Feb 20, 2025
In today’s episode, Colleen reveals a surprising connection between your perception of time and your drinking habits. If you constantly feel rushed, overwhelmed, or like there’s never enough time, your brain is likely using alcohol as an off-switch. But here’s the real shift—your relationship with time, not alcohol, is the problem.
Discover how changing the way you think about time can reduce your stress, eliminate the urge to overdrink, and help you feel more in control of your life. Colleen shares powerful mindset shifts and actionable steps to reclaim your time (and your peace) so that drinking naturally becomes a choice instead of a coping mechanism.
Key Takeaways:
Your Relationship with Time is a Habit, Not a Reality
- The belief that you “never have enough time” is just that—a belief.
- Your thoughts about time create the stress, not the actual amount of time you have.
- Learning to feel in control of your time changes how you feel about yourself, your schedule, and even your drinking habits.
The Rush-Stress-Drink Cycle
- Feeling rushed and overwhelmed activates your nervous system’s stress response.
- When your brain is in constant “go, go, go” mode, it craves a way to turn off.
- If alcohol is your only off-switch, your drinking will always feel out of control.
The Hidden Ways Time Perception Affects Drinking
- You swing between feeling rushed (not enough time) and feeling bored (too much time).
- The thought “I don’t have time for myself” keeps you in a stress loop.
- Alcohol temporarily gives you the relief you’re not giving yourself throughout the day.
Actionable Steps:
Step 1: Stop Complaining About Time for 24 Hours
- Pay attention to how often you say or think, “I don’t have enough time.”
- Instead, introduce the mantra: “I create my own time.”
- Every time you catch yourself feeling rushed, pause and take a deep breath.
Step 2: Shift Your Identity Around Time
- Instead of seeing yourself as a victim of time, become the person who owns their time.
- Example: Instead of “I’m too busy,” shift to “I prioritize what matters most.”
- Small changes like sitting down for one mindful meal or taking a full breath before responding to emails can rewire your sense of control.
Step 3: Notice How This Changes Your Drinking
- When you feel less rushed, your nervous system doesn’t need alcohol to slow down.
- When you feel more present, you naturally drink more mindfully.
- If drinking has been your escape from feeling overwhelmed, this practice removes the need to escape in the first place.
Homework:
For the next 24 hours, track every time you tell
yourself you “don’t have enough time.” Replace that thought
with:
“I create my own time.”
Then, notice if your drinking feels
less urgent or impulsive when you feel more in control of your
day.
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