The Not Drinking Alcohol Today Podcast
Meg and Bella discuss the ups and downs of navigating an alcohol free life in Australia's alcohol centric culture. This highly rated podcast, featuring in Australia's top 100 self improvement podcasts, is a must for those that are trying to drink less alcohol but need some motivation, are curious about sober life or who are sober but are looking for some extra reinforcement. The Not Drinking Alcohol Today pod provides an invaluable resource to keep you motivated and on track today and beyond. Meg and Bella's guests include neuroscientists, quit-lit authors, journalists, health experts, alcohol coaches and everyday people who have struggled with alcohol but have triumphed over it. Our aim is to support and inspire you to reach your goals to drink less or none at all! Meg and Bella are This Naked Mind Certified Coaches (plus nutritionists and counsellors respectively) who live in Sydney and love their alcohol free life.
The Not Drinking Alcohol Today Podcast
Ange Chappel on How to Mind Your Sip and Feel Fabulous This Festive Season
Ange Chappel, the inspiring founder of Mind The Sip, returns to the Not Drinking Alcohol Today podcast to celebrate her incredible milestone of nearly a year alcohol-free. She shares her top tips for enjoying a fabulous festive season without alcohol holding you back. Ange also contributed invaluable insights to Bella’s November Alcohol Freedom Challenge, offering practical strategies to overcome common hurdles like managing cravings, navigating social pressures, and creating meaningful new traditions that honour your choice to drink less or not at all.
Ange highlights how Mind The Sip serves as a powerful resource—not only for those pursuing mindful drinking goals but also for anyone committed to an alcohol-free lifestyle. We delve into the importance of community, exploring how joining groups of like-minded individuals fosters accountability, encouragement, and support. Ange’s wisdom and personal experience shine through, inspiring listeners to take control of their relationship with alcohol.
Follow Ange on social media and download Mind The Sip to connect with her vibrant, alcohol-free, and mindful community, where shared stories and support help build lasting bonds. Together, let’s embrace the transformative power of mindful drinking and uncover the joy, freedom, and connection of an alcohol-free festive season!
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANGE
Mind The Sip: https://mindthesip.com/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/mindthe.sip/
MEG
Megan Webb: https://glassfulfilled.com.au
Instagram: @glassfulfilled
Unwined Bookclub: https://www.alcoholfreedom.com.au/unwinedbookclub
Facebook UpsideAF: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1168716054214678
Small group coaching: https://www.elizaparkinson.com/groupcoaching
BELLA
Web: https://isabellaferguson.com.au
Insta: @alcoholandstresswithisabella
Bi-Yearly 6-Week Small Group Challenges: Learn more: https://www.isabellaferguson.com.au/feb-2025-challenge
Free Do I Have A Drinking Problem 3 x Video Series: https://resources.isabellaferguson.com.au/offers/JTFFgjJL/checkout
Free HOW DO I STOP DRINKING SO MUCH Masterclass: https://resources.isabellaferguson.com.au/offers/7fvkb3FF/checkout
Online Alcohol Self-...
Everybody. I am super thrilled to welcome back to the podcast Anne Chappell, founder of Mind the Sip, an inclusive, mindful drinking app jam-packed full of tools and resources to pull us out of our over-drinking and into well reaching our goals, whatever they are for you into well reaching our goals, whatever they are for you. Today, we're going to talk a bit about this resource, which is timely, because here we are in our Zoom room 41 days out of 42 of the Alcohol Freedom Challenge, which means that a lot of our support structure here is fading a little bit. So it's nice to know that there are other structures out there that we can lean on. So, yes, today we're going to learn a bit about this resource, learn more about you, Ange but also we're going to have a really timely discussion about how to survive the Aussie festive season, because we're right in the thick of it. We're in the thick of happy hour, holidays, long lunches, madness, road rage. It's hectic, it's hectic out there. And a huge welcome, thrilled, you're here.
Speaker 2:Thank you, bella. Thank you so much for inviting me to speak. I'm really happy to be coming back on, and a huge congratulations to all of the challengers. Yes, it is really really exciting. As you're all aware, changing your relationship with alcohol takes time. So my story is I am two weeks shy of one year alcohol free, which is really exciting. However, I didn't start 12 months ago. I started three years ago and that is really truly testament to the fact that it takes time. So I began by slowly reducing my consumption.
