Here’s why you might want to give up coffee and wine if you’re trying to be your healthiest, most creative, highest energy self.
Note: This is a guest essay by Jennifer Hamady
It’s a funny story, actually…
I’d been signing copies of my latest book, and was walking out of Politics and Prose when a book on their $2 shelf caught my eye. A bright orange and blue cover with the words “The Easy Way for Women To Stop Drinking” screamed out from the rack, and I had to have it. My dearest friend and parenting partner in crime would get a kick out of it over our next bottle of Merlot.
She did think the book was funny. And so did I, inspiring me to flip through it one night as it sat on my kitchen island, destined for the donation shop.
It never made it there. I read the book cover to cover, and didn’t touch another drop of wine, or alcohol of any kind again. That was three months ago.
Allen Carr’s first book was about smoking, and he started a revolution in helping people to give up cigarettes easily… and permanently. He then applied the same principles to drinking (as well as overeating and worrying) with equally fantastic results.
Rather than encourage the use of logic, reason, and willpower, he removes the desire to smoke, drink, and worry. Do that, remove desire from the desire-determination equation, and the problem – any problem– collapses.
And that’s what happened. I read the book and lost all interest in drinking wine, something I’d enjoyed for years.
And I didn’t stop there. Two weeks later, I gave up coffee which– as anyone who knows me knows– is truly remarkable. I was a casual wine drinker, but have been a dedicated 3-4 cup of coffee a day gal for over two decades. Seeing the positive impact that giving up wine had on my health and well being, however, I decided to apply the same principles in Carr’s book to coffee and quit. Cold turkey.
Three years ago, my husband and I had our first child. And like most new parents who start having kids later in life– and even those who start early!– we were exhausted. Even once the sleep issues abated (if you can call a daily 5:45am wake up call ‘abated’), the time to ourselves we’d enjoyed into our late 30’s never returned in full. Which meant that we had to learn how to maximize our time and streamline our lifestyle so that we could accomplish the things that mattered to us, personally, creatively, professionally, as a couple, and of course, to be the best parents we could be.
That included taking a look at the things we were doing – and consuming– that were sapping precious energy that we needed to dedicate to our increasingly full lives.
We started by tackling the obvious: less television, more exercise, and healthier eating. Next, came daily stretching and meditation, no technology in bed, and creating calendars that scheduled in the little as well as big things that matter to us. All of this made a difference, for sure.
But nothing helped as much as giving up alcohol and caffeine… two things that I would have sworn were helping me to cope with stress and fatigue.
I don’t feel judgmental, or ‘right’, or righteous. I’m not telling you to give up coffee. Or alcohol. Or anything. Everyone is different, and we’re all affected differently by different things.
What I’m offering is my story in the hopes that it encourages you– and all of us– to take a look at the things we do and consume in our lives – and to make sure we recognize their impact. Whether it’s the food and beverages we take in, the media we ingest, or our hobbies and habits, it’s important to make sure that everything is a conscious choice… and that we choose wisely.
Advertisers bombard us with messages that are less about what’s good for us and more about their bottom line. Take a minute to take stock! If you’re unclear about what’s best, consider stepping away from even your most cherished habits for a while, to make sure that they are indeed serving you – rather than slowing and bringing you down.
Here’s to your health, and to the good life!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Hamady is a voice coach and board-certified therapist specializing in technical and emotional issues that interfere with self-expression. With offices in New York and Washington DC, Jennifer works in private practice helping people to discover, develop, and confidently release their best personal, professional, and performance potential. Her clients include Grammy and CMA award-winners, contestants on American Idol and The Voice, and performers in Emmy and Tony award-winning productions, as well as corporate and creative clients across an array of industries. Jennifer’s insights and experiences (she spent the early part of her career performing with many of music’s top names including Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Patti LaBelle, Def Leppard, as a backup singer on American Idol and with Cirque du Soleil) have been captured in her first book: The Art of Singing: Discovering and Developing Your True Voice, heralded as a breakthrough in the psychology of musical and personal performance. Her new book, The Art of Singing Onstage and in the Studio was released by Hal Leonard publishing in April 2016 and remains one of their top sellers. Jennifer conducts workshops and lectures frequently around the world on matters of creative expression and writes regularly for The Huffington Post, American Songwriter and Psychology Today. www.JenniferHamady.com
Think about subscribing for free weekly tools here.
No SPAM, ever! Read the Privacy Policy for more information.
