I dont know per say about drinking because lik any addiction/cutting it out. Its the hardest thing to do. Maybe find alternatives.

Also the word motivation is kinda overused(I dont know if that is the right word). But discipline is what matters the most.

I don’t know a lot about stoicism, so I did not intend this to be a critique on it. Merely a response to the previous commenter. It sounds like stoicism aligned with my views if you put it it like that.

They have come a long way in recent years.

Well Aurelius himself didn’t even consider himself a philosopher. He viewed himself as a man trying to live virtuously and learn about the world. Many people find comfort in his writings and feel it helps give them purpose. They were written 2000 years ago but many people still relate to them today.

And I’m curious who thinks this makes them deep or complex? I don’t see anyone here lauding that. I also don’t know anything about YouTube “manfluencers” or anything like that but if they are getting people to quit drinking in excess and exercising then I can’t see the harm.

If someone did laugh at peoples liking of Meditations then so be it.

Who shit in your cheerios this morning?

This sounds kind of funny as it isn't even trying to read the originals like one would for Shakespeare (a literary purist)

If you aren't reading Aurelius in Latin there is little point in not getting a good modern translation.

Truly

I used to drink a shit ton (5 bottles of bourbon a week) and I just replaced it with weed. It actually worked and I don't drink at all anymore

He wrote journals on his meditations on life for himself. It's literally called Meditations

No chance you talk like that in real life. Do you think we’re in some Ancient Roman tabernacle right now? This is Reddit. A website. You’re likely wearing Adidas and boxers. God damn. Insufferable on here.

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First of all, you NEED to remember that pee is stored in the balls.

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Stoicism isn't about blocking feelings, it's about being consciously aware of what you're feeling, why you're feeling it, and reacting to it in the way that fits your ideals and morals rather than acting on impulse

It’s like a muscle. If you don’t actively try to use it it will never strengthen and you will live thinking it impossible.

Stoicism doesn’t call for the absence of emotion. We all feel emotions and that’s a good thing. Stoicism calls for not letting our emotions guide our decision making. When you make a choice angry vs when you make a choice feeling neutral what’s likely the better choice? Realize your emotions and understand them, but don’t let them control you

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Exercising helps a lot and for me video games fill the void especially games that require problem solving

In the history of the world

I would take it day by day. I love beer and decided to do dry January. Similar to you, I like to have a little alcohol after work to relax. If you have to, try non-alcoholic beers or virgin cocktails. Try and set a goal of a month if you can. Doing things to take your mind off of it helps too like hitting the gym or some other hobby.

Having the context of when these rules were written and under what circumstances would surely change your mind. It’s easy for them to seem cheesy in this format

You should listen to your anxiety and do some of the other things you feel you need to do. Not all of them at once but just pick one or two every evening. You'll instantly feel better after you accomplish some of these other things, even if they're tiny tasks. Pretty soon you'll have that list down to a small, manageable one and you'll be in the habit of not procrastinating because you'll realize how much better it feels than alcohol.

You'll always have things to take care of, that's life. But if you ignore the anxious part of your brain it'll just convert that over to a lack of any really emotion as a way to cope with you not dealing with it (depression).

I stopped drinking last January and have stuck with it by learning the science of what alcohol does to our bodies and brains. What's kept me motivated is weight loss and the fact that I realized alcohol was the cause of my anxiety issues. It took maybe 4 or 5 months to see my anxiety pretty much disappear.

I would say try to do it for 30 days and see how you feel.

Good luck!

I quit for my health and cause I like drinking way, way, too much. I did alot of self reflecting and realized that I had a problem. After some hard realizations, I found what my triggers were for wanting a drink and tried to replace it with healthy alternatives. To relax after work I would take a short walk and listen to a book on audible. When I was playing xbox I would drink bubbly or la croix. I would try to explain to my family that I was feeling overwhelmed or stressed because I wasn't drinking and understand that the feeling were because of wanting to drink. Every day was another step towards healing and not being dependent on the booze. It took alot of work, it wasn't easy, but eventually I was able to figure it all out and haven't drank for 4 years.

If you get meditations just be sure to get the easy-to-understand translation and not one that sounds like Shakespeare. Unless reading old English is your thing.