Speaker 2:When I was looking at changing my relationship with alcohol, the thought of going completely sober immediately just didn't resonate with me. In fact, I couldn't imagine never having a drink again. It didn't compute at that time. So I wanted to look for a resource that would help me drink mindfully and educate myself along the way. It was really hard to find. I could only find Sova app, so I decided to do it manually. So I would physically write out how much I planned to drink and after the event or a drink at home, I would physically write out how much I actually consumed. I would journal how I was feeling and what situations I felt comfortable in or what situations led me to drink more and over time I then challenged myself to go a weekend without drinking alcohol, go to a wedding, a birthday, a weekend away, an extended holiday, a birthday, a weekend away, an extended holiday and it allowed me smaller stepping stones to get there when I am now. I do not crave alcohol at all, I do not feel like I'm missing out in the slightest and I truly couldn't believe I would be saying that three years ago. I didn't think that was possible. So I want to assure you all, change does take time and there might be some bumps along the way, but they're learnings. And I liken it to a gym membership. You know, I think when we want to change our relationship with exercise or nutrition, we may join a gym. And it's not like we join and then the next day we've got abs of steel and a tight peach. You know, if only. And it's the same with changing your relationship with alcohol. It takes time and it takes work and effort. So Bella has asked me to share some practical strategies to help you navigate that Christmas period alcohol-free.
Speaker 2:I'll be covering five areas managing cravings and triggers, because they will show themselves. Preparing for questions about why you're not drinking. Embracing new traditions. Habit tracking if you are in fact still intending on having a drink and leaning on your support systems. So feel free to jump in with any questions along the way If you feel the need. I will open it up at the end as well, of course, and you can ask me any questions or make any comments that you feel have resonated with you.
Speaker 2:Let's get into it. Managing cravings and triggers. So, yes, it would be unrealistic to think that you're going to leave this challenge or an extended break from alcohol and no longer crave it. So instead of fearing the craving because it can be a bit fearful you think what am I going to do? Oh gosh, I'm worried about that.
Speaker 2:Lean into the cravings, because that is where the true growth lies, and what I mean by that is cravings for alcohol are often a sign that our body is trying to communicate an unmet need. So by understanding the underlying emotions and finding healthier ways to address them, we can break that cycle of reliance. So let me give you some examples. The most common ones stress relief. So when we are stressed, it has been ingrained for so many years that we think I'm stressed, I need a glass of wine, I deserve this. And it's when we're feeling stressed, our body's producing cortisol, so that's a hormone that triggers that fight or flight response. We can really be quite heightened. And alcohol is a depressant, so it can momentarily, you know, reduce those feelings of stress and anxiety. So it does provide a temporary escape. However, we all know that that relief is just short-lived and then it's often followed by increased anxiety and stress once the effects of the alcohol wear off and they wear off quickly. So in that moment your craving for alcohol indicates a need for comfort and relaxation. Consider healthier stress relief methods that don't involve alcohol. It gets easier over time. Now it might be a quick walk around the block with your dog. That might be impractical.
Speaker 2:I used to hate it when people would say if you have a craving, meditate. I mean, you know we've got busy lives, we can't just whack on a guided meditation in the middle of making dinner. But it could be just a podcast in your ears. That's really helped me. It could be chatting with a girlfriend while I'm preparing dinner, something that is going to meet that need that you think alcohol is going to help. Another one is celebration. For me this was a really big trigger.
Speaker 2:Cravings and triggers don't always have to be a negative connotation. It doesn't have to be a stressful day or grief, it can be celebration. So for me, when it was a sunny day, I would think, god, it'll be a great day for an Aperol spritz. And what need are you trying to meet? I think it's that sense of joy. You want to stop for a moment and just relish in that moment. You can still do that and you don't need alcohol to do that. So I'm sure you've all discovered alcohol free alternatives by now.
