Practice meditation (e.g., Transcendental Meditation for 20 minutes daily) to develop a reflective pause, which helps manage anxiety and prevents impulsive, panicky reactions to life events.
When feeling anxious, stop and mentally step outside yourself to examine the situation, questioning if the fear is real or logical and if your anxious reaction will actually help.
Regularly practice letting thoughts float by without attachment, treating it as mental exercise to build resilience against panic and prevent fear from overwhelming you in stressful moments.
Cultivate stillness and quiet through meditation or other centering practices to better hear and trust your gut instinct and intuition, as these internal guides have proven reliable.
Live by the principles of being impeccable with your word, not taking things personally, not making assumptions, and always doing your best to improve personal interactions and reduce self-inflicted pain.
In the first year of sobriety, prioritize protecting your recovery by avoiding major life decisions and new relationships, as this period is extremely fragile.
Maintain sobriety by regularly attending meetings with fellow alcoholics, meditating, and reading, which provides valuable insights and helps manage underlying anxiety.
For family members of alcoholics, understand that addiction is a brain disease, not a personal slight; the person is in pain and struggling with self-love, and simply telling them to stop is ineffective.
Actively practice ’taking it in’ by being present and appreciating both significant and mundane moments, such as the sky or the smell of the air, rather than constantly rushing through life.
Employ yoga breathing techniques to calm yourself when feeling anxious, such as on airplanes, as it helps to center your body and breath.
Approach career decisions calculatingly by assessing your strengths, identifying what genuinely makes you happy, and choosing paths where you have the best chance of success.
If formal meditation feels inaccessible, find other ways to center yourself, such as sitting quietly in nature, engaging your five senses, and avoiding distractions like phones or music.
For those struggling with addiction, reach the point of realizing that the substance will never truly ‘work’ to manage underlying issues, and commit to finding healthy alternative coping mechanisms.
As a principle of recovery, help other people by sharing your story or offering support, as this is a recommended practice.