Episode 23

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Published on:

7th Oct 2021

23. Finding joy in my alcohol-free world

Getting further and further away from my last drink helps me to see that my anxiety has subsided significantly and other high vibe feelings are totally available to me! Listen in to find out how I bought JOY into my life!

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Transcript
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Hello darling heart and welcome to the drink less live better podcast this is the podcast that helps you to see that drinking

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less doesn't need to be stressful lonely or boring. I'm your host Sarah Williamson and I decided to have a year alcohol free

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as a little life experiment and haven't looked back. With my experience in training I now help other women with their alcohol

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free or drink less adventures. I'm here to tell you that you can be joyful without alcohol in your life. Join me here each

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week to find out how. Today I'd like to tell you a story about how I found joy in my alcohol free world. I was somewhere in

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between never drinking and severe alcohol misuse in that grey area. I don't know which end of the scale I was on and I don't

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care. I could easily do a dry January or a sober October and I could go Sunday to Wednesday without a drink, but when I relaxed

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at home at the weekend or went out with my girlfriends I binge drank. Now, let's get clear on binge drinking here. The UK

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government guidelines define binge drinking as drinking more than 6 units in a session, and that equates to 2 large glasses

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of wine. So when I was sitting in the pub with my girlfriends thinking I'm all sophisticated, elegantly sipping 2 glasses

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of wine and no more, I was binge drinking. Anyway, less about that grey area and more about the Technicolor Joyful Rainbow.

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I wasn't not living a jolly life. Excuse the double negative but it's true. Everything was okay, well better than okay actually.

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Everything was going well A lovely husband, gorgeous kids, nice house, dog, friends, extended family, job, all of the things.

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Did you hear that? I said that in capitals. All the things. All the things that make a person happy don't they? I was happy

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but I had an underlying feeling of unease, a niggle, a deep sense that things could be better than they were but I could not

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put my finger on why. So I did what any sane and rational person would do in an already full life, I added more. More to do,

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more to be, more to remember, more to make time for, and more to pay for. I added yoga because all yogis are enlightened.

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I added green smoothies because they make you beautiful. I added meditation because who is more zen and happier than a Buddhist

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monk? I added vitamins because somebody told me to, although they didn't mention that they only work if you take them and

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you don't leave them sitting on your kitchen countertop. I added running because, well, that's a surefire way to move you

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further away from your problem physically, and all the problem solving ideas didn't solve the problem, and that's because

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I didn't need to add anything else into my life, I just needed to take one thing away. I decided I'd do away with alcohol

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for a year and was sure this would lead to a further sense of dissatisfaction because I was clearly going to spend a year

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being bored, miserable and lonely. I had no idea what was to come. Now let's be quite clear at this point, when I stopped

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drinking the clouds did not immediately part and rained down magical unicorns, rainbows in golden glitter. No, there wasn't

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an immediate stratospheric rise to the top of the emotion scale. However, that feeling of unease did dissipate. The low level

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brain fog, the rumbling anxiety, all lifted over time. I hadn't noticed how much I had been entertaining negative thought

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patterns and voices passionate about my alcohol free experiment, and I sought out like minded people who were totally happy

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and comfortable about their life choice. I got into enjoyed conversations, connections and collaborations in my newfound passion.

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I spent more time in real life with the people who made me happy. I changed my socialising habits. Coffees, brunches and dog

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walks became the norm. I bought colour back into my wardrobe. I stopped wearing grey every day and chose bright colours instead.

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I bought house plants and didn't kill them. I exercised. I got outside. I started helping and supporting other people. Instead

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of pursuing happiness externally, I found it started creeping up on me. I began to feel it deeply within myself when I wasn't

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looking for it. As I got further and further away from my last drink and the anxiety subsided, I found it easier and easier

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to connect with my higher vibe feelings. Where I had simplified my life a bit and made time for what was really important

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to me, I found joy in a good book, an hour of sewing or painting, a long bath or an excellent cup of tea. When the tough stuff

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is happening around me, I try to see the good bits in the situation. I had 4 visits to hospital in 6 days last week, but I

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chose to focus on the shared drives to and back with my son, the easy access to transport, the lovely hospital we go to, the

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nice staff we see. I don't ignore the bad stuff. I just don't give it the energy I would have done years ago. No drama, thank

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you. I'm done with drama. So there you have it. Joy, for me, it's an inside job. It was taking our call away and seeing all

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the good stuff that was there for the recognizing and making. Thank you for listening to this episode. Please listen in again

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next time. You can sign up to my 5 day drink less experiment and find out about working with me one to 1 at drink less live

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better dot com. I'd love it if you could 5 star rate and review this podcast. It'd make me as happy as Farrell Williams if

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you did. Thank you and PS, I believe in you.

Show artwork for Drink Less; Live Better

About the Podcast

Drink Less; Live Better
Drinking Less isn't stressful, lonely or boring - let me show you the ways to relax, connect and have fun without alcohol in your life
THIS is the magic place where doubt, hope and action meet!

Let's find JOY and COLOUR on the other side of alcohol!

We don't have to hit rock bottom, we're allowed to want something different and we CAN choose to improve our lives from this point onwards. ​

Sarah was 40 and reconsidering her relationship with alcohol. ​ ​

She was tired and overwhelmed; she'd got a lot on her mind and a glass of wine or a G and T at the end of the day seemed like a treat or escape but... deep down she knew she wasn't doing herself any favours with this habit. ​ ​

Are you thinking about drinking less? ​ Sarah brings you tips, advice, motivation and believes that the changes we bring into our lives when we choose to be alcohol free are worth celebrating and shouting about (she also believes in YOU)!​

Sarah Williamson retired from drinking alcohol in 2019 and now uses her extensive coaching and mentoring experience to help and support others to do the same!

www.drinklesslivebetter.com
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About your host

Profile picture for Sarah Williamson

Sarah Williamson

I work in the magic space where doubt, hope and action meet.

Let's find JOY and COLOUR on the other side of alcohol!

We don't have to hit rock bottom, we're allowed to want something different and we CAN choose to improve our lives from this point onwards.