Category: sober lockdown

My 2020 lessons of a sober lockdown……..

January 5, 2021

Happy 2021!!

I hope you have all had a fabulous Christmas and New year and have been keeping safe at home with your loved ones. How is your New Year so far? If you are doing Dry January 2021 then please look back through my old posts on here as I share a lot of tips and advice on the early days.

WOW 2020 what a year. As you know I don’t like looking back but sometimes you really need to see how far you’ve come and just take a moment to reflect. It feels like its all been a blur, not in a drunken way like it used to do but in a ground hog day way! But when I look back over past social media post, photos and my journal, it really was something else, a year to remember for all the wrong and right reasons. I can see straight away what I have gained from the crazy year that 2020 was. So here goes, my wins, my lessons and my good bits of 2020!

  • The number one, most important lesson for me that I will never take for granted was mine and my family’s health. I know that so many people have lost friends and family during this time and I am truly sorry for that. Having four years of sobriety under my belt certainly made me feel that my immune system always fighting fit. Although I did test positive for the antibodies , I can only pin point last January when I thought had a bad cough so must have only had it mildly. We know that alcohol depletes our vitamin levels and our immune system so by being sober at least we are keeping our body as healthy as can be. Achieveing 4 years sober was a huge achievement for me in November last year.
  • During 2020 I started to view my health differently. Before lockdown I was teaching Bodypump 5-6 times a week. I had got myself in my best physical shape ever but was feeling pretty run down too. Lockdown gave me the chance to take a breath, gain a few lockdown pounds and whilst I was still doing Bodypump I was mixing it up with heavy weights too. Which has had a nice effect of giving me a curvier shape that I’ve never really had before! Rest days and good food with treats added in will help you build muscle and give you a balance that I now realise I was missing. I feel recharged and reenergised and most importantly, I feel super strong.
  • The therapy of a peaceful dog walk! Dogs have definitely won lockdown haven’t they. I’ve started to appreciate where I live more and just enjoy the peace and quiet of walking the dog. We are lucky to live in a semi rural area and I definitely feel lucky to live where I do and be able to escape with the dog everyday.
  • I have read an endless amount of positivity books, including Vex King, Rhoda Byrne and I’m following a lot of positive accounts on social media. When I quit drinking I naturally became a more positive person, which I think you do as you don’t have the dreaded hanxiety that comes with heavy drinking. I also wanted to start looking into manifestation for a while and 2020 seemed the perfect time to do it! I now read something everyday and I constantly try to check my thoughts and feelings, trying to stay as positive as possible to try and manifest my dreams. I fully recommend it, I know some people don’t believe in it but I say give it a go, worse case scenario it makes you look at things in a more positive light. Be protective of your energy too, don’t let others effect you if they are full of negativity, 2020 made me realise my energy is the most important thing especially at a time when you are working hard to keep it positive. You can distance yourself to protect yourself.
  • My little Tropic business boomed last year! In what I thought would be a disastrous year, as Tropic is all about sharing freshly made skincare products in a face to face environment, it turned into the total opposite! My business has more than trebled, with it totally adapting to online sales and people just generally taking more time to look after themselves. From starting 2020 with myself and one other ambassador we are now over 30 women strong, all sharing the love of Tropic. Plus I have also achieved two amazing 5 star trips to Ibiza and Jamaica, when we can actually go!
  • I realised how important holidays are to me. My first feeling when we went into lockdown was a feeling of claustrophobia that we have to stay in the UK. I have had about 5 sober holidays and I just absolutely love them – they really are so amazing. Being sober gives you chance to experience the culture, the area, the activities instead of just sitting by the pool making the most of the all inclusive bar.
  • Paramount to everything else – I realised the love in my family. My family, my husband, two girls and the dog have all been my support circle. We have shown how we can literally be together 24/7 without any (or very little) drama. Not every day has been all happy families but there has only been a handful of times that we have annoyed one another and missed having our own space. I know deep down that the drinking me would have been a totally different person through lockdown, the wheels would have come off big time and my family would have got the worst of it all. My priority would have been how I felt and how I needed to escape with a bottle of wine or two, or three, but the sober mummy that I am made sure that my family felt safe and cared for during this challenging year.
  • And finally -NEVER underestimate the power of a nana nap, chocolate and Netflix. On the days where it got bad, that’s how I escaped my mind – a sleep, food or tv! Not ideal, but did it work -YES!!!

