It’s ok to start over.

I just have to share that. 

Especially with drinking.

If you’ve tried to quit before and it didn’t work…

...it’s ok to start again.

If you changed your mind or had some success or had no success…

...it’s ok to start over.

Every moment is a chance to start new.

There was a study of athletes that were both equally talented, but one was more successful than the other. 

It came down to the successful one being able to rest his mind and let it go.

If you have struggled and tried and failed and found yourself back in the drinking loop, 

(maybe even worse off than you were before you attempted to quit)... 

...it is ok to start again.

Everyone  I know that successfully quit drinking...

...started by unsuccessful attempts at quitting drinking.

Just because you haven’t done it yet, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

...

My friend, Becky died a year ago today from alcohol. 

It is so sad and it is not fair.

Becky and I were just casual friends, but we had a lot in common. 

We both come from the same small town in Wisconsin. 

We were both on the Poms squad in high school.

We married good, steady guys who loved us dearly. 

We both gave birth to two daughters, a few years apart. 

Being a Mom was the most important role of our lives and meant the world to both of us. 

We were as proud as peacock’s of our girls. 

We were closest to our own Mom’s, and everyone knew it.  

We looked just like our  Mom’s, who were our very best friends. 

We were both friendly, although I think Becky was way more likable than me. 

We both drank wine. 

We both drank too much wine. 

We stayed in touch casually over the years.

We were big fans of each other from afar, in a mutual admiration club of two. 

I really liked Becky, and I think...

If you think you can’t have fun without drinking. 

You are right. 

I couldn’t either. 

That is because as much as I hated to admit it, I had become dependent on alcohol.

I needed alcohol for a good time. 

So much that I didn’t feel good without it. 

As a daily drinker, I would wake up with a hangover. 

The only way for me for me to feel better was to address the withdrawal my body was experiencing. 

Alcohol directly influenced the chemical activity in my brain which caused issues like depression and anxiety to exacerbate. 

It disrupted my sleep and contributed to negative thoughts and moodiness. 

This is not fun by anyone’s standards!

The easiest way to stop feeling this way is to have another drink. 

This took the edge of my body’s withdrawal, and I immediately felt better. 

This detox retox cycle is the alcohol trap. 

Not unlike the sweet nectar of a pitcher plant that has insects drinking it...

Alcohol; The Missing Link to Well-Being   

When it comes to choosing a healthy beverage, wellness programs traditionally encourage drinking plenty of water, avoiding sugary drinks and limiting alcohol. As more wellness programs take a wider approach to improving well-being, it makes sense to shine a brighter spotlight on alcohol abuse and misuse as it relates to overall well-being, productivity and safety of employees. It’s a well-known fact that many people react to stress with alcohol. What is less well known is that alcohol exacerbates stress.

Drinking alcohol can have a domino effect on the life of the drinker and those around them.

While a company Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is one of the most efficient ways to help both employees and the families of people with alcohol and substance abuse problems to seek assistance and recovery, workplace wellness programs have an opportunity to inform even occasional drinkers about the consequences of using alcohol as...

It’s no joke that we can turn to alcohol in times of stress, and for some it's a slippery slope. 

With more people working remotely there is less separation, between work and home. 

When telecommuting, there is no physical transition between work life and home life, and the lines between personal and professional, can get blurred. 

You as an employee, have more freedoms and can more easily hide behind a computer screen. On the other hand, managers may reach out for assistance during non working hours, so you might feel like you are always on. This may stress you out, feeling the need to fight or flight all the time.  

In addition, these uncertain times bring up feelings of loneliness, boredom, fear, depression and anxiety. Alcohol is often marketing as the cure to these emotions. 

If you’ve already been overindulging in alcohol, you may be feeling the mental strain of consuming a depressant and the hangxiety that follows. This creates a...

With the news of COVID-19 you might be tempted to stock up on alcohol along with toilet paper to survive the pandemic, potential lock down, and save your sanity. 

If you are a drinker, one positive thing you can do for your health and the health of those around you, is ditch the drink. 

Alcohol negatively affects your health.

To be your strongest and healthiest, being alcohol free, is the best line of defense. 

Alcohol and Overall Health

Alcohol affects your health in many ways. Most people are aware that excessive drinking can damage your liver and cardiovascular system, but did you know that it can also damage your digestive system? This leads to malnutrition and even increases your risk of cancer. Many people see these conditions as problems for the distant future. You may be less aware that alcohol also damages your immune system, increasing your risk of potentially fatal illnesses such as pneumonia, the flu or even the recent health scare, COVID-19. There are a...

International Women's Day, March 8th, 2020, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

The IWD 2020 campaign theme is drawn from the notion of 'Collective Individualism.'

We are all parts of a whole.

Our individual actions, conversations, behaviors, and mindsets can have an impact on our larger society. 

Collectively, we can help create a gender-equal world, and we can all choose to be #EachforEqual.

It is proven that when women do better, countries do better, communities do better, businesses do better, and families do better.

Equality is not just a women’s issue. It's an issue for everyone. 

Supporting women not only helps women, it helps everyone. 

One thing keeping women down is increased alcohol consumption. 

Unfortunately, alcohol is reported by Dr. George Koob, Director of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, as  “a growing women’s health issue.” 

He...

The first Friday of February has been designated by the awareness campaign in the US, as National Wear Red Day to support women’s heart health. 

If you drink red wine, like I did, you love the research studies that claim drinking red wine is good for the heart. I liked to spread the good news about wine and heart health. 

I didn’t realize those studies really didn’t apply to me or my girlfriends, as we drank more than the recommended 5 oz of wine a day. 

What’s the truth about women, wine, and heart health?

Drinking alcohol regularly raises your blood pressure. So, if you are imbibing daily at wine o’clock, you are at risk.

Heavy drinking is associated with a number of poor heart health outcomes. It can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke. Excessive drinking can also contribute to cardiomyopathy, a disorder that affects the heart muscle. 

Heavy drinking might cause problems but what defines moderate? Moderate...