Long-term relationships can be tough. That's a given. Sometimes we just forget to have fun and lose that connection with our partner that seemed so strong at the beginning of the relationship. That can be for many different reasons of course, but for Leslie and I, it was mainly because of the wedge that alcohol had driven between us. That lead to arguments and resentment and began to affect all areas of our marriage. For your relationship, it may not be alcohol. It could be financial issues, work-related stress, the responsibilities of parenting, etc. But all these things can take a toll on the relationship with your partner.

Les and I have found that our relationship is flourishing now that we have overcome some of the obstacles that alcohol had created in our lives. Because we have and continue to do our own personal growth and healing and began to accept and love ourselves, it has now made our relationship so much better. Everything from conversations, laughter, playfulness, and sex has improved. We discuss this in detail, as well as play a fun game we've done before by pulling cards from the Best Self Relationship card deck. This is a great way to create dialogue and bond with your partner. We hope you enjoy our answers and encourage you to do this with your partner as well and make your relationship fun again!

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Best Self Relationship Deck: https://bestself.co/collections/conversation-decks/products/relationship-deck

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

We've all heard the phrase, "just think positive thoughts" and all will be well, but what if there's more to it than that? What if what you put out into the universe is what you attract back to you? In this episode, we explore the influence of mindset, positive affirmations, and the remarkable ability to shape your own reality through the power of your thoughts. Sound a little far fetched? You may change your mind after this episode!

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

Dr. Joe Dispenza website: https://drjoedispenza.com/

Hal Elrod website: https://halelrod.com/

Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani: https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Be-Me-Journey-Healing/dp/B09RY5S44R/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=409933427697&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9022290&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7283825278692077301&hvtargid=kwd-386121117325&hydadcr=22595_11320562&keywords=dying+to+be+me+anita+moorjani+book&qid=1688422144&sr=8-1

Raising kids has never been more challenging with everything going on in our world today. But then again, isn't that probably what our parents thought too? In this episode, we share our thoughts on how we approach raising our children in a world full of distractions and of course that means diving into technology among other things. Do we have all the answers? Of course not. But we believe you can only give you children as much as you have, so it starts with doing the work on yourself. We hope you enjoy this episode and as always, thank you so much for listening!

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

No YouTube video this episode - make sure to check out past video episodes on our YouTube channel @unemployedafdad

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out past blogs on our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com/blog

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

Average screen time for kids: https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/kids-screen-time-how-much-is-too-much/#:~:text=The%20Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control,Seven%20and%201%2F2%20hours

Organization helping promote the positives of social media whilst mitigating potential negatives: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/status-of-mind.html

Today we are super excited to have our brother-in-law, Wesley Paul Hughes, on the pod! We've been wanting to get Wes on here for awhile because he and Adam have very similar alcohol free stories (and anniversary dates)! We cover everything from his drinking history, why he decided he needed to give up alcohol all together, relearning how to be a husband and father, the role alcohol plays in sports, medicinal mushrooms, going to bed early, and much much more! Yes, this is a conversation that takes many twists and turns and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed having it! Again, thanks so much to Wes for always being supportive of us and for taking the time to be on our podcast, love ya man!

Check out the video podcast on YouTube @ unemployedafdad

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

No show notes this week to give you a hint, listen to the episode for the latest Unemployed AF Dad update! C'mon, it's only 10 minutes!

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

We often talk about our own alcohol free journey starting in our late 30s, but our guest today, Lauryn, has become alcohol free in her mid 20s!

Lauryn realized that her drinking habits were becoming an issue for her, but also liked the feeling of cutting loose and being carefree when she drank. However, at the end of 2022, she finally decided that enough was enough and has been alcohol free since New Years Day this year!

We appreciate how open and honest Lauryn is in this episode and thank her so much for sharing her story! Congrats on your journey so far, you got this Lauryn!!

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

On April 23, 2022, Leslie and I started our alcohol free journey and what a year it's been! On today's episode we not only reflect on what the last year has been like and what we've learned, but we look forward to the future as well. Nothing could have prepared us for what we would have experienced this year and while our lives are so much better today than they were a year ago, we certainly have not gone without our struggles. We discuss some of the things that we have learned, the ways our lives have improved, but also acknowledge that there is still pain to heal from and work to be done. We also discuss the pitfalls of trying to moderate alcohol, the empowerment we now feel when we socialize and have fun without alcohol and much, much more! We hope you enjoy the episode and sincerely appreciate the love and support you've shown us during this new endeavor. And...we're just getting started!

