Justin is simply a ball of positive energy who turned his life completely on its head when he went sober nearly a decade ago. From being an extremely social drinker for most of his younger years to finding himself alcohol dependant over a period of months, his story really shows how quickly things can descend. In this episode he covers so many benefits to sobriety that he has noticed in that time but in particular how it's impacted how he interacts with the world from a spiritual...

Listen in as Louisa catches up with Emily who credits her sobriety with changing so many things in her life that it was difficult to pick out just three. Emily is such a ball of positive sober energy but by her own admission she wasn't always like that when alcohol was a part of her life. From struggling with Mummy Wine Culture in the past to now embracing sober dating, self development and viewing herself in a totally different light... this is an amazing look at how many different things...

After a lovely Easter Break the podcast is back with some amazing guests lined up for you and lots of sober positivity. Join Louisa as she talks to Carmela about how alcohol impacted her life and what made her say enough was enough. Carmela is a real example of what a positive mindset can achieve and she is thriving and in her career in hospitality, not the easiest job to be sober in! She is about to celebrate 4 years of sobriety in July but what scared her the most was how she would black...

In this last episode of the first series, Louisa catches up with Annie who works for the NHS and has found amazing ways to incorporate her sobriety into every aspect of her life including her work. Going from being a teenager that didn't really like alcohol but drank to fit in, through to later in life using alcohol to unwind and cope with the stresses of her job during the pandemic, shows how gradually alcohol can take hold. The way that Annie talks about connecting to her senses in sobriety...

Join Louisa in a very special episode when she catches up with an old school friend who decided to go sober 6 months ago. Harry is an absolute inspiration in everything he's achieving. From winning the Slimming World's 'Biggest Loser' and losing a massive 5 stone (and counting), through to being more available for his family in sobriety and rediscovering a joy of the every day. Follow Louisa on Instagram @stepping_into_sobriety You'll find a range of links and resources on Louisa's brand new...

Join Louisa and Mitch as they talk about the difference that sobriety has made to his life in general, his career, his relationships and also about how having 'smart feet' has been key for him. Mitch found himself in the depths of addiction at a very young age and now has 17 years sobriety and experience in the recovery sector to pull from. He has an amazing way of sharing advice and tips that anyone can benefit from. Whereas his story is one of extremes, to quote Mitch "it doesn't need to...

So what now? Dry January is over and what do you want to do with everything you've learned about yourself and your relationship with alcohol going forward? In this episode, Louisa wraps up the series with snippets from the regular Sober Rebel podcast where she asks her guests to talk about the many benefits they noticed in sobriety. If you're already planning on sobriety being a more permanent change for you then this episode will give you even more reasons to keep going and of course, it...

Inspired by the book 'Why has nobody told me this before' by Dr Julie Smith, Louisa delves into the idea of how we can life a life that is meaningful to us. This is about working out what matters to you and how you can incorporate your values into your everyday life. It's another way to nurture your mental health and is a useful subject to ponder especially when you think about your goals in life. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety,...

To begin with in sobriety, you are focussed on what you're not doing... as in not drinking. A happy, healthy sobriety then comes from turning that attention to other things, to building your sober identity. By creating a strong identity as someone who doesn't drink, should you have any cravings further down the line, you'll be giving up too much to go back to alcohol which is an empowering place to be. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety,...

Sleep... important, health giving and yet it can so often elude us especially in early sobriety. For some they plunge into the depths of sober sleep easily and for others they struggle more without their nightcap to send them off into the land of nod. The thing is, although alcohol may have given the impression it's helping with sleep, it really isn't. Louisa looks at other ways you can help yourself fall to sleep and stay asleep without the artificial aid of a drink. This series has been...

There is no one way or right way to go sober and there certainly isn't a one size fits all solution for people when it comes to therapy. In this episode, Louisa runs through some of the more popular types of therapy and how they can be used to support you. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day covering key topics in sobriety but also other areas of mental health using...

Social anxiety is really common, the over focus on what others are thinking of you especially in social situations and when you remove alcohol this can be something that some people need support with. In this episode, Louisa takes you through an exercise that she uses with clients to help with this kind of anxiety to bring your focus back off you and into the room so that you feel more calm. You don't have to suffer from this to benefit as this over focus on our own internal reactions in...

There is no denying that sobriety can change some of your relationships and friendships so in this episode Louisa has researched and talked to the sober community to find out how they found their sober tribe and shares their responses. The biggest message of all is to google events near you and not to do it alone because you won't be alone in how you feel about alcohol. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There...

Another difficult subject to cover but it needs to be talked about because slips can be so demoralising if they happen. Louisa's start to sobriety wasn't a smooth one and that's something that she is very open about. There were a few false starts before sobriety stuck for her. In this episode, she looks into how to pick yourself back up if you have had a slip so that it doesn't mark the end of your want to go sober. Disclaimer: although this series hasn't been designed for dependant drinkers,...

In this episode. Louisa is joined by Rich who found that when he went sober he had to make some pretty radical adjustments to his life. As someone who'd built a career in the alcohol industry, he found that sobriety brought him clarity but also posed a challenge as to how it fitted in with that line of work. Listen in to find out what benefits Rich found in sobriety and how he harnessed his skillset to bring a new alcohol free beer brand, Clean Break, to life. Follow Rich and Louisa on...

Moderation is a controversial subject but it needs to be discussed. For some, Dry Jan is very much about taking a break from alcohol, they aren't alcohol dependant and they want to reintroduce it in a more moderate way once the month is over. For others, moderation is not possible and so in this episode Louisa explores the reasons why she's decided that moderation just isn't for her and looks at why alcohol seems to be so difficult to limit or apply rules to. Why is it so hard to just have...

Today the focus is on the concept of self esteem vs self compassion. Self compassion is a different way of looking at building your confidence and is far more sustainable in the long run. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day covering key topics in sobriety but also other areas of mental health using Louisa's knowledge as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and...

Do you know your values and if you don't, how could knowing them help you and support your interactions and mental health? Here is a link to a list of values online for you to look at alongside this episode, just write down about https://jamesclear.com/core-values though you'll be able to find lists in many places, this is just one to choose from. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode...

Let's talk about the science of gratitude. When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel 'good'. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside which is a key ingredient in enjoying a happy and healthy sobriety. In this episode Louisa looks into ways you can incorporate a gratitude practice into your daily routine. This series has been...

When it comes to mental health, there are certain things that you can incorporate into your daily routine that will help to boost your mood naturally. They are like pillars of good mental health that you can ensure are in place to support you. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day covering key topics in sobriety but also other areas of mental health using Louisa's...

Dopamine and the brain is a massive subject and so this only scratches the surface of the subject. The link between the two and that reward system that you'll have been using alcohol to stimulate is a fascinating subject and the more you understand about it then you can begin to look for healthier sources of dopamine in your sobriety. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day...

One of the common comments from people in early sobriety is that their desire for sugar increases. In this episode, Louisa talks about her own personal experience of weight loss, why she believes those cravings may have happened and what she did about it. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day covering key topics in sobriety but also other areas of mental health using...

In this episode, you'll hear from different experiences and feedback from the sober community when it comes to how relationships or friendships may change in your sobriety and how to deal with it. Thank you to everyone who contributed. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day covering key topics in sobriety but also other areas of mental health using Louisa's knowledge as a...

Now we've identified which thinking errors you may be doing in the previous episode, we can then look at ways of changing the language around them, distancing from them and swapping them for more helpful cognitions. This series has been written and created to support you in your first month of sobriety, whatever the time of year. There will be one episode released every day covering key topics in sobriety but also other areas of mental health using Louisa's knowledge as a Cognitive...