Beginning at Dusk

Many ancient societies begin their day at dusk (i.e., the evening before). After I had been in Overeaters Anonymous for a while, I began to feel this system might work for me and bring a level of serenity to my life that I hadn’t achieved before. Here’s how it has worked:

After I’ve finished my evening meal and taken a walk, I text a recovery buddy with my Tenth Step in a shortened form. This gives me an opportunity to examine the past twenty-four hours to see if I’ve left anything important undone.

Then I look at tomorrow’s schedule to see what obligations and appointments I have, including scheduled meetings and calls with sponsees. Tomorrow’s schedule should dictate tonight’s bedtime. That way, I ensure I have enough rest to face the next day’s challenges. (Recently, however, I have realized that if I program myself to get up at the same time every morning and go to bed the same time every night, the quality of my sleep is better.) I plan each morning to include sufficient time to work on the Steps, read OA literature, and write a thought for the day in my journal.

Knowing tomorrow’s schedule helps me plan my food better. By bedtime, I have made an abstinent food plan for the next day, making adjustments if appointments or meetings mean I can’t eat at my usual mealtimes. I’ve also checked to see if I have the food in my pantry and made notations on my shopping lists of what items I need to replenish.

Then I deal out the next day’s supplements and medications. I remember all too well the mornings when I had to hustle to count out pills, package them, and gulp down my breakfast in order to get to work on time. Now that I’m taking care of packaging my medicine the evening prior, I can relax in the morning and enjoy my quiet time and breakfast.

Emotional peace and serenity is a gift of Overeaters Anonymous. With the help of God, this program, and this practice, I am closer to achieving it on a daily basis.

— Rosanne