Monday, July 9, 2007

Easy does it ... But do it

People in early recovery sometimes feel frantic about everything they want to do. Unconsciously, they operate with the attitude that they must change everything about their lives—and change it now. This slogan reminds us to calm down and tackle one task at a time. We don’t have to accomplish everything on our to-do list today.

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“Easy does it” is a slogan in itself, yet AA members like to add “but do it.” The latter phrase reminds us that we still have goals to meet and responsibilities to handle. Pacing ourselves is different than procrastinating.

"We must learn to walk before we can run.  That's why we have these slogans.  I use that 'Easy Does It' every day, to slow me down a little.  I have to watch myself all the time.

c. 2003, Experience, Strength and Hope - Stories from the First Three Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous, page 410

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Easy Does It.—The need to avoid trying to solve too many problems at once and thereby feeling overwhelmed. People in recovery may need to express their concerns and frustration’s and to communicate their other problems of living. On the other hand, the therapist can support sobriety by helping clients monitor their level of overall stress and by encouraging clients to de-stress through meditation, prayer, exercise, affirmation, or whatever works for them. The key insight to provide is the message behind the slogan, which advises us to “not bite off more than we can chew.”

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