Gratitude is a concept that gets tossed around a lot, especially in self-development and recovery communities. But today, we’re going to explore how it plays a crucial role in sobriety. We’ll explore how gratitude can be a foundation for sobriety, how it can shift our mindset, build resilience, act as a coping mechanism, and the importance of a daily gratitude practice. But it’s not all sunshine—we’ll also touch on the potential dangers of overusing gratitude and the importance of balancing it w...
Aug 16, 2024•10 min
In this episode, we dive into a transformative topic: finding purpose and passion in sobriety. For many of us, alcohol or drugs were used to fill a void, leaving us feeling lost when we remove them from our lives. But what if sobriety isn’t just about giving something up? What if it’s about discovering something new and meaningful? Join me as I share personal stories and insights on how to reconnect with old passions and explore new ones, creating a life that excites and motivates you. We’ll dis...
Aug 09, 2024•10 min
Today, we're discussing a crucial topic for anyone considering sobriety: when is the right time to get sober? Spoiler alert: the right time is now. We'll explore why we shouldn't wait any longer, the consequences of putting it off, combatting the excuses not to get sober today, and all the reasons to take the plunge immediately.
Aug 02, 2024•10 min
In this episode, we tackle the controversial belief that alcoholics and addicts are powerless over their addiction. While this notion is a cornerstone of many traditional recovery programs, it can sometimes lead to feelings of helplessness and limit personal growth. Join us as we explore the origins of this belief, its potential pitfalls, and more empowering alternatives. Learn how to reclaim your power, build self-confidence, and adopt a growth mindset on your journey to a fulfilling, sober lif...
Jul 25, 2024•11 min
Today, we’re diving into the importance of taking regular inventories of our sobriety journey. Regular self-reflection is a powerful tool for maintaining balance and fostering growth. Why are regular inventories crucial? How do we conduct them effectively? And what benefits can we expect from making them a routine part of our lives? Join us as we unpack these questions and more, helping you stay proactive and balanced in your recovery. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to strength...
Jul 19, 2024•10 min
This episode delves into the importance of achieving balance in our lives, especially during recovery. We often hear about balance in the recovery and self-development communities, but how many achieve it? We'll explore whether balance is truly achievable, the dangers of imbalance, and practical steps to achieve more balance. Tune in to learn how to create a fulfilling, balanced life that supports long-term sobriety and happiness. Buckle up; this is going to be a great episode!...
Jul 12, 2024•11 min
Summer has arrived, bringing with it outdoor activities, vacations, and social events—along with unique challenges for those of us on the sobriety journey. How do we navigate summer while staying true to our commitment to sobriety? In this episode, I’ll share practical tips for navigating summer social events, planning ahead to avoid temptation, and discovering new sober activities to make this season enjoyable. Click play, and let’s get started!
Jul 05, 2024•12 min
In this episode of the "Sober and Happy Podcast," we confront a harsh truth: we live in a society filled with alcohol. Complaining about it won't change anything, so our only choice is to learn how to navigate this reality while enjoying a fulfilling, sober life. But how do we socialize sober and deal with situations where alcohol is present? Today, we'll share practical tips and personal stories to help you build the muscles needed to enjoy socializing without drinking. From planning ahead to r...
Jun 28, 2024•12 min
In this episode, we tackle the vital topic of learning from your mistakes to avoid repeating them. Mistakes are inevitable in recovery, but how we respond to them can make all the difference. We'll discuss why taking responsibility, forgiving ourselves, and adopting a growth mindset is crucial. I'll share personal stories and practical tips on turning mistakes into valuable learning experiences that strengthen our sobriety. Click play to learn how to transform setbacks into stepping stones towar...
Jun 21, 2024•13 min
In this episode, we tackle a crucial topic for anyone in recovery: the top energy wasters that can derail our journey to sobriety. We'll explore how to identify and eliminate these energy drainers to maintain focus and motivation. Here’s what we’ll cover: The importance of avoiding energy-wasting habits and behaviors. Why self-care, positive self-talk, and healthy relationships are essential for sustained sobriety. Practical tips for conserving and redirecting your energy towards positive, produ...
