Overcoming Overwhelm: Practical Strategies for Beating Decision Fatigue

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Assess how you're experiencing the craving. Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in a relaxed position. Take a few deep breaths and focus your attention inward. Allow your attention to wander through your body. Notice the part of your body where you're experiencing the craving and what the sensations are like. Tell yourself what it feels like. For example, “My craving is in my mouth and nose and in my stomach.” Make meetings a priority – Join a recovery support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you're going through can be very healing. You can also benefit from the shared experiences of the group members and learn what others have done to stay sober. Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.”—Brian Tracy

Emotional reasoning. Believing that the way you feel reflects reality (“I feel like such a loser. Everyone must be laughing at me!”) Hu MX, et al. (2020). Exercise interventions for the prevention of depression: A systematic review of meta-analyses. The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; to be kind, but not weak; to be bold, but not a bully; to be thoughtful, but not lazy; to be humble, but not timid; to be proud, but not arrogant; to have humor, but without folly.”—Jim Rohn Take a walk on your lunch break, have your coffee outside, enjoy an al fresco meal, or spend time gardening. With anxiety, in the longer term, you may have some of the above symptoms as well as a more nagging sense of fear. You may get irritable, have trouble sleeping, develop headaches, or have trouble getting on with work and planning for the future; you might have problems having sex, and might lose self-confidence. Why do I feel like this when I’m not in any real danger?Take care of yourself. To prevent mood swings and combat cravings, concentrate on eating right and getting plenty of sleep. Exercise is also key: it releases endorphins, relieves stress, and promotes emotional well-being. Cut down drinking at home. Try to limit or remove alcohol from your home. It’s much easier to avoid drinking if you don’t keep temptations around. Talk to the person about their drinking. Express your concerns in a caring way and encourage your friend or family member to get help. Try to remain neutral and don't argue, lecture, accuse, or threaten. Lean on close friends and family – Having the support of friends and family members is an invaluable asset in recovery. If you're reluctant to turn to your loved ones because you've let them down before, consider going to couples counseling or family therapy.

Don't withdraw from life. Socialising can improve your mood. Keeping in touch with friends and family means you have someone to talk to when you feel low. Be more activeResidential treatment involves living at a treatment facility while undergoing intensive treatment during the day. Depending on your specific needs, a stay in a residential facility can last a single month or several months.

Build a sober social network – If your previous social life revolved around alcohol, you may need to make some new connections. It's important to have sober friends who will support your recovery. Try taking a class, joining a church or a civic group, volunteering, or attending events in your community. Keep a record of your drinking to help you reach your goal. For 3 to 4 weeks, write down every time you have a drink and how much you drink. Reviewing the results, you may be surprised at your weekly drinking habits. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Depression typically involves sleep problems; whether you're sleeping too little or too much, your mood suffers. Many cases of tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Try these self-help tips to restore your energy levels.

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Anxiety can have a number of distressing effects on your health and well-being. Some of these include: While getting sober is an important first step, it is only the beginning of your recovery from alcohol addiction or heavy drinking. Rehab or professional treatment can get you started on the road to recovery, but to stay alcohol-free for the long term, you'll need to build a new, meaningful life where drinking no longer has a place. Five steps to a sober lifestyle