It Worked For Me…DOSE

Simple. Profound. Powerful.

That is, when you choose to use it.

I would be stuck in my stupidity…er, I mean that I would be making my latest attempt to feel better when I would suddenly realize that I’m actually feeling worse. I would be sitting at my machine of the moment and I would experience a brief moment of clarity when I could see that I was losing too much money and that I was hungry and had to go to the bathroom.

When you’re stuck in your stuff it’s hard to pry yourself away from it. I had to figure out a way to get my mind off of it.

One of the most important steps I used to overcome my gambling addiction was to take my DOSE. DO Something Else.

When my chance at change came with my moment of clarity I usually would remember that being hostage to the stupid machine sucked. I cashed out my money (if I was lucky enough to have any left), got up and left the casino. Just doing that helped clear my mind and made me feel better. The next step depended on the situation, but I would usually go for a walk or go home to sleep. Whatever it was that would lighten my mood and help me feel even better.

What can you do differently? Stop mid-bite. Throw the bag of chips away. Don’t return the email from your affair. Turn off the computer. Something for you came to mind, right? Now that you have some new ideas you can choose to do something else. Celebrate your success!

What is your DOSE? How has it helped you?
Please share your comments below.

P.S. This tip can also be found in my book Numb No More along with more helpful solutions.