Jun 14, 2024•13 min
When we first get sober, many of us are driven by the pain and consequences of our drinking. It’s a powerful motivator. We remember the hangovers, the broken relationships, the lost jobs, and the overall chaos that drinking brought into our lives. This pain is so strong that it is often the best motivation to quit. But why does this motivation not last for so many of us? Why doesn’t the fear of going back to that pain keep people sober? And most importantly, what can we do to stay motivated in o...
Jun 07, 2024•12 min
Anybody who has quit drinking can tell you that you don’t just quit drinking and automatically stop thinking about alcohol. I am certain that I noticed beer commercials and billboards even more once I stopped drinking. I definitely started noticing every single time I walked past the liquor aisle in the grocery store. So, how do we stop obsessing about alcohol once we stop drinking? Do we ever get to the point where we can simply live our lives alcohol-free and no longer always worry about how t...
May 30, 2024•11 min
Like nature, our recovery journeys have seasons—each with unique challenges and rewards. In this episode, we discuss how to navigate each season effectively, how to prepare for the inevitable challenges, and how to appreciate the unique opportunities each season offers. Just like in nature, no season lasts forever, and understanding this can help us find balance and resilience in our recovery journey. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the ups and downs of sobriety, or if you’re struggling to fi...
May 24, 2024•12 min
In this episode, we explore a question that many people ask: What does it mean to be truly sober and happy? This isn’t about living in a constant state of bliss; life will always have its ups and downs. Instead, it's about building a genuinely fulfilling and joyful life, so much so that the idea of drinking becomes obsolete. If you’ve ever felt unfulfilled in your sobriety or wondered how to find lasting joy, this episode is for you. We’ll discuss practical steps to build a life that supports yo...
May 17, 2024•14 min
In this episode, we talk about the misconception that might feel all too real if you're new to sobriety: the belief that everyone drinks. In my journey into sobriety, I discovered that a surprisingly large portion of the population chooses not to drink. Not because they can't but because they choose not to. Did you know that 38% of Americans don't drink at all? Or that the most common reason people choose not to drink is simply having no desire to? We'll explore how these revelations can change ...
May 10, 2024•11 min
In today’s episode of the "Sober and Happy Podcast," we tackle a critical aspect of recovery: rebuilding trust. If you've ever felt frustrated because people in your life still view you through the lens of your past behaviors despite your progress in sobriety, this episode is for you. I've been where you are—knowing deep down that I've changed, yet facing doubts from those around me. We'll explore how long it really takes to rebuild trust and effective strategies to accelerate this process. This...
May 03, 2024•15 min
Recovery is going to be filled with a series of ups and downs. There is nothing that we can do to prevent setbacks completely. We are going to make mistakes. Life is absolutely going to knock us down at times. There are times when we will think that we can’t go on. But we can. We have the choice whether to give up or to get up, dust ourselves off, and take a step forward, no matter how small that step may be. So how do we do that? How can we move forward when it seems so difficult? That is what ...
Apr 26, 2024•11 min
One of the most dangerous but often overlooked places to be in our recovery journeys is when we are stuck in a rut. Suddenly, things that might have excited us about being sober and life start to feel boring or dull. When this starts happening, it often triggers many of the negative emotions that we experienced when we were still drinking or using, as anxiety and depression start coming back. If left untreated, thoughts like “If I am going to feel this way sober, I might as well get drunk” might...
Apr 19, 2024•9 min
Deciding to quit any substance is hard enough, but we often unknowingly do things that can make things more difficult for us. One of those things is not doing any preparation to get sober. We have one of those “I will never drink again” mornings, decide to quit, pick a date, and then try to white-knuckle it. But what steps can we take before taking the last drink that can increase our chances of having success? That is what we are going to talk about in this episode. Topics mentioned in this epi...
Apr 12, 2024•11 min
A couple of weeks ago, I posted the following question on my social media pages: What signs might indicate a relapse was near? I got hundreds of responses, and after going through each one, I compiled a list of the top 7 relapse warning signs according to you guys. Recognizing them is the first step, but what should we do once we recognize them, and how can we be proactive in not slipping back into them again? That is what we are going to discuss in this episode. If you recognize yourself in any...
