Why high achievers drink more – and how to use meditation to drink less

I did a personality test at work once where I came out as The Achiever.

I was initially proud of it and took it as a "win" until I realised there were pros and cons to each of the types.

Being an achiever was one of my greatest strengths, but there's a point for all of us where our biggest strength becomes our greatest weakness.

My achiever mentality meant I was almost allergic to failure and I would quickly drop things if I wasn't at least competent right away (see you later, golf!).

This meant that the first time I tried meditation – without proper instruction, I should add – it put me off trying again for TEN YEARS.

Why do high achievers struggle more?

High achievers are used to using their mental capabilities and drive to ensure good results.

But guess what – this drive for results can actually work against you.

A over-expressed desire for results leads to undue pressure, which limits your mental clarity and perversely means you may not get the best results.

High achievers may also be more prone to drinking too much due to the pressure and stress that come with their success.

And they may turn to alcohol as a way of coping with the never-ending demand for high performance and the fear of failure.

I also applied my high achieving mentality to drinking – oh, this game is about who can drink the most or stay out the latest? OK, game on!

But this is the kind of game where the winner is actually the loser.

Where does meditation come in?

Meditation helps balance our over-expressed tendencies – and it gives us a healthy way of coping with the pressures of life.

But we don't get there by concentrating and willing a good meditation result. We get there by dropping the need to succeed in this particular area.

Success in meditation is not caring whether you’re good at it or not, but allowing it to get on and work its magic for you.

All you need is the right technique and instruction – and the commitment to prioritise it each day.

It can be an alien notion for high achievers to relinquish control, but it’s the surest way to achieving greater balance.

And it will ironically give you more control over behaviours like drinking.

Rory

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Find out more

Meditation to stop drinking

Vedic Meditation Sydney

Vedic Meditation Canberra