Sober in the Sunshine

Jessica shares 10 tips for surviving holiday get-togethers without booze.  Whether this is your first sober holiday season or your 10th, pick up a few new tools for your socializing toolbox.  Show notes:

4-7-8 breathing (video of the technique and explanation of its benefits with Dr. Andrew Weil) (https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/)

Blog posts about the holidays that may help:Megan Peters on prioritizing yourself during the holidays on The Temper: link here (https://www.thetemper.com/sober-holiday-self-care/) Holly Whitaker's 7 tips for surviving sober holidays: link here (http://www.hipsobriety.com/home/2016/11/21/7-tips-to-survive-thanksgiving-sober-2017)

Molly wasn't a stereotypical alcoholic when she decided to quit drinking over a year ago.  So why did she quit?  What made drinking all of a sudden unattractive? Join Molly and Jessica as they discuss the dreaded "double life" of living healthy during the week and binge drinking on the weekends.  And hear how a daily commitment to wake up at 5 a.m. for yoga had Molly feeling so good, she couldn't help but ditch the booze for good.

Renee talks about what it was like to travel across the country to attend a sober convention in early sobriety, and why she decided to start blogging her sober adventure, beginning with day 1.  She also explains to Jessica what lighting fires has to do with staying sober, and how becoming a part of the sober community is helping her build a new life she loves.

Show Notes:

Renee's blog, Sober Witch (https://soberwitch.com/)

Sober Witch Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soberwitch/)

Sober Sister Circle in Medfield, MA 11/18/18

Hear more of Renee's story on The Bubble Hour (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bubblehour/2018/10/02/renees-story--3-months-sober)

Jessica brings you her first mini solo episode, and delves into the topic of what she learned from early sobriety.  She discusses tools that helped her stay sober, healthier ways to numb out when you just need a break from feeling, and how "embracing the suck" can bring sweet relief.

Show Notes (things mentioned)

My Favorite Murder podcast

Candy Crush games (available via app)

TED Interview - episode one with Liz Gilbert

Brene Brown's Dare to Lead

Carol and Jessica talk about dealing with grief and early sobriety together. Carol talks about choosing one-on-one therapy as her main source of healing from addiction, and working on childhood trauma as a recovering adult.

She shares the real-life tools that helped her get through her first year sober, and lists off tons of resources for our listeners, including movies, books, podcasts, and blogs. She also gives newly sober people a reason to redecorate (hint: it's all about creating new spaces, literally and figuratively).  See below show notes for all of the great resources Carol mentions.

Show Notes:

Books:

Drink by Ann Dowsett Johnston (https://www.amazon.com/Drink-Intimate-Relationship-Between-Alcohol/dp/006224180X)

Websites:

Tell Better Stories by Erin Shaw Street (https://www.tellbetterstoriesmedia.com/)

Unpickled (https://unpickledblog.com/)

Laura McKowen's I Fly at Night (https://www.lauramckowen.com/blog/)

Podcasts:

The Bubble Hour podcast (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bubblehour)

Since Right Now podcast (http://sincerightnow.com/)

Home podcast (https://soundcloud.com/thisishomepod)

Rich Roll podcast (https://soundcloud.com/richroll)

Movies

The Anonymous People (http://www.amazon.com/People-Kristen-Johnston/dp/B00IX1KIKA) (movie)

My Name was Bette (https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Was-Bette-Alcoholic/dp/B00M5PAXOG) (movie)

Jessica checks in to let listeners know she's still alive, that more episodes are coming, and that sometimes you have to put self-care first to maintain sanity.  Show Notes:She Recovers LA event 2018 (https://sherecovers.co/la-event/)

Jessica is joined by her friend Jeff, who talks about what it's like to enjoy a clean and sober life after years of heavy drug and alcohol use, and how to handle staying sober when tragedy strikes.

 

Show Notes:

ASMR - I originally discovered it on Holly Whitaker's blog, Hip Sobriety, and her toolbox post (http://www.hipsobriety.com/home/2015/10/20/how-to-build-a-sobriety-toolbox)

my personal fave: crunchy leaves ASMR (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuRMjkH-NuQ&t=93s) (BTW, how annoying are YouTube ads?)

Hear from Kirsten about what it's like to build your own "patchwork recovery" without 12 step meetings, finding community with other sober women, and why traveling sober is actually better.

 

Show Notes:

Sarah Blondin meditations on the Insight Timer app (https://insighttimer.com/)

 

Belle Robertson's Tired of Thinking About Drinking (http://www.tiredofthinkingaboutdrinking.com/) and the 100 day challenge

 

She Recovers (http://www.sherecovers.co) - sober community, retreats, and connection

 

"Squeezing the cat (https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/stop-squeezing-the-cat-sunny-orange-dressing/)"

Join Jessica and Kerry as they discuss Kerry's journey up from her rock bottom, working the steps, and finding God in an unlikely place.

 

Show Notes:Feet up the wall yoga (legs up the wall, potato, potAHto)

Kerry's blog (https://overthebridgewego.com/)!

Join Jessica as she introduces the podcast and describes the end of her drinking and the hellish anxiety that went with it. Find out what tools she uses to keep her sober self in check and to make sure life flows along smoothly without alcohol.

Show Notes:

This Naked Mind (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37542849-this-naked-mind?from_search=true) by Annie Grace (I called it "A Naked Mind" in the epsiode, my apologies!)Drink (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17349236-drink) by Ann Dowsett Johnston

 

Stumbling on Happiness (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56627.Stumbling_on_Happiness) by Dan Gilbert