctor.

It's because you're working really hard at work, and it feels good to be productive after dinner. And you're training for a race, and you want to get up in the morning and run. And so you actually notice those little steps, like, wow, it feels great. I woke up this morning, and I feel so refreshed. You're reinforcing your goal right there.

It's because you're working really hard at work, and it feels good to be productive after dinner. And you're training for a race, and you want to get up in the morning and run. And so you actually notice those little steps, like, wow, it feels great. I woke up this morning, and I feel so refreshed. You're reinforcing your goal right there.

You're not working towards some abstract thing that doesn't really matter to you. So you want to make these really focused, personalized goals. and really anchoring it on what is your why. And your why may be very different than my why or someone else's why. So it may be, you know, sleep really matters to you. Or, you know, you may have a different relationship with alcohol.

You're not working towards some abstract thing that doesn't really matter to you. So you want to make these really focused, personalized goals. and really anchoring it on what is your why. And your why may be very different than my why or someone else's why. So it may be, you know, sleep really matters to you. Or, you know, you may have a different relationship with alcohol.

So the other kind of example I'd give is people are different, right? We respond differently to things. So some people can open a bag of, like, potato chips and eat two and walk away. Some people, like, they open the bag, they're going to eat all of the chips. And so it's just easier not to open the bag. And alcohol is like that too.

So the other kind of example I'd give is people are different, right? We respond differently to things. So some people can open a bag of, like, potato chips and eat two and walk away. Some people, like, they open the bag, they're going to eat all of the chips. And so it's just easier not to open the bag. And alcohol is like that too.

Some people might find if they open a bottle of wine or they have alcohol in the house, they're going to drink all of it. And the idea of like trying to keep to these small amounts of alcohol is actually really hard and it's simpler and easier to just avoid it completely or to only drink at a restaurant or something.

Some people might find if they open a bottle of wine or they have alcohol in the house, they're going to drink all of it. And the idea of like trying to keep to these small amounts of alcohol is actually really hard and it's simpler and easier to just avoid it completely or to only drink at a restaurant or something.

So you do have to understand like how your goals, your why, your purpose interacts with your response to whatever it is that you're working on and that's going to be different for everyone.

So you do have to understand like how your goals, your why, your purpose interacts with your response to whatever it is that you're working on and that's going to be different for everyone.

Yeah. Yeah, there's a bunch. I think first, any behavior change, whether it's alcohol or other, if you're feeling like depleted and tired and not your best self, it's going to be harder to make a change. So if you think about like any big decision you made to change your job, to start an exercise routine, to leave your partner.

Yeah. Yeah, there's a bunch. I think first, any behavior change, whether it's alcohol or other, if you're feeling like depleted and tired and not your best self, it's going to be harder to make a change. So if you think about like any big decision you made to change your job, to start an exercise routine, to leave your partner.

You probably didn't choose like the day that you were exhausted and feeling anxious and stressed and not your best self to make that change. Like change is hard. So you want to try to boost up other things in your life, eat well, you know, get enough rest, try to exercise, things that are going to help you feel healthy in your best self when you're trying to make a change.

You probably didn't choose like the day that you were exhausted and feeling anxious and stressed and not your best self to make that change. Like change is hard. So you want to try to boost up other things in your life, eat well, you know, get enough rest, try to exercise, things that are going to help you feel healthy in your best self when you're trying to make a change.

Yeah, because, I mean, so our natural reward system, the thing that triggers it is exercise, food, sex, connection. So, you know, trying to have healthy other ways of positive dopamine release. And so I think for many people, alcohol or substances can feel like a way of doing something nice for ourselves. Like I'm going to – this is going to help me reduce my stress after a bad day at work.

Yeah, because, I mean, so our natural reward system, the thing that triggers it is exercise, food, sex, connection. So, you know, trying to have healthy other ways of positive dopamine release. And so I think for many people, alcohol or substances can feel like a way of doing something nice for ourselves. Like I'm going to – this is going to help me reduce my stress after a bad day at work.