“May Day or M’aide” So today is May Day, a day we may have celebrated in the past and a day that seems not to be as widely celebrated as it once was. Nonetheless it lingers in our memories. Maybe it lingers there because we remember the brightly decorated may baskets we received as a […]
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Hey, hey, it’s a beaYOUtiful day! I hope your plans for today include some time outdoors. Consider finding a quiet place where you can just look and listen for signs of hope. The world around us is testifying that growth, recovery, new birth, and other “miracles” are real. If you find any signs of hope
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“Are You Sure You Want to Do This?” Staying put is the easiest thing in the world to do and, in some cases, far more perilous than taking a risky step. There’s much to be said for clinging to the familiar. It’s comfortable here, but that’s really the problem isn’t it? It’s SO comfortable
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When we listen to music, with or without words, we are changed in measurable ways. Our hormone levels, heart rate, blood pressure and other medically measurable metrics can be influenced by what we’re listening to. I know that there are some songs that make it easier for me to drive too fast. I know we’ve
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“Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?” If you’re not familiar with the award winning musical ‘Hamilton,’ there’s a number that talks about who lives, who dies, and who tells your story. Of all of the things we might have given up or lost to our addiction, there’s one we may have overlooked. If
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Did you mess up? Just ‘fess up So you can get up and get back on track! A slip-up isn’t the end of the world – UNLESS YOU DECIDE IT IS! So don’t! Don’t let a slip-up keep you off of your path. If it happens, it happens. There’s a bumper sticker that says “Slip
Just because something is familiar, doesn’t mean it’s right, right?! In fact if you look at the last half of the word famiLIAR, it might remind you that familiar doesn’t mean true. So sure, when you’re stressed out, reaching for a drug may be familiar, but it’s not the best answer and you deserve better.
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Sometimes it’s easier to stop a behavior (let’s use smoking for an example) when we first look at the other behaviors that are connected to it (behavioral triggers.) If the coffee at the kitchen table is behavioral trigger to light a cigarette, consider taking your coffee out onto the deck or the porch (WITHOUT AN
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I’m going to keep this post brief because I need to get a little garden time in before my weekend starts. When I spend time in nature, I always feel better. So please try to make time for communing with nature today. It’s a great way to celebrate Earth Day. Consider leaving the phone home
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“BESOCHEMPS” PS-ychological Compulsion The PS in besochemPS is surely the slipperiest aspect of the beast – psychological compulsions. It’s quite evident that under different circumstances and to varying extents, we are all willing to participate in a behavior that we know is causing us certain harm. We’ll all quickly agree that it is not OK
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“BESOCHEMPS” EM-otional Urges EMotional urges can lead us to want to smoke (or use other substances/behaviors) as a means of avoiding unpleasant feelings. If we are feeling, for example, anxious, we’ve learned to reach for the “relief” of a cigarette. The nicotine in our brain results in the release of endorphins, which make us feel
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“BESOCHEMPS” CH-emical Cravings The CH in besoCHemps reminds us to be aware of how our body/brain have learned to depend upon a regular daily dose of a chemical. When we don’t get the drug, we can become physically uncomfortable. It’s very important that you learn to tell the difference between wanting to smoke because you’re
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BESOCHEMPS” SO-cial Triggers The SO in beSOchemps makes us aware that there are familiar SO-cial situations that can make us think about using. Notice that again, the face and the place only have the power to make us THINK about using. They can’t “make” us do it. In classes and phone coaching with smokers, I
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“BESOCHEMPS” BE-havioral Triggers The first of the 5 heads of the dragon represents the behavioral triggers that have become associated with our using. For a smoker, some common behavioral triggers are pouring a coffee, starting the car, answering the phone, and finishing a meal. We use the letters BE to represent that connection between wanting
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“Hoping Your Day is BeaYOUtiful!” Just a quick note to remind you that some bunny is thinking of you! And remember that for the next 5 days we’ll be taking a closer look at the “5-headed dragon” that makes our program so successful! http://ow.ly/i/tRScj
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