Tag: soberversary

Six Lessons From Six Years Of Sobriety

November 21, 2022

Today I celebrate SIX YEARS SOBER! The old me did not know that this would ever be possible, I couldn’t go six days never mind six years!

I have learnt so many things along the way and I am still learning. My sober life and the sober me is work in progress, and things are always changing. However, some lessons I have learnt will stick with me forever, these lessons have changed my life and who I am as a person, they are now a part of me and what I truly believe in and they have helped me get to where I am today.

ONE – Getting Sober Is a Choice You Make Everyday

Remind yourself that YOU are choosing sobriety every day and feel grateful for that. Unfortunately, we don’t come with a sobriety switch that we flick on and that means we never think about drinking again. Alcohol is all around us, we are a minority and yes at times that’s super tough – but remember it’s your choice to be sober, to be the best version of you and to not have alcohol in your life. Be proud that every day you make that choice. At six years sober I have to be honest and say I don’t feel triggered to drink very often but there are still times and situations that I do and finding that strength to stay true to your sobriety no matter what is so empowering, and something you should feel very proud of!

TWO – Spend More Time Loving The New You Than Hating The Old

If you are reading this you probably have a lot of drinking regrets, I know I do. I’ve got so many memories that make me cringe inside, STILL! But don’t focus on that, work on the new you and have peace knowing that person is no longer who you are. What you will also find is that people love reminding you of the “old you” and the things you did in a drunken state, we;ve all got those friends that remembered everything you did drunk and couldn’t wait to tell you all about it the morning after. You will probably find those so-called friends won’t be your sober cheerleaders and you will get more distant with them as time moves on (more on this later!)

Just remember that drinking regrets are normal, but the more you focus on making that change and building a new you then the less you will think about them. Some people feel like they want to make official apologies, which is fine if that works for you – but I believe in actions speaking louder than words and you can build any bridges if the friendship is something you care about, just by changing your behaviour and showing that person you care. So, choose to redeem yourself, choose to make those changes and choose to create a new you with strong meaningful relationships that the drinking you will not ruin!

THREE – Embrace Your Addictive Personality

Taking away the alcohol doesn’t change the fact that we have an addictive personality! Now if this is harnessed the right way it can become life changing! We are all or nothing personalities, we don’t sit on the fence or go into something half-hearted. So go ALL IN on this sober life, this new you – chase that dream life at 100mph! That will look different for all of you but just make sure that each day you are working towards those dreams – “I didn’t get sober to sit on the couch” is one of my all-time favourite sayings and my life is proof of that- Sobriety has been life changing for me because I decided to go all in!

( I’m also addicted to coffee, shopping, exercise and chocolate too!!!!!)

FOUR -Learn How To Sit With Your Feelings

Just because you are sober doesn’t mean you are jumping on pink clouds every day! Life throws tough times and challenges at us regularly and now we don’t have alcohol to get us through those feelings then we have to sit with them and experience them sober. This can be tough, especially in the early days, that urge to grab a bottle and drown out life can be so loud and it’s learning other coping mechanisms that get us through those times, and that won’t happen overnight.

The main thing to remember is that any feeling will pass, from a feeling of rage to a feeling of total excitement and all of the feelings in-between – it will eventually die down. The feeling of needing alcohol to deal with those feelings is exactly the same and it’s all about finding something else to replace that. For me self-care has been a massive part of my sobriety, and now I will take myself off for a pamper if I’m feeling anxious or stressed and just focus on me, calming myself down and using that time out to put things into perspective and switch my focus. Others may do other things like getting outside, watching a film, calling a friend, making a meal, doing a little online shopping, cleaning up or decluttering, reading a book – so many different coping mechanisms and it’s all about finding the one that works for you. When all else fails just remember that you just need to get through it a minute at a time, an hour at a time and a day at a time. Those FEELINGS WILL pass and your sobriety will have stayed intact – that’s where your sober strength lies.

