Do Less
It feels contraindicated to begin a publication called "Less" while adding another thing to my plate.
We live in a world that begs MORE at every turn…
More money.
More working.
More status.
More on the schedule.
More in our closet.
More stress.
We think that when we have more, that all of our problems will be solved. That somehow buying that 17th pair of shoes will finally do the trick, or that taking on that one extra project will bring in the money to make our dreams come true (Spoiler alert: it won’t).
This usually doesn’t make us ‘more’ happy… In fact, it usually drives us to:
More binging TV.
More alcohol.
More stress eating.
More scrolling.
More [insert unhealthy coping skill here].
This is also true in the health and wellness world. The very place where we’re supposed to improve our well-being has joined the capitalist parade of products that are DEFINITELY going to solve your problems (Spoiler alert: they won’t).
We’ve been told for years that we need more exercise, more supplements, more wearables, more, more, more. We have been trained to believe that to be healthy we need to go to the extremes. That pushing ourselves to extreme discomfort in HIIT classes or a 40 degree cold plunge is going to heal all that ails us. That the drill sergeant trainer is the only way to build more muscle, or that a $30 smoothie is going to magically make our skin perfect.
Are you tired yet?
I am.
As a person recovering from years of alcohol dependency, juxtaposed as an expert in health and nutrition, I’ve learned that while we’re being told to do more, what many of us actually need is less.
Maybe not everyone, but maybe a good bit of us.
If you’re reading that and just took a sigh of relief, good. I am glad you’re here.
Recently, I attended my first ever silent meditation retreat for people in recovery. We spent the better part of 4 days without our cell phones (!!!), without speaking, and with minimal contact at all. Initially it was uncomfortable and jarring. I patted my pockets every few minutes searching for my emotional support screen for the first two days until settling into a sense of freedom on day 3.
While it was a challenging task, it reminded me of the simplicity of what it means to be human.
It reminded me that in this endless universe, the crumb of who I am amongst the billions of people on this earth, that most of my problems are completely meaningless. As modern beings, we spend more time worrying about made up problems (like our credit score or which Real Housewife is getting divorced) and not enough time just actually enjoying our lives.
It reminded me that I can choose to use my device less, check my emails less, post on social media less, be more thoughtful about what I watch on TV, and make some real changes in my life to like it better. What a concept.
One of the biggest takeaways from this retreat: It’s all too much.
Prior to heading into this silent retreat meditation, I had begun fiddling around with how to overcome my constant feeling of overstimulation.
The one that pops up and reminds me: this is why I used to drink alcohol.
I used to drink alcohol to cope with the fact that I was constantly feeling overwhelmed, over-scheduled, overstimulated. I was running at 100mph and alcohol was the only sure-fire way to slow myself down.
I don’t drink alcohol anymore (4 years sober on 6/14/25!), but those feelings are still here sometimes. I venture to guess they’re part of the reason why people relapse or turn to other addictions to cope.
So, this mission to do less has begun. And you’re here for the ride. Thank you.
Is it hard to do less? Absolutely.
Is it going to change our lives for the better? No doubt.
So in this publication, we’re going to talk about doing less. Less of the things we think we should do (like work). Less of the things we think everyone does (like binge drinking). Less beating ourselves up over what we think is bad for us (like craving ice cream).
Instead, we’re going to address the ways that we can do less to actually come back to baseline, understand what our body needs, come to terms with how to cope or let go of certain stressors, and to live in a way that feels more true to you — even if it goes against the current.
We can take this literally in the sense of drinking less alcohol — a topic we’ll cover here in great depth. Or, doing less could mean reorganizing your schedule so that there’s less on the calendar. So that you can plan more time for you, for going outside and touching grass, for connecting with your loved ones, and for getting back to yourself outside all of the chaos.
I am also brand new to Substack, and in the spirit of doing less, please bear with me as I learn how to use it :)
Sending you lots of love, and permission to do less.
Xo, Dr. Brooke
Count me in!
I’m all for it! 🕊️