It was 12:15 am when my eyes opened. I was fully awake. I looked at the clock and sighed. 5 more hours until I could reasonably get up and call it morning. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but my brain had already switched on. It was flipping through things to […]
4 Ways To Deal With Anxiety Without Alcohol Read More »
I was flipping through old journals last week. It was stark – the difference between how I experienced emotions in the past and how I experience them now. It seemed like every time something happened, I landed in an emotional spiral. Overwhelmed by feelings, barely able to keep my head above water – and sometimes
How to Actually Feel Your Feelings (Without Losing Control) Read More »
My first Dry January attempt was 2016. I’m not sure I even knew the term “Dry January” yet, but I knew I needed to try life without drinking, and January 1st seemed like the best time to start. New Year’s resolutions and all. My attitude was something along the lines of, “I want to do
How To Do Dry January Without Feeling Deprived Read More »
Content note: This post includes discussion of past suicidal ideation. Sometimes I forget how bad it really was. I’ve been in such a good place for so long now that when I look back, it’s easy to think, “It wasn’t really that bad. You’re overreacting, making it out to be worse than it was.” I
The Cost of Playing the Part Perfectly Read More »
My life got completely turned upside down in May of this year. For the past 20 years, I’ve been a stay at home, homeschooling mom. I’ve spent my days teaching, nagging about homework and school assignments, shaping and guiding the lives of these wonderful young people I’ve built my life around. I woke up every
Quitting Drinking Is A Major Life Transition Read More »
It’s been a heavy week. Every news outlet, every social media platform is rife with terror, hate, and unbelievable grief. Do you find yourself wondering how you’re supposed to stay sober, when it feels like the darkness is closing in and suffocating us? When we’re drowning in fear, sadness, anger, and a sense of helplessness
How to Stay Sober When the Word Feels So Dark Read More »
It’s so easy to brush over the bad and focus on the good. And it’s getting in the way of your growth. We’ve all done some things in life we wish we hadn’t. When we let ourselves down, or we let someone else down. And we don’t want to talk about it. And too often,
How Hidden Shame Holds Back Your Sobriety Read More »
I started grinding coffee beans in an old fashioned hand grinder every night. I fill up the grinder and start slowly turning the crank, watching the beans disappear one by one into the canister below. I wake up to the scent of freshly made coffee that I sip slowly, luxuriating in the moment. To be
Sobriety Meets Slow Living: A New Way to Thrive Read More »
Have ever been to a sobriety support group – whether it’s AA or something else – and felt like it didn’t really do anything for you? Are you tired of other sober people trying to talk you into going to a meeting, but you can’t think of anything you’d rather do less than hang out
10 Ways to Get More Out of a Sobriety Support Group Read More »
Stress. Boredom. Anxiety. Loneliness. Emptiness. These are the things we were trying to drink away.And when we decide to quit drinking, we usually start trying to fix them. We read about boundaries, try meditating, download a breathwork app, maybe get into cold plunges and 30-day challenges. We’re trying so hard to manage all these difficult
The Real Reason You Can’t Quit Drinking Read More »