FIVE – Be Prepared To Find Your True Friends

You are changing who you are as a person so you will probably find that your circle of friends and what you value in a friend will change too. After six years sober I have got a lovely mixture of old friends and new. You will find you become a lot more choosey with who you are friends with and who you give your time too, I found I moved away from drama – I had enough to focus on with myself so I didn’t need any extra drama added to it. What I have also found is that true friends will be your friends no matter what, through thick and thin, through you drinking and being sober. I’ve also created a lot of new friendships, online and in person, through my work and my soberglow page – lots of positive and inspiring women who I really am surrounded with every day. I feel blessed to have old and new friends in my life who love me for me – who love the real me not the fake drinking me, that feels like a true friendship and I am very lucky to have that.

SIX – Sobriety Is A Superpower

Yes, I know this sounds dramatic but its soooooooo TRUE!!! Getting sober was something I never believed I could do – EVER! I thought it was what other people did, that rare breed of people that could live life 100% themselves without the need of alcohol because they loved themselves enough to be sober. Knowing that I am now that person is like having a secret superpower – I can achieve anything I want to achieve – if I can get sober I can do anything and having that fire, excitement and believe in yourself will ultimately change your life in so many ways. It’s life changing!

Be prepared to put down the glass and pick up your dream life because that is what happens. You are saying yes to so much more, you start living your dreams and becoming THAT person – THAT girl – who you always wanted to be. And isn’t life too short for anything else!

If you are on day one, day 100 or day 1000 – I hope these lessons have helped inspire you to continue or are ones that you can relate to. I have learnt so much in the past 6 years these are just the main ones, but each day I am grateful in some way for my sobriety and what it teaches me.

This weekend I have been in London with my little family, and what a perfect time to love my sober life! The old me would have spent it sat in bars from lunch time and planning the whole weekend around hangovers and long boozy meals, but instead I was flying around at 100mph and seeing the sights, soaking up the festive shops and being 100% present for my girls. Being the best Mum I can be has always been my ultimate reason why and always will be – it’s above all of the lessons I have learnt, and it’s the core of me now – to show my girls how full a life without alcohol can really be!

What lessons have you learnt in your sobriety or how has it changed your life or you as a person? Let me know in comments

Don’t forget to find me on insta https://www.instagram.com/soberglowgetter for daily inspo and I’m also hoping to be updating this blog more regularly so please make sure you are signed up for notifications!

Big Love

Angie @soberglowgetter

5 YEARS SOBER!!!

November 22, 2021

I feel like I owe all of you lovely followers an apology! I have been so busy with lots of different things and my little Blog has been the one thing that has suffered. But I am now back, planning to do weekly updates and start sharing my sober life again on here to help, support and inspire you guys.

Yesterday I celebrated my FIVE YEAR SOBERVERSARY and it still doesn’t feel real. Five years ago yesterday I woke up hungover and hating myself for the very LAST time . I decided I was sick of my own broken promises to control or quit drinking, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and I was DESPERATE to stop the ride and get off. I HAD TO CHANGE.

5 years later and I honestly had no idea that just removing alcohol from my life would have changed it this much!! My health, my career, my energy levels, my mindset, my fitness, my confidence and my outlook on life. EVERYTHING has changed, and it’s just getting better and better – I can not wait to see what the next 5 years brings and the next and the next.

And thankyou to YOU guys – I am so grateful your support and friendships 💕

If you are following me and want to start your own sober journey – just do it, just start, don’t wait- saying no to that one drink can be the start of a journey that could change your life. Reach out and let me help, you can do this – I totally believe in you.

Yesterday was perfect – I went to Manchester markets with my husband and girls, then we had tea in the Ivy and home for Adele and I’m a Celeb – it was just the perfect day.

I have had so many messages and comments through my social media – its made me so emotional today. The fact that my story is inspiring people is just unbelievable to me, one lady even wanted to print off my post and put it on her wall, possibly the best compliment ever!

If my story can help one person live a sober life and live a life they love then I really can not ask for more than that.

Going forward I want to share so much more to help people, and although life is 100mph right now I will make sure I find the time. In January I will be setting up a Sober Glow Getters what’s app group – where we can support one another and meet up on a monthly zoom. I think feeling alone is a huge reason why people cant stay on track and just by seeing that there are others our there on this journey can be a huge help.

So please keep a look out for me as I’m hopefully posting much more in the future .

