This week I bring you the third and final SNAP on the theme of alcohol awareness and going alcohol free. I am talking about creating the right environment for success. The previous posts were around the benefits of going alcohol free, and prior to that was about taking stock of where you are with alcohol, following Alcohol Awareness Week.
Environment dictates performance
I’m a big believer that environment dictates performance. So, if you’re looking to cut out alcohol or reduce your alcohol intake, or you know someone who is, think about the environment that you’re in. The likelihood is, that if you’re surrounded by people who are drinking, you will probably drink. If you’re surrounded by people drinking to excess, you’re more likely to get swept up into excessive drinking.
Think about creating the right environment, perhaps associating with people who don’t drink, or who don’t drink very much. When I was at the peak of my drinking in 2012 and prior, I was only surrounding myself with people who drank a lot because… well, why wouldn’t I? I didn’t want a sober person there, judging the amount I was drinking. As a result, I genuinely thought that everyone drank. I didn’t think everyone got as drunk as we did, but I thought everyone drank.
Actually, not everybody drinks
Since then, I’ve realised that actually they don’t. When you walk away from alcohol, you generally see people who have a very good relationship with it or don’t drink it at all. There are not as many people as you might think, who drink the sort of quantities that I was at the time. So if you want to make a move away from alcohol, hang around with people who’ve made a move away from alcohol. It’s a really simple idea. If you want to cut it out, go and associate and mix with people who’ve cut it out. Environment dictates performance. Wherever you are and whoever you’re with will have a strong bearing on the decisions that you make.
Finding the right tribe
Resilience is very much about finding the right tribe. If you want to be resilient against alcohol and its temptations (which you’ll be happy to know do abate by the way), then find your right tribe and get amongst those people. If you’ve seen or read any of my content before, you will likely have heard me reference the research by Dan Buettner. One of the key factors he found in his studies of the ‘Blue Zones’, places where many people live to be 100+, is that their people maintain a strong sense of community. Okinawa in Japan is one of the Blue Zones and there something exists called a moai. A moai is essentially a social support group that is formed to provide collective assistance from social, financial, health, or spiritual interests. In fact, in all of the Blue Zones, social connectedness and community play a part in their longevity and wellbeing.
What could that look like for you?
It could be in a sporting environment, or it might be helping your local community. Research also shows doing something for a cause greater than yourself is good for our emotional and physical wellbeing. When you are thinking about creating the right environment for success focus on your values, integrity and priorities. When you are clear on these three elements and prioritise them you will be in a better position to connect with others and develop better social relationships.
So, what is one thing you will do today, to create the right environment for success, for you?
Join the conversation
Feel free to join the discussion by leaving a comment here or on my socials I’m @leannespencerkeynote on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Please share your thoughts and experiences as they may help inspire someone else. Or if you’ve got any concerns with alcohol you’d like to discuss privately, feel free to drop me a message. Otherwise, I hope you’ve found this series useful, and good luck on your journey, wherever you are.
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