Episode 513 - 10 Things to do Daily

Today we have Forrest. He is 31 years old from Atlanta, GA and took his last drink on March 14th, 2022.

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[03:38] Thoughts from Paul:

Paul shares a list of recommendations of little things to dry and do daily. The best way to make change in your life is with small, intentional steps towards your goal.

1) Water – at least once per day, drink as much water as you can. Dehydration causes a lot of our fatigue later in the day.

2) Meditation – for a few minutes each day, turn your gaze inward.

3) Posture – stand up, pull your shoulders back, arch your back, look to the sky and hold it for 30 seconds.

4) Fuel – make a point to eat one healthy item daily and be conscious about it.

5) Movement – five minutes of light to moderate movement each day.

6) Nothing – literally, do nothing. Start slow with as little as one minute.

7) Play – try new hobbies or rediscover old ones.

8) Learn and grow – read a book or watch a YouTube video about something that interests you.

9) Connect with another human being – Ideally one you can be yourself around.

10) Make someone else's life better - A tremendous amount of happiness will come to you when you help someone else out.

[10:28] Paul introduces Forrest:

Forrest grew up in a household where alcohol was present, but he was never exposed to overindulgence. He also had little interest in trying it and says he didn't have his first drink until late freshman year of college where it was a beer pong situation. Forrest says his drinking during college looked very normal.

After graduating, Forrest found himself with a corporate job and the happy hours that came with it. Between the happy hours several days of the week and the shenanigans he pursued with his other friends in their early twenties, Forrest started to notice his alcohol consumption increase. After a few occasions of questioning himself about the previous nights, a voice told him that he wasn't ready to quit, but he definitely needed to start moderating.

After attempting moderation for a while, Forrest determined it was not helping. The process of quitting started for Forrest when he joined a health challenge with a friend. It wasn't long into the challenge when he started noticing some benefits but returned to his old habits after 45 days and ended up back where he was when he began. Forrest began to negotiate with himself that after his birthday, he would try to go alcohol free again. It was March when he looked at himself and realized he needed to quit for at least a year.

Forrest started reading a lot of quit lit and listening to podcasts. Learning the science behind alcohol use disorder was very helpful for Forrest. Within the first year of quitting drinking, Forrest lost 60 pounds and was seeing many other positive changes in his body. He started finding physical activity easier and began to enjoy it again.

Forrest's parting piece of guidance: if there is something in your mind that gives you an inkling that you need to question your alcohol consumption habits, there is nothing wrong with seeking knowledge, doing research, and you might come across a journey that you didn't necessarily know was in your future.

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