When we make a conscious choice to drink alcohol, there are a number of reasons why we make that decision. We might use alcohol to relax, sleep or some of us may even use alcohol to boost our confidence. Alcohol can help to smooth over social situations and give some of us confidence but this is the thing, alcohol doesn't really give any of us real confidence. Alcohol may give us the illusion that we're more confident but it is just that, an illusion. There are ways we can boost confidence without alcohol.
Practice difficult conversations in advance
Dutch courage is a phrase that's used to describe the courage we find when we've had a few drinks and that courage can sometimes help us to have difficult conversations, that we might otherwise delay or put off. Instead of relying on alcohol to have those conversations, why not try to plan them in advance and really think about you want to say, so you're clear about what you want to say, when you go into the conversation.
List the qualities you love about yourself
Think about what you love most about yourself, don't be shy. We all have lovely qualities about us, that make us the people we are, and it can be a really positive experience to reflect on those qualities and own them. Write a list and love that list.
Visualising what Success looks like
Visualising success, quite simply, is imagining how your successes will look, by using your mind and your imagination. For example, if you succeed in your career, how will that look for you in the future. Will it mean you have more time with your friends and family, a better work life balance or more spare money? When you visualise your success, you can use this image to drive you and focus your thoughts and if without alcohol, you find this focus a whole lot easier.
Recite positive mantras
You either love them or hate them, but positive mantras can help to change a negative mindset. Find one you love and keep repeating it to yourself. Eventually the mantra will become your belief about yourself and help you to change your mindset, for a more positive, nourishing mindset.
Seek out a group or therapy
When we choose to use alcohol to boost our confidence, it's really important to dig a bit deeper and find out why we are lacking confidence and why are we using alcohol to boost our confidence. Sure, alcohol will make us feel more confident in the short term, but over time, the use of alcohol can actually make us feel less confident and in some extreme cases, increase anxiety. It's important to look at why we turn to alcohol, what is it giving us that we don't have, what void is it filling for us in our lives. Group or individual therapy can help you to explore why you don't feel confident in your life and hopefully give you the tools to move forward in your life, feeling more confident.
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