I hope you all have an amazing sober week – heading towards the festive season feeling sober and strong.

Find me in insta at https://www.instagram.com/soberglowgetter/ for my daily updates and posts!

Big love to you all – and thankyou for being a part of this sober journey with me! –

love Angie xx

3 Years Sober – what I have learnt and what happens next!?!

November 21, 2019

The 21st November 2016 was the first day of my new sober life!

That was THREE years ago – three years of sobriety – three years of finding the sober me – the real me – three years of transforming myself and my life!  My day one seems a long, long time ago now, so much has happened in that time and its been a crazy whirlwind of ups and downs but these are some of the reasons why its the best thing I have EVER done!

  1. No Hangovers – not one single hangover – 3 years of waking up hangover free! AMEN to that!!
  2. Being present and totally there for my two girls Jess and Sally – my world
  3. No memory loss or blackouts at the end of the night.
  4. No planning my weekends and social life around alcohol.
  5. Going out and remembering the whole night, the food, the chats and most importantly the laughs.
  6. Realising that I am actually a really loud, clumsy person who probably looks drunk most of the time when I am out.
  7. Discovering that hot chocolate is up there with expensive therapy sessions – it actually makes you feel better and certainly got me through the early days.
  8. Going out when I want to go out with whom I want to go out with.  Not saying no to nights out because the people may not be boozy enough and NOT spending nights out with people just because they are boozy.
  9. Looking at my circle of friends now and realising that yes it has gone smaller but  stronger and my friends love me for me, drinking or not.
  10. Realising that I can actually be the sort of person that does crazy challenges like Tough Mudder !
  11. Sticking to a real exercise regime, being consistent.  Feeling proud watching my body grow strong, changing shape and my muscles getting bigger (this is a very slow process but I am not giving up!)
  12. To know my body, to be able to listen to what it needs – food, rest, fresh air, self care – not just drowning it out with wine.
  13. The money!! Just think how much money I have saved – seriously!
  14. To buy myself nice things and not feel guilty,  “well I’m not drinking!”
  15. Not having to get a taxi – anywhere!
  16. Being a taxi for friends and family and making sure they get home safe.
  17. No more thinking up excuses to go to the shop  for more wine.
  18. Not having to spend time devising a drinking plan that you know you will not stick to anyway.
  19. No more anxiety – or hanxiety – the dreaded feeling you get with a hangover where you worry about everything and your stress levels go through the roof.  (I used to always think I was going to pass out in the car or in the street and the kids would get kidnapped- yes it was that irrational!)
  20. Being able to drive anywhere and take the kids to anything they want to go to and not being annoyed that its an alcohol free event or that I cant drink because I am driving.
  21. No fixing my Drinkaware app figures and googling – am I an alcoholic or drink related illnesses.
  22. STILL loving the look on someone’s face when I say I don’t drink
  23. To accept and feel every part of the high’s and the low’s.  Everything I feel is real and true emotion, when it’s good its good and yes when its bad its bad –  but its all real.
  24. To get really excited,  like a child’s level of excitement for holidays and Christmas!
  25. To experience a totally sober holiday – these really are the best! (plus drunk people watching never gets old!)
  26. No waking up to a hazy memory of arguing or angry texting and you cant remember why?
  27. No beer belly or beer bloat!
  28. No missing the end of movies because you’ve crashed on the couch.
  29. No long deep meaningful conversations that you cant remember anything about.
  30. No awkwardness when you know you are repeating yourself again for the third time – that look on peoples face – awkward!?
  31. Having the energy to want to exercise everyday because you know it will give you a natural high.
  32. Knowing that not only your mind but your body is strong because of the healthy decisions you are making every day
  33. To sadly realise that you are a rubbish dancer dance drunk or sober but you don’t actually care because you just love dancing!
  34. No more morning after red wine breath, or the kids pointing it out to you.
  35. Realising that I LOVE meeting and speaking to new people.
  36. Learning to walk away from negativity and toxic people and situations.
  37. Finding my voice and being strong enough to say no.
  38. Having an inner confidence to stand my ground and not let people walk all over me.
  39. Washing my make up off EVERY night and enjoying self care and pamper time – (Tropic Skincare plays a huge part in this too!)
