Mindful Drinking and Socializing while Sober with Abbie and Janay

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What does it mean to be sober curious and practice mindful drinking?

Janay Oakland and Abbie Boudreau are co-founders of Teetotally Lifestyle, “a modern lifestyle choice for sober curious and mindful drinkers.” Janay is a mindful drinker, and Abbie stopped drinking altogether nearly two years ago.

Janay tells us her problem was less an addiction to alcohol and more an addiction to people pleasing. She never felt a major dependence on drinking, but she also never liked the way it made her feel, and she found herself mainly drinking for others. When she turned 30 and had children, she decided it just wasn't worth it anymore. A move to Phoenix brought her close to more like-minded people, like Abbie, and she has since adopted a mindful drinking approach.

Abbie tells us her drinking was social and part of the professional culture she was in as a TV News correspondent. Being laid off at the start of the pandemic led her drinking to become more antisocial and more of an issue. Just like with Janay, a move to Phoenix presented an opportunity for her to make a change and rethink her relationship with alcohol.

In this episode, Mathew, Abbie, and Janay discuss how they were introduced to alcohol, what made them rethink their relationships with drinking, and what their lives look like now in their new lifestyles. Abbie and Janay talk about why it is important to find “replacements” like mindfulness rituals and hobbies, how their husbands who still drink support them, and the spiritual work they lean on in order to stay on track. They also tell us their tips for socializing while sober and how to handle the holidays.

If you are wondering if you have a problem with alcohol, you probably do. A lot of people do, and the pandemic made it worse for many. You don’t have to be an Alcoholic to rethink your relationship with alcohol. Thankfully, there are a growing number of resources, alcohol alternatives, and communities out there to help. Together, Abbie and Janay are on a mission to help people understand they are not alone, change the narrative around drinking, and create a community for anyone reevaluating their relationship with alcohol through Teetotally Lifestyle.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What does it mean to be sober curious and practice mindful drinking?

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Resources:

• TeetotallyLifestyle.com

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson