In today’s episode, Colleen shares a real-life moment of emotional sobriety in action—how a simple email first thing in the morning nearly hijacked her day and how she stopped the stress spiral before it took over. She explains the power of noticing sensations in your body before they trigger habitual reactions and how shifting your focus can change how you experience stress, time, and even your relationship with alcohol.

Key Takeaways: Your Body Feels Before Your Mind Reacts

• Stress is often triggered by habits and thought loops, not real urgency.
• Your body sends signals (tightness, urgency, restlessness), but they don’t mean you have to act on them.
• Learning to pause and assess before reacting gives you control over how you respond.

Not Every Thought Deserves Your Attention

• Just because a thought feels urgent doesn’t mean it is.
• Your mind follows patterns—it sees stress, assumes a problem, and wants to fix it.
• But your body doesn’t have an agenda—it’s just experiencing sensations.

How Emotional Sobriety Breaks the Stress-React Cycle

• Catch yourself before stress takes over by tuning into your body.
• Ask: “Is this actually urgent, or am I just reacting?”
• The more you notice and interrupt old patterns, the less control stress (and alcohol) has over you.

Actionable Steps: Step 1: Notice When Your Body Feels Tense or Rushed

• Pay attention to tightness, stress, or urgency in your body before reacting.
• Instead of jumping to fix the "problem," pause and check if it actually needs attention.

Step 2: Separate Sensation from Thought

• When you feel triggered, ask yourself: “What is my body actually telling me?”
• Recognize that not every emotion requires an immediate action.

Step 3: Shift Your Focus to What Really Matters

• Before reacting, ask: “Is this how I want to start my day?”
• Direct your attention toward what’s actually important, not just what feels urgent.

Homework:

Next time you feel anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed, pause and check in with your body before reacting. Ask yourself:

“Is this actually urgent, or just my body reacting?”

“What would happen if I waited before responding?”

Start noticing how much more peaceful and in control you feel when you don’t immediately react to stress.

 

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