So many of us use alcohol to numb ourselves, we get overwhelmed, we're angry, sad, fearful, guilty or frustrated and a G and T makes all of these feelings so much better - doesn't it? Well, maybe not and what can we do instead? Listen in to find out.

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Hello, darling heart, and welcome to the drink less, live better podcast. This is the podcast that helps you to see that drinking

less doesn't need to be stressful, lonely or boring. I'm your host Sarah Williamson and I decided to have a year alcohol free

as a little life experiment and haven't looked back. With my experience and training I now help other women with their alcohol

free or drink less adventures. I'm here to tell you that you can relax, connect and have fun without alcohol in your life.

Join me here each week to find out how. I've heard it said before that one of the best things about being alcohol free is

the realisation that you can really feel your feelings, but that the opposite is also true. One of the worst things about

being alcohol free is feeling your feelings. One of the first things I noticed when I decided to try my alcohol free life

experiment was how much more steady I felt. There was no longer any low level brain fog or creeping anxiety, no more rising

panic or that feeling of unease. My mood was certainly helped by the fact that I was suddenly sleeping much more soundly and

for longer due to the fact my body wasn't having to process all the toxins in the alcohol. It took a while to get used to

the feelings of tiredness at the end of each day. Towards the end of the week, well, Wednesday really, I would look forward

to a drink in the evening as a way of coping with being tired. I realize now that a drink did nothing to help with that feeling

and indeed only exacerbated it. I had to look for other tools to help with that tiredness. I chose to make time for going

for a brief evening walk, having a bath, sitting down with a book, or listening to a podcast. The feelings that occur in most

of our lives like sadness, fear, anger, guilt, shame, frustration and overwhelm all needed slightly different tools to handle

them, but one idea that I began to use regularly was taking the time to recognise the feelings and acknowledge them. Previously

I'd been quick to pour a g and t to help to escape the feeling of overwhelm or a glass of wine when somebody had annoyed me.

I felt guilty about whether I had the balance right between work, family, and the rest of my life. I reconsidered how I could

change things. I was sad about some health issues within my family, and addressing this grief was never made better with the

addition of alcohol. Going alcohol free has given me the chance to really think about how I want to feel in various situations

in my life, and the knock on effect has been a really positive impact on my behaviour. The inside of my head is a much nicer

place to be. I no longer have huge internal arguments with myself about whether I can have a drink tonight, how many I can

have, what time I can start, or whether a white wine spritzer counts as a soft drink. My internal dialogue more often sounds

like a kind friend rather than a critical old cow. I'm more kind and forgiving both towards myself and other people. I find

it easier to let go of the negative emotions, to forget about them and move on, or make a decision to think more deeply about

them. Where did they come from and why? What can I learn here? I don't punish myself for past mistakes drinking me made. I'm

honest with myself and I acknowledge and accept the feelings that come, and I know I'm better placed to process them without

alcohol than I ever was with half a bottle of Pinot Grigio inside me. Now all this feelings business has perhaps sounded like

a full time job, which, of course, it isn't. It's just the stuff that life is made of. But I cannot pass up the opportunity

to tell you how much I do not miss a hangover. Dear God, my hangovers got worse and worse through my thirties. Waking up to

that feeling of impending doom, hot, cold, sweaty, ready to puke, room spinning, no thanks, those feelings I'm delighted to

have said ciao to. Thank you so much for listening in to this episode. Please listen in again next time. You can sign up to

my 5 day drink less experiment and find out about working with me one to 1 at drink less live better dot com. It would make

me happier than a Buddhist monk if you would please subscribe, 5 star review, and comment on my podcast on whatever platform

you listen. Imagine it like the tasting notes on the finest wine I am never going to drink. Thank you, and, p s, I believe in you.