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Sometimes things that feel like setbacks turn out to be the start of something wonderful I was two years sober and working in a job share in the marketing department at LEGOLAND Windsor when I found myself at a career crossroads. A company-wide restructure meant redundancy was looming and, while I’d enjoyed the PR work I was doing, I was craving something that felt more meaningful. It would also be my second redundancy in two years and I was fed up with feeling reliant on som

It’s a great time of year for a fresh start I don’t know about you, but I’ve always felt that autumn is a natural time to commit to healthier habits. It’s that back-to-school, change-of-seasons feeling. A chance to reset after the summer and get back into some kind of routine. So why is now a good time to give up booze? Before I give you my top five reasons, let’s remember something here: you’re not actually “giving up” anything. There is so much to gain when you stop drinkin

I didn’t miss drinking once at Reading Festival. What I wasn’t prepared for was experiencing three days of crowds, chaos, rain and parenting without alcohol numbing any of it I’ve been to Reading Festival four times. The first two were in my twenties. The most recent was this weekend with my husband and two kids, aged 11 and 14. We live a 10–30 minute drive away, depending on traffic, so last year we went for one day, largely to see Chappell Roan. We had such a great time tha

Life still continues, but it’s a lot easier to navigate challenging times when you’re sober I’m currently writing this by the pool on holiday in Portugal. After certain events this year, it felt like we really needed a nice family holiday and we were all REALLY looking forward to it. However, all has not gone to plan. The first night we were blissfully unaware of what the week had in store for us. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and by the early hours of Monday my youngest s

From mourning the loss of alcohol to building a vibrant new life filled with running, purpose and freedom This week on Sunday Sober Stories, I’m delighted to introduce Zoe Brough. At 48, Zoe has rebuilt her life in ways she never imagined possible when she first questioned her relationship with alcohol. After years of believing that drinking was part of her identity as someone who worked hard and played hard, she discovered that life without alcohol wasn’t smaller or more bor

I didn't know what anxiety was. I just knew wine helped Just after my 40th birthday, following a pretty disastrous girls’ trip to Ibiza (a story for another time), I went to the doctor and cried for 10 minutes straight. But it all started long before that. When you look back and piece it together, it’s clear that my relationship with alcohol - using it to manage uncomfortable feelings, confidence and stress - began in my teens. At 15 it was fun and rebellious. I’d been labell

Today's Sunday Sober Story comes from the lovely Romana Richards, who has been alcohol-free since January 2021 Romana’s story is one so many women will relate to; on the outside holding everything together while privately battling shame, anxiety and the exhausting cycle of trying to moderate. After a blackout during lockdown became her wake-up call, she made the decision to step away from alcohol for good. Now, she describes sobriety not as restriction, but as peace. From res

Five months sober and still feeling flat, foggy and not quite myself - this is the post I wrote back then, and what I’ve since learned about perimenopause, hormones and finally feeling like me again I wrote this over two years ago in Sassy Sober Mum’s now sadly closed Thrive group which I joined when I first got sober. I remembered writing it, but now I’m three years down the line, I couldn’t remember how I felt. So I asked Teri to send me a copy of what I wrote in Thrive, as

Rosie Conaty's story is a reminder that sobriety doesn’t have to begin with a dramatic rock-bottom moment. Sometimes it starts with a simple pause For many people, drinking is simply part of life, woven into celebrations, friendships and everyday routines. But sometimes the habits we’ve always accepted begin to raise uncomfortable questions. In this honest and reflective conversation, we hear from a woman who grew up in a culture where alcohol was everywhere, spent years livi

And why it's important in sobriety When I first got sober, there were three things that I was advised to do every day; one of these was to journal. As someone who’s always loved writing, I’d tried to write a diary on several occasions but the things I wrote made me cringe, so the thought of having to “journal” as a grown adult gave me the ick. Wasn’t it what American teenagers did? But I was determined to make sobriety stick so I (reluctantly) began. I started off just writin

No wonder people end up with a drink problem! Since I stopped drinking, I notice alcohol everywhere. Not in the way that I want to drink it, but in conversations, celebrations and rewards. I find it astonishing how much small talk revolves around what we’re drinking, what we’re not drinking, or what we “deserve” to drink. On a recent trip I was amazed at how often alcohol came up in conversation. Adults joking about what they’d be having later. Comments about needing a glass

Wine isn’t self-care. This is what we really need Mummy Wine Time. It’s everywhere. Especially on social media. You’ve probably noticed the mummy influencers joking about people doing Dry January, not to mention the endless memes and slogans. I’ve seen them all and I used to laugh along too. Until the wool was pulled from my eyes. The narrative promoting Mummy Wine Time doesn’t just live online. It’s on greetings cards, mugs, T-shirts, TV shows and films. It feels inescapable

Once a daily wine drinker who believed alcohol was the answer to stress, belonging and “coping”, Cindy Johnston’s journey to sobriety began quietly and became life-changing Cindy Johnston describes herself as what we now call a Grey Area Drinker; someone who drank “normally”, socially, and daily, yet always sensed that alcohol was taking more than it was giving. Wine had become her go-to way to relax, self-soothe and switch off from life, a habit shaped early by wanting to fi

The run up to Christmas can be busy and chaotic; we need this month to rest and reset For the first time since starting my Substack, I didn’t post last week. I had no inspiration or motivation. The Christmas break so was nice. For the first time in a long time I had a nice relaxed break with no arguments, no fall outs, no drama and no illness. It was such a refreshing changing having had (over the last years), one on Christmas coming to terms with my mum’s brain tumour and op

If you struggle to moderate your drinking, a month off alcohol may not be the answer. For some people, real change means stopping for good

Britons are drinking less than ever before and what once felt odd is becoming normal If you’ve been questioning your drinking lately, it’s not just you. According to a recent report in The Guardian (originally in the FT , but it’s behind a paywall), alcohol consumption in Britain is now at a record low. More people are drinking less (or not at all) than ever before. What was once seen as niche or boring is gradually becoming normal. For years, drinking has been wrapped up in

My First Sober Christmas

From decades in hospitality and wine to freedom, healing and self-trust, Jo’s sober journey is one of courage, resilience and hope Now living in France, Jo Clarke ( La Guérisseuse Verte on Instagram - The Green Healer) has been alcohol-free since 28th December 2023. After years working in bars, hospitality and sommellerie, alcohol was deeply embedded in her life and identity. What started young slowly became physical dependence anxiety and a point where Jo couldn’t see a wa

Seven reasons why opting out of a drink can feel like letting the side down If you’ve ever said, “I’m not drinking tonight” and instantly felt like you’d just let the side down, you’re not imagining it. In the UK, drinking isn’t just a solo activity, it’s treated like a team sport. A group effort. A ritual. A badge of belonging. It’s bizarre when you really think about it, but also totally understandable. Here’s 7 reasons why: 1. We’re taught early on that drinking equals co

Leaving by 10:30pm, facing old memories and learning what social tiredness feels like without the blur of alcohol When I think back to how I used to behave at awards events, it honestly feels like I’m watching someone else, trying to hold it all together while drinking A LOT of booze. I still remember my very first awards night where I managed to knock a bottle of red wine all over the white tablecloth and then, in a stroke of genius, poured a bottle of white wine on it to “c