🎄 Merry Christmas from Sober Awkward! 🎄

It’s that time of year again, the crackers are cracking, the mulled wine is flowing, and somewhere in the chaos, a sober legend (yes, you) is standing strong. We know how awkward, emotional, and just plain weird Christmas can be when you’re doing it booze-free, so we’ve brought back our annual Sober Awkward Christmas Poem to help keep you smiling, grounded, and booze free.

This is our little festive gift to you, a reminder that you are not alone, and that choosing sobriety (especially today) is one of the most powerful, life-affirming things you can do. You won’t wake up with regret, fall headfirst into the gravy, or try to kiss your cousin during Love Actually.

You’re doing something brave. Something brilliant. Something you’ll actually remember.

So wherever you are, whatever your set-up, however awkward it gets — we’re sending you love, strength, and a huge dose of sober cheer.

Merry Christmas one and all,

Love from your favourite sober elves,

Vic & Hamish 💚

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the idea of a sober Christmas makes you break out in a festive sweat, clutch a mince pie for emotional support, and whisper “Lord, give me strength,” then this episode is your new best friend.

This week, Mrs Santa (Vic, with her saggy boob and questionable stuffing) and her long suffering festive sidekick Elf Hamish dive headfirst into the sparkly chaos of Christmas. First the fantasy version where everyone drinks kombucha and expresses gratitude, then the real version where Uncle Gary is drunk by 10am and someone cries because their new crocs are the wrong colour.

Together they explore the myth of the perfect sober Christmas, the messy reality most of us face, and why the festive drinking culture feels overwhelming and very annoying when your'e sober. Today these two idiots offer up a simple sober toolkit to help you get through the day, and reflect on what Christmas really feels like without booze numbing the edges.

This is your festive mix of honesty, humour, science, awkwardness and hope. Everything you need to get through the holiday season without falling face first into the gravy boat. So grab a fizzy water, hide in the loo if you need to, and join us for the Christmas episode that helps you sleigh the holiday season with your dignity intact.

Merry Christmas sober legends. Feel the awkward and do it anyway!

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward!

Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes.

Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep you company, remind you you’re not alone, and offer that little nudge of insight or encouragement just when you need it.

Think of it as a midweek check-in. Something bite-sized to walk with, laugh at, or quietly reflect on. And if the clip hits home? You can go back and listen to the full episode anytime – just follow the link in the show notes.

We know one episode a week isn’t always enough – so here’s your extra helping of honesty, humour, and a bit of awkwardness to get you through the week.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nqaxOxYpri8kreODVeiqb?si=58b04a10ed2e451e

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, Hame sits down with the wonderful Clare Pooley. The globally celebrated author who's blog and subsequent book 'The Sober Diaries' has been been named as THE book that helped so many of our listeners get sober so it felt only right to invite her on!

This fascinating conversation ranges from how she labelled and overcame her 'wine witch' (and the surprising role that Game of Thrones played in it!), the 'Best Mum Cup' moment that would mark her final alcoholic drink, why she has never identified with the term 'alcoholic', how her sobriety prepared her for the challenges of being diagnosed with breast cancer and the rules she encourages on any teenager asking about how to drink alcohol.

As well as being a fountain of knowledge, Clare was exactly as kind, funny and relatable as you might expect.

We hope that this episode can inspire one more person to reconsider their relationship with alcohol to add to the long list!

💛 Resources & Links

Clare's website:

👉 www.clarepooley.com

Clare's Instagram:

👉@clare_pooley

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the final edition of our Sober Stories!

After the overwhelming response to a recent writing competition during which we asked you to share your JOURNEYS to sobriety (the good, the bad and the ugly!), we felt compelled to take things a step further.

We asked, you wrote, and now we're sharing the incredible, hilarious, and heartwarming stories you sent us. Get ready to be inspired by your fellow listeners, one story at a time!

Happy Saturday, y’all.

Sober Awkward Tools and Links

Join Cuppa – our alcohol-free community

A kind, no-pressure space to connect with others navigating sobriety

www.cuppa.community

Read Vic’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at booze, motherhood, and self-discovery

https://amzn.asia/d/fanNMha

Book a one-on-one session with Vic

Writing mentorship, sobriety support, or just a good old chat

https://www.soberawkward.com/store

Explore the full podcast archive

Catch up on all the messy, funny, honest episodes of Sober Awkward

https://open.spotify.com/show/4qXlSc9lDGStYLeYIjrWPH?si=ece6e75ae4f041f9

Follow us on Instagram

Behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward moments, and sober inspo

@soberawkward

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything. Whether you’ve been here since day one or this is your first toe-dip into the awkward, we’re so glad you found us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward!

Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes.

Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep you company, remind you you’re not alone, and offer that little nudge of insight or encouragement just when you need it.

Think of it as a midweek check-in. Something bite-sized to walk with, laugh at, or quietly reflect on. And if the clip hits home? You can go back and listen to the full episode anytime – just follow the link in the show notes.

We know one episode a week isn’t always enough – so here’s your extra helping of honesty, humour, and a bit of awkwardness to get you through the week.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/4kibRjL1jhbp9lpakzsMOY?si=e54b386e94c44c90

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Sober Awkward, Vic and Hamish dive into one of the biggest, stickiest, most awkward questions in sobriety: Can I actually trust myself again?

Vic opens up about those final blurry days of drinking when she couldn’t even trust herself to say “no” to a jelly baby, let alone a vodka soda. Hamish admits he’s never trusted Vic with a map, a tech problem, or his childhood sticker collection — fair enough. But what happens when that mistrust is turned inward?

Together, they unpack how alcohol chips away at your self-belief, how broken promises and panic attacks can shrink your life, and why sobriety is less about perfection and more about proving (slowly, quietly, consistently) that you’ve got your own back again.

Expect awkward confessions, tips for rebuilding trust with yourself and others, a bit of trust trauma from the 1980s, and a brand new Sober Awkward anthem from listener Sean, who just celebrated 1 year sober (you legend, mate!). Check out Seans band @conflictmanagerband

Oh, there is some awful and somewhat offensive chat about rims.

Of course there is.

Enjoy!!!

A

#SoberAwkward #SoberCurious #Trust #WhoIsDrivingYou #SoberPodcast #AFLife #Hangxiety #ModerationIsAMyth #SobrietyWins #CraigDavidKnows

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our new weekly shortened episodes - Sober Stories!

After the overwhelming response to a recent writing competition during which we asked you to share your JOURNEYS to sobriety (the good, the bad and the ugly!), we felt compelled to take things a step further.

We asked, you wrote, and now we're sharing the incredible, hilarious, and heartwarming stories you sent us. Get ready to be inspired by your fellow listeners, one story at a time!

Happy Saturday, y’all.

Sober Awkward Tools and Links

Join Cuppa – our alcohol-free community

A kind, no-pressure space to connect with others navigating sobriety

www.cuppa.community

Read Vic’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at booze, motherhood, and self-discovery

https://amzn.asia/d/fanNMha

Book a one-on-one session with Vic

Writing mentorship, sobriety support, or just a good old chat

https://www.soberawkward.com/store

Explore the full podcast archive

Catch up on all the messy, funny, honest episodes of Sober Awkward

https://open.spotify.com/show/4qXlSc9lDGStYLeYIjrWPH?si=ece6e75ae4f041f9

Follow us on Instagram

Behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward moments, and sober inspo

@soberawkward

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything. Whether you’ve been here since day one or this is your first toe-dip into the awkward, we’re so glad you found us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward!

Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes.

Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep you company, remind you you’re not alone, and offer that little nudge of insight or encouragement just when you need it.

Think of it as a midweek check-in. Something bite-sized to walk with, laugh at, or quietly reflect on. And if the clip hits home? You can go back and listen to the full episode anytime – just follow the link in the show notes.

We know one episode a week isn’t always enough – so here’s your extra helping of honesty, humour, and a bit of awkwardness to get you through the week.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/4kibRjL1jhbp9lpakzsMOY?si=e54b386e94c44c90

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, you think you’re in control of your drinking. You’ve got rules. You don’t drink before midday. You smashed Dry July. You’re not as bad as your mate Dave. But deep down… is alcohol really calling the shots?

In this episode, Vic and Hamish rewind the clock to those sneaky early days when they both tried to prove they were totally in control of their drinking — spoiler alert: they weren’t. From imaginary dance careers to strategic night out planning, they share the lies we tell ourselves to keep drinking, and why it’s so damn hard to see the truth until it slaps you in the face.

They also dig into the science of control (hello, dopamine), introduce you to “alcohol myopia” (yes, it’s a thing), and reveal the moment they each realised who was really behind the wheel. Plus, red flags to look out for, a reality check on moderation, and the challenge that might just change your life.

Come for the banter, stay for the bash-on-the-head truth bombs.

Let’s take back control — together. (Say in an American accent please!)

#SoberAwkward #SoberCurious #TakeBackControl #WhoIsDrivingYou #SoberPodcast #AFLife #Hangxiety #ModerationIsAMyth #SobrietyWins #CraigDavidKnows

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.