Apr 05, 2024•11 min
I want to talk about one of the most elusive things in the universe. Something we have searched long and hard for, but have never had concrete evidence that it exists. I am not talking about Big Foot, the Loch Ness monster, or UFOs. I am talking about discovering an alcoholic who has found a way to control their drinking and finally be able to drink like a normal person. At some point, most of us have wondered if we could crack the code and learn how to drink like a normal person. But is it poss...
Mar 29, 2024•13 min
Our addiction and recovery journeys are not a straight path. They are journeys filled with twists, turns, ups, and downs. It is easy to slip into the habit of embracing the journey when everything is going well, but then instantly question whether it is worth it when something bad happens. But what if we are where we are supposed to be even when things appear to be going wrong? What if the lessons we learn through our challenges are what make us strong enough to conquer our addictions finally? W...
Mar 22, 2024•11 min
I think one of the biggest obstacles many of us have when we are considering a sober life, is worrying about how we are going to function without alcohol. To an outsider, this may seem crazy. It may seem obvious that alcohol is the cause of all the problems in our lives, but for many of us, it also is the solution to many of the problems in our lives. So what do we do when alcohol seems to be both the problem and the solution? Are things going to get worse once we quit? How are we going to handl...
Mar 15, 2024•13 min
If you have been in the recovery world for any amount of time, you have likely heard the term “dry drunk”. This term is thrown around often, but I don’t think it is fully understood. I know I didn’t understand it when I first got sober, I just knew from the way everybody talked about it, that I should try not to become one. But, what does it mean to be a "dry drunk"? How do we recognize the behaviors of it and how does that affect our recovery? That is what we are going to talk about in this epi...
Mar 08, 2024•15 min
Let me know if you have ever caught yourself justifying a bad habit with the following statement “Yeah, but at least I am not drinking, right?” Don’t feel bad if you have. Early in sobriety, I said that so much I might as well have had a t-shirt and bumper sticker made with that phrase on it. And there is truth to that statement. Many of the other habits that I was clinging to did not have the level of consequences that my drinking did. But they all still had consequences. So how do we discover ...
Mar 01, 2024•12 min
I want you to ask yourself the following question. Is your sobriety and life being guided by the opinions of others? I know many of us in recovery identify as people pleasers and we often find ourselves saying yes to things even though we may not want to do them. Doing this can often cause us to stay in a place in our lives that does not serve us simply because we are worried about disappointing others. So how do we begin to make decisions that are not only best for us, but also for the people c...
Feb 23, 2024•11 min
Let me know if this sounds familiar. You are sick and tired of something and you know you have to make a change. Maybe it is getting sober, maybe it is another big change in your life, or maybe it is finally chasing that dream you have always had. You tell yourself, I am going to start Monday and you mean it. This time it is going to be different. Then as Monday gets closer, all the reasons we know we must change start to get drowned out by all the reasons we are finding why we should put it off...
Feb 16, 2024•11 min
It's natural to seek guidance from those who have walked a similar path before us. After all, who better to understand our struggles than someone who has been there themselves? Many of us do not know how to stay sober, so we often find ourselves blindly following advice given to us in recovery which can lead us down a dangerous path. It can cause us to ignore our own instincts and intuition, ultimately hindering our progress in recovery. We may find ourselves trying to fit into someone else's mo...
Feb 09, 2024•13 min
I have a lot of people who reach out to me asking what the secret to lasting sobriety is. While I don’t think there is one secret, I can look back on my own experience and identify some of the most pivotal moments in my sobriety. Always at the top of that list are moments when I was open to forgiveness. Forgiveness to myself, forgiveness to others, and being open to asking for forgiveness from someone that I had hurt in the past. With each of those moments, I felt like I leveled up in my sobriet...
Feb 02, 2024•12 min
A very common piece of advice to newly sober people is to remove the things in your life that are associated with drinking. I don't know about you, but in my life when I was drinking, everything I did was associated with drinking. I followed the advice and it left a huge void in my life. What we do to replace that void is often the difference between struggling with staying sober and living a sober and happy life. In this episode, we will talk about how to know what things we need to remove from...
Jan 26, 2024•12 min