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Watch the video podcast on our YouTube channel (@unemployedAFdad)

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out past blogs on our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com/blog

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

This is such an exciting episode of Unemployed AF Dad as we were honored to have our first guest, Matt Gardiner! Matt is a Recovery Coach & Storywork Coach who has helped numerous people get out of their "stuck stories" and manage their addictions to effectively integrate sobriety into their lives.

His coaching method focuses on breath awareness, inner dialogue word choice, and reframing the stories you've been attaching to the events of your life. Matt's 4 Pillars of Recovery are: Community, Accountability, Redefine, Rediscover. Matt is a lifelong musician and Sound Therapist, which compliments his work as a Coach. In addition to all that, Matt hosts the "Beyond Recovery" podcast where guests come on to share their journeys of recovery.

Matt battled alcohol dependency from his late teens into his early 30s. He was a daily drinker from age 21 to 30. At age 27, Matt hospitalized himself with acute pancreatitis. After 3 days in the hospital, this scare was initially framed as the wake-up call Matt needed, but then he was drinking within 24 hours of being released. At age 30, Matt hit a rock bottom moment which led to 3 years + of sobriety. At a friend's wedding, he decided he would attempt “moderation” again, which he tried for the next several years. When Matt’s dad passed away suddenly in late 2018 (his Dad had been a heavy drinker his whole adult life), Matt decided on the weekend of his father's Celebration of Life that it was time to sober up once again.

That was in April 2019 and Matt just celebrated 4 years of sobriety this past Saturday, April 8th! We truly enjoyed our conversation with Matt which goes beyond just his story and know that you will too! Make sure to give him a follow at the links below:

Matt's Social Links

Instagram: @recoveryroadmap.me

Facebook & YouTube:  @mattgardinerLIVE 

Podcast: Beyond Recovery

Website: www.recoveryroadmap.me

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mattgardiner555

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Watch the video podcast on our YouTube channel (@unemployedAFdad)

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out past blogs on our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com/blog

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

The terms "self-care" and "self-love" seem to a buzzword these days, but what do you think of when you hear them? Do you think of bubble baths, shopping, spa days, a glass of wine at the end of a long day, etc.? If so, you NEED to listen to this episode. Self-care and self-love are much more than just treating yourself with temporary pleasures. While they are connected, they are also quite different as well. Self-love and self-care are some of the most important things we can do in life, but we often convince ourselves we are too busy to focus on.

In this episode, we discuss the foundations of self-love, (self-care being one of them) and define what they mean. Self-love is about recognizing and honoring your own needs, treating yourself with kindness and understanding, and not sacrificing your happiness and well-being to please others. Self-care falls under the self-love umbrella and is about taking action and developing a routine that works best for you to improve your physical and mental health in ways that support a good quality of life. Things like getting enough sleep and exercise, eating healthy, meditating, etc. are all examples of self-care. We also share how men and women perceive self-love and self-care differently and what our own thoughts were growing up and how those have changed as we've grown older. We also discuss the daily self-care practices we use in our own lives to try to become the best versions of ourselves we can be.

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Watch the video podcast on our YouTube channel (@unemployedAFdad)

Follow us on Instagram: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out past blogs on our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com/blog

If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, contact us at [email protected].

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.

If you were given a time machine and had the ability to go back and give your younger self advice, what would you tell yourself? Inspired by my favorite movie, Back to the Future, we discuss what we would go back and tell young Adam and Leslie so that maybe they would have done some things a bit differently. However, we also acknowledge that even though we may not always make the best decisions, we all learn through experiences and gain wisdom from them. The journey is what makes us who we are and we can't just fast forward through it. We had a lot of fun with this episode and we hope you all have fun listening!

If you're enjoying Unemployed AF Dad and find the content valuable, please make sure to share episodes with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Watch the video podcast on our YouTube channel (@unemployedAFdad)

Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @unemployed_af_dad

Make sure to check out past blogs on our website at https://www.unemployedafdad.com/blog

Soundtrack music is performed by penguinmusic, Oleksandr Stepanov, and 23843807 - available on Pixabay.