Warning ⚠️
The PAUSE is considered a counter-culture approach to quitting trying to quit drinking.
What is the PAUSE?
The PAUSE is a beautiful opportunity for a client to have a named space that allows him/her the freedom to quit trying to quit a particular behavior or habit.
I love using this MINDFUL technique with my clients who are still trying to figure out what they want their relationship forward with alcohol to look like.
This is where you quit trying to quit drinking and start trying to learn.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
The PAUSE is a purposeful time in which the client gives him/herself a space to focus solely on gaining new knowledge about a given desire versus behavioral action forward.
Within the space of PAUSE, the client is encouraged to mindfully observe the times in which he/she engages in the behavior that he/she is looking to change by simply observing that behavior, evaluating the emotions, body sensations, that arise when engaging the habit (before, during and after it).
Practicing the PAUSE.
The PAUSE is the opportunity for a client to mindfully become aware of his/her own thoughts that take place right before, during and after the engagement of the behavior/habit.
This is the safe place for a client to begin understanding why he/she does what he/she does.
When entering a PAUSE, instead of focusing on quitting the behavior, a client focuses in on SELF with compassion, and without judgment to SELF.
Instead of a cycle of shame/blame about a behavior, the client enters into a space where he/she just gets curious about the behavior.
At the same time a client is observing SELF, he/she will be intentionally gaining new knowledge that focuses on the reality of the behavior, habit, substance.
This is a helpful technique especially for people who have a hard time getting “day one.”
Yes! This is a counterintuitive approach to 12 step programs because it in essence gives a person “permission” to drink as they choose.
Think about though…when it comes down to every matter of life, isn’t everything already a choice of freewill? Drinking alcohol included in that permission of freewill choice – to drink or not?
Of course it is!
But let’s take the matter a step further.
Let’s reframe…instead of asking, “should I drink alcohol or not?” Let’s examine the relationship we individually have with alcohol and ask instead, “is drinking alcohol beneficial to the life I want to live?”
Right?!
The PAUSE gives the freedom of permission to do everything while determining for SELF IF it is beneficial to SELF.
The PAUSE is the technique that I used in losing my desire to drink.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
Practicing the PAUSE is ultimately what gave me freedom forward from desire for alcohol.
The PAUSE helped me give myself the permission and freedom to explore my relationship with alcohol without judgment from myself, fear of pleasing the “church” or feeling like I was letting down the community of recovery programs.
During my practice of the PAUSE, I focused on learning about the substance, while trying new things I wanted to do WHILE still drinking.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
Wow! Does that sound opposite of what we are often told to practice while we are quitting drinking?
Yes! At first I thought that the approach sounded crazy at best.
But since I wasn’t distracted by misused energy (fighting against the behavior of drinking), I was able to look at what was driving the behavior and understand myself.
I was focused on dismantling my beliefs around the function of alcohol in my life rather than outwardly pleasing others in my habit of choice; and my energy was used to learn rather than quit a behavior.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
This is where I had a mental mindset shift and where at some point I had sudden sobriety.
The shift was so monumental, yet so subtle, that I don’t even know when my day 1 of consecutive “quitting” time officially started.
Looking back, I realized I didn’t have the desire to drink anymore. Therefore, I did not do the behavior.
I found freedom in the PAUSE. One day I realized that I just didn’t drink alcohol anymore.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
(⚠️ Let me caution, there are dynamics to practicing the PAUSE and a specific framework by which the process operates. Don’t just stop reading here. If you are interested in learning more about the practice of the PAUSE, scroll down to the contact link at the end of this post.)
I wanted to TRULY know what I thought, and felt without just being told what to believe and do.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
This method of the PAUSE gives TRUE FREEDOM.
Because of the PAUSE phase (exploration through curiosity, and without judgment), I am living life alcohol-free WITHOUT using willpower or FOMO (fear of missing out).
Moreover, I now outwardly produce behaviors and habits in my life from an unapologetic position of personal belief – I am LivingOUTLoud Life in TRUTH.
No more do I say just tell me what to do and how to feel.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
My behaviors now stem from the law of love and position of the Creator’s truth.
I have authentic personal responsibility and freedom of choice – just like God intended.
FREEWILL and FREEDOM of CHOICE
The concept of the PAUSE has given me alignment within myself, freedom to be me and stand firm in what I say I believe!
So much of my life I presented my own SELF for outward presentation, because I never gave myself permission to truly explore and evaluate my OWN beliefs. But now I OWN what I believe!
The PAUSE was a part of my PATH to LivingOUTLoud Life – a life that I wanted to live and not escape from…
I want others to find the same freedom in their truth and lean 💯 into their own beliefs.
It was God’s idea for man to choose, so man should consider not playing God in choices for others.
Coach Crystal Anne, CPC
* For more information about our programs and individual private sessions please use available contact link below for a FREE 1 hour DISCOVERY CALL SESSION.
https://calendly.com/livingoutloudlife/livingoutloudlife-session