So in a round about way that’s my 2020 and how it worked out for me. I know in the UK we are enering our 3rd Lockdown but we will get through it jut like we did last year, and we will see better days in 2021. We can see the light at the end of it all we just need to get through this last hurdle.

Let me know how you survived 202 sober. I think for anyone to come through ANY part of that year without using alcohol to escape really is a sober warrior, and it shows a strength that will get you through 2021. FEEL PROUD!

If you are just starting your sober journey and doing dry January then please check out my earlier posts. And contact me direct for any help on a 1-2-1 basis. Plus is anyone is looking to give their skincare a refresh in 2021 or even looking to join me in helping women love the skin they are in, then again contact me by email, message or social media. https://www.instagram.com/

2021 we are ready, we have got this and remember better days are ahead!

( I had written this before the announcement last night of a 3rd lockdown in the UK, but hey we’ve done it before we can get through it again!)

Love

Angie xx

Lockdown Self Care – 28 Day Challenge!

November 5, 2020

Hey guys!!

So here we are in the UK at the start of lock down number two. It certainly feels different this time compared to the last and I’ve found myself asking why?

First of all – the weather is certainly different! Sunshine is a natural mood enhancer and I think in the first lockdown we where blessed with amazing weather. Plus we were more tempted to get out and about in the fresh air. This time its dark, wet and lets be honest pretty miserable. However i feel like its making it feel more like hibernation – it feels like the perfect time to nourish and nurture ourselves.

With most of the world going into self-isolation to protect themselves against Covid-19, it is more important than ever to really work on yourself and your mental health. And to do what works for you! 2020 has definitely given me the time for soul searching. Allowing me to really look at what and who I have in my life and focus on all the things that make me feel good and allow me to be ME!

Lets introduce self care! Up until 4 years ago when I stopped drinking – I didn’t know what self care was. Well, I thought I did – I thought self care was downing a bottle of wine on the settee, stuffing my face with chocolate and crisps whilst I half remember a film I’m watching as the wine has got to work on my slumped energy levels and blacked out memory.

Fast forward to 48 months later (on the 21st i will be 4 years sober – whoop whoop!!!) and I pretty much feel like a pro when it comes to self care.

Self care can be so many things. It can be anything from a long hot bath to saying no to a friend who is draining your energy. It comes in so many different forms and there are so many ways in which you can look after YOU.

If any of you follow me on Insta or are a member of my Tropic Skincare VIP group then you will have probably seen the following video. This is a live I did yesterday, explaining all about my selfcare challenge that I am doing for the next 28 days. So if you are looking for a little inspiration, or just wanting to find your way back to YOU then please join me!

I will be posting on Instagram daily and I will be posting on here more often too! Lets share what we do and inspire people to do the same, and start looking after yourself. It just feels like the PERFECT TIME!

If you are on a sober journey, especially in the early days – this will give you a focus away from the wine witch and I guarantee you will be feeling amazing by the end of the 28 days!

If you would like to make a start by trying out a new skincare routine for 28 days – these products are a fab place to start!! Please contact me if you would like further info. They come in three combinations for different skin concerns.

Lets fill these next 28 days with selfcare, self love and lets come out of this feeling strong, sober, refreshed and recharged.

Please find me in insta https://www.instagram.com/soberglowgetter/ or my VIP Facebook group @ Tropic with Angie

We have got this – we have survived it once we can survive it again!

Love Angie xx

Sober Lockdown Lowdown…………

June 13, 2020

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How is lockdown life treating you?

Can you believe we are now entering our 13th week of lockdown – I know rules have been relaxed ‘slightly’ but we are still living in a totally different world than the beginning of the year!

I am not going to lie – some times have been so hard!  And the reason for me not blogging as often as I wanted too was because I have put off thinking about anything in any depth!  My life has been in a little bubble of juggling  the girls at home, being mega busy with Tropic, redecorating the house (well my husband has but its still something extra to deal with!) and just trying to maintain my exercise regime and control my chocolate intake.  I am sure this list is just like the list from so many other people – we are all in this together, each with our own set of problems that lockdown brings.

I mentioned in a past post A letter to my readers…………. that one of my main stresses and triggers is not knowing what is happening and plans being changed.  2020 was going to be such an amazing year – I had so much planned.  I had done a mood board in December last year, full of all my hopes, goals and  dreams for the year ahead.  It was the first time I had ever done a mood board and I felt pretty proud of it,  its got pride of place in my office just next to my desk where I can look at it all the time and remind myself of what I want to achieve this year.