  40. Realising that there is such a thing as the sober glow, your skin, your eyes, everything – sober people just have it!
  41. Early morning runs.
  42. No starving myself all day to drink wine at night and then having a total pig out by 9pm.
  43. Being real – no falseness just 100% me!
  44. No stuffing myself with unhealthy food and carbs all weekend to try and feel half human.
  45. No mood swings (well I am 44 they may be creeping back slowly – ask my hubbie!)
  46. Having more patience.  As a mum, we need bucket loads and although I’m no saint I am 100% better than before.
  47. Realising that although I have never been a dog mum when I was drinking I know for a fact I am a better dog mum sober! I would have hated the walks, the poo, the general mess and stress of a dog. Plus imagine being all snuggled on the settee at night with my Bruno and having to get up every half hour for another drink – he would hate me!
  48. Realising that there is so much more to life than a clean house.  A clean house doesn’t make up for a messed up person or life.  My house is the messiest it has EVER been and I don’t actually care, I’m too busy living to clean up!
  49. Having a job that gets you from Monday to Friday but drains you of life, is not how it should be! Do a job you love and you will never work a day in your life – TRUE STORY!
  50. Coffee and drinking it guilt free! I used to avoid coffee due to its high caffeine but quite happily down two bottles of wine?! Now I admit I am addicted to coffee and enjoy every cup, plus never underestimate the power of a double espresso on a night out – Party time!!
  51. Finally after years of  weighing myself every day that, being fit, healthy and strong isn’t a number on scale its a feeling.
  52. At 44 years of age being able to look in the mirror and feel proud of how I look and who I am – no guilt or regret.
  53. Knowing that I am giving my body a fighting chance as it gets older to combat illness.
  54. Food glorious food! – I am a total foodie now, I love it ALL and its sooooo nice to have a dessert at the end of the night instead of another large glass of red.
  55. I have found my tribe – my sober tribe – through social media and day to day life, I have found people who get it and get me.
  56. Accepting that not everyone has to like you but also accepting that I don’t have to water myself down for those who don’t.
  57. Waking up early – naturally! The minute my eyes open, that’s it I’m wide awake – early Saturday and Sunday mornings whilst the world still sleeps are the best.
  58. Setting up my blog and Instagram page on my own.
  59. Not giving up on things as soon as they become difficult.  Skiing being one, (think of Bridget Jones -that’s me!) My Bodypump and ETM qualifications- all assessments that I have failed initially but got up and tried again and eventually got there.
  60. Realising how strong I am because I don’t give up!
  61. Being brave enough to set challenges and do things that really scare me but doing it anyway.
  62. Safe In the knowledge that I am showing my girls a way of life that doesn’t revolve around alcohol and that you can live a full, sociable, exciting life without it!
  63. Enjoying my own company and not feeling like I have to go to everything I am invited to, I actually enjoy being in on my own.
  64. Thinking I can do anything I put my mind to and not doubting myself.
  65. Feeling proud of not drinking and no longer feeling like I have to explain why. THIS IS ME!

The list goes on and I’m sure it will be even longer in the next three years!  It sounds drastic but stopping drinking has seriously changed my life because it has changed me.  It has made me push myself to change what I was unhappy with instead of drowning out my frustrations and unhappiness with alcohol and pretending to be happy.

I know I have neglected my blog recently and it really is because I have had so much  going on in my life that I just haven’t had the time.  But I promise from now on I will be finding time to post regularly.  You, my readers and followers have got me to where I am today and I am so grateful for that.

What happens next? over the next few weeks I will revisit the early days posts and how to survive a sober Christmas so please watch this space!

With regard to my journey I am now a fully qualified Bodypump Instructor and a Tropic Skincare Ambassador so both jobs are keeping me super busy and I love them both.  When I think that this time last year I was stood ironing peoples clothes for a living and  had been doing it for seven years, it actually makes me feel sad.  My life now is thriving – I am no longer just surviving the days and counting down to wine o’clock.  I am actually living and loving every sober second of my life!

To everyone reading this thankyou for being a part of this amazing journey as I hope I am a part of yours.

Love

Angie xx