People drink for various reasons: to celebrate, socialize, commiserate, feel more courageous, alleviate boredom, or escape their troubles. Some people may also drink in an attempt to relieve the symptoms of mental ill-health.

The interplay between alcohol and mental health is intricate. But depending on alcohol as temporary relief for your mental well-being, can lead to additional problems and research has proven, excessive consumption often exacerbates these conditions.

You might view alcohol as a coping mechanism for managing depression, stress, anxiety, or other challenging emotions. You might not really like the taste of alcohol, but enjoy the feeling of being drunk or ‘letting off steam’. You might drink to feel socially lubricated and part of the community. Or perhaps it's become a part of your habitual 'wind down' routine.

But if you have quietly questioned your relationship with alcohol, or suspected you may rely on it too much, perhaps it might be time to take a different approach? Rest assured, if the thought of life without alcohol, or dramatically reducing your intake, makes you feel nervous or anxious. You are not alone. As Annie Grace said, 'alcohol is the only drug on earth you have to justify NOT taking.’

Sara Kaufman-Bradstreet is an alcohol free coach and the founder of 'No More Wasted Days'. After Sara quit drinking on her own, she cautiously shared her alcohol free journey on her personal FB page and realised there were people out there struggling with their relationship with alcohol just like she had. Sara now leads 30 day alcohol free challenges that allow people to experience an alcohol free life with guidance and support. She also leads an online community where she hosts weekly group coaching calls and is host of the No More Wasted Days podcast along with Heather P-G. Plus, Sara has a very active following on Instagram and TikTok having gathered an impressive following of people curious to re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol.

Talking to host Gabby, Sara shares her own personal journey breaking free from a life of nightly drinking and hungover days, to being five years sober. She also explains that the catalyst for her transformational change wasn’t hitting ‘rock bottom’ or deciding to quit alcohol. Rather, setting herself the challenge of 30 days to remain alcohol free and being so blown away by the improvement of the quality of her life, she hasn’t felt the desire to touch a drop since.

Sara shares with Gabby some alternate ways to replace the buzz from booze and illustrates how and why cutting out alcohol can enrich one's life rather than diminish it. Gabby and Sara also discuss re-discovering your identity and passions while remaining alcohol-free and navigating the dating scene without relying on liquor to serve as a wingman.

To download the My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

To sign up for the next 30 Day Challenge: https://nomorewasteddays.co/waiting-list-30-day-challenge/