Well as the lockdown days turned into weeks, I can not tell you how much I have wanted to throw this mood board out of the window!  It has caused me so much stress, showing me all of my plans and dreams that have had to be cancelled for this year.

Like so many people I have spoken to lockdown has created a roller-coaster of emotions, and I have been exactly the same.  Some days feeling so positive that I have done so much, and other days not even getting out of my pj’s and being amazed that I’ve manged to just feed the kids.  Apart from my girls being my reason for everything, the other two things that have got me through those days have been my job – everything about Tropic is positive plus some sort of exercise, even just walking the dog.  But paramount in all of this is that even at my lowest point I didn’t pick up a drink!  Believe me some days I would have happily escaped how I felt with a bottle or two of Pinot.

It was around the 21st May – my sober milestone of  three and a half years sober, that my mindset began to change.   I took a step back and started to look at the positives, the main one being I had got through all of this SOBER.  The positivity I got from my Insta page was just unbelievable, plus I am in a Facebook group called The Alcohol Experiment – I think I got over 600 likes and a hundred  of comments –  It was seriously a gamechanger for me.  My mindset changed over night – I had a really good chat with myself, I needed to get a grip, I was inspiring other people.  People were looking at me and watching – I needed to be strong for them.  You guys – my followers, ,my sober warriors, I needed to be strong for you !

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I now accept that things are far from ideal, and we are a long way from ‘normal’ life and seeing our loved ones with no restrictions.  Yes we have had to cancel or postpone a lot of things we had planned but these things will happen and we will cherish them even more.

So when I look at my mood board now, I am slowly starting to love it again.  Mood boards ideally should cover 5 areas of your life, Career, Home, Relationship, Travel and Wellbeing/growth.  They help you find your direction and set your goals.  The idea is that you look at your board regularly and those things should manifest in your life – it’s the perfect example of the power of positivity.

And now that I can bring myself to look at my board again without wanting to smash it into a million pieces I can see that I HAVE achieved some of the things on there without even thinking about it.

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Career – I wanted to grow my little business and become a Manager – I have now got a team of 11, my business has doubled in size and I have definitely smashed working from home! my mood board has a photo of Alan Sugar and Susie Ma, who I was meant to meet in March as I was promoted to manager but will no doubt now meet next year.

 

Home –  I wanted to make my home more cosy, redecorate, and just focus on enjoying time at home and making it a safe place, somewhere that my girls want to be as they grow up.  Well that has certainly come true in lockdown – My picture on my board was fairy lights and people snuggled by the fire with hot chocolate whoch has been a very regular lockdown scene!

Relationship – My plan was to make more time for US, more date nights and time on our own.  That hasn’t happened at all, more like the opposite but we HAVE supported each other through this and the different challenges we have faced. My husband is my rock which I have always known, but this past few months have really highlighted and reminded me, we are a real team, best friends.  Plus he’s amazing at decorating -ha!

Travel – We have had holidays rebooked, cancelled, rebooked! And I really miss holidays.  But we do have a huge list of what we want to do and where we want to go when all of this is over, and I feel like holidays will feel extra special.

Wellbeing/Growth – The sober me LOVES challenges and pushing myself out of my comfort zone ( read my past post You Didnt Come This Far To Only Come This Far!)and I had planned a sky dive at 45 for my 45th Birthday (still time to do that!) My picture showed two skydivers with the quote “Take Every Risk Drop Every Fear”

Being a Bodypump Instructor and as you know I love my weights, I also had a picture that said “Lifting weights doesn’t make people huge, cup cakes make people huge!” And after a couple of months of more chocolate and cake and less weights – yes that’s true!

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So guys all is not lost, giving up is not an option.  2020 can still be a good year.

If this is you right now and you are struggling, please just take a step back and see how far you have come.  You owe it to yourself not to give up.  And if you are In the early days of sobriety you are a sober Rockstar and I salute you – remember we didn’t come this far to only come this far.  Lockdown has taken so much away from us – don’t let it take your positivity, pride and sobriety.

If you have never made a mood board – try it!  Such a positive thing to do and it gives you something to focus on if nothing else.  Think of what you want to fit into this next six months of 2020!

How have you survived lockdown, any tips or advice – please let me know in comments

Find me on Instagram @soberglowgetter for all things sober!

Love Angie xx