Speaker 2:Sometimes people find them triggering. I actually really enjoy them. But if you are in that camp even just a kombucha and a nice fancy wine glass with some ice and maybe a garnish stop and feel what emotion it is that is trying to be met. So it can be applied to any emotion winding down boredom. I often used to have a glass of red wine while I was ironing. It's completely unnecessary. You're just bored Again. Replace it with a TV show or something else. It doesn't have to be alcohol Grief. The list goes on. So whenever a craving or a trigger strikes, just take a little moment and it really is right now. For me it is a tiny moment, it's a flicker, it's not not even a thought anymore. It doesn't have to be a big practice. Just go wait what is my body craving and then meet that need, without it being alcohol.
Speaker 2:Okay, preparing for the question why are you not drinking? So this, oh. It can feel so awkward at the beginning and you'll often want to justify the fact you don't have a problem in inverted commas, you know. And the answers can be quite long-winded and convoluted and you start going on and on and you find yourself spiraling. My suggestion is to keep things short and succinct. So the mantra I personally say to myself over and over again to this day I can drink as much as I want, I can I choose not to? And for me that takes away that restriction, you know, it takes away that feeling of, oh, I wish I could have a drink. I can, you can have a drink. You're choosing not to, for health reasons, for personal growth, whatever it may be. You know you're waking up in the middle of the night. You're waking up filled with anxiety. You can have a drink, you are choosing not to.
Speaker 2:And the people that keep pushing the point, they often do so because a mirror is being held up to them and they're thinking gosh well, if she's not drinking. I used to drink the same or more than her. What does that say about me? Is she judging me? And we know that we're not coming from a place of judgment. We are coming from a place of personal growth. I don't care what's in your glass. They shouldn't care what's in yours. Truly, it should be a non-event. So if you do want to have some in your back pocket, that could be. I'm just focusing on my health right now. I've got an early start tomorrow, so no drinks for me. I'm cutting back on alcohol. It just makes me feel better. Just short, succinct. You don't owe them anything, but it is good to practice those and have them in your pocket. Otherwise you will start rambling.
Speaker 2:Embracing new traditions Well, this is a perfect time of year to embrace new traditions without alcohol. You can watch Christmas movies, you can go and see the Christmas lights, you can decorate a gingerbread house. There are so many new traditions that you can enter in that don't involve alcohol. And it's really incredible how we intertwine it. Into Christmas, oh, we're decorating the tree Must have a Bailey's or whatever it. Into Christmas, oh, we're decorating the tree Must have a Bailey's, or whatever it may be. You know we are marking the 1st of December, let's pop a bubble of champagne, create some new traditions. This year we have started making hot chocolates with all the trimmings you know whipped cream on top and marshmallows and sprinkles, and it brings joy. It doesn't bring hangovers, it brings joy, and I think that can also be applied outside of Christmas. So, look, it could be a book club.
Speaker 2:My book club was particularly boozy, I think it was less about the book and more about the booze. But you could create a book club or, you know, just a little group with your friends, a games night. So this weekend it was my birthday and I went out to my in-laws house. It was beautiful. We had dinner. They are big drinkers. Again, I don't care what's in their glass. They shouldn't care what's in mine, but what I did do is take out a board game. I was there with my teenagers, my husband and my in-laws, and we ended the night with a board game and it was so much fun and it was interesting. I was watching them consuming a lot of red wine actually, as the game progressed and they were having real fun with it and I thought, wow, that was me, but for me I would consume at that pace and have a lot of fun until I didn't, and then I would be taking the game very seriously. So it was really refreshing to be able to really enjoy my birthday Again, a celebration that we think we need alcohol for that we really don't and replace it with some nice new traditions, and the board game was perfect.
Speaker 2:Look, perhaps it's a walking group you want to join or a swimming club. The options are endless really. Maybe take up midweek golf or tennis. New traditions can be started immediately. You know it doesn't have to be a great expense and certainly the more you add in things that don't involve alcohol, you really question why you got yourself into such a habit loop of including alcohol as the center point of every single catch up, right Habit tracking. So if you are intending on having a drink, I want to stipulate that moderation for many is a slippery slope for excess and having zero just often just stops that mental gymnastics. So if you're in that camp, awesome.
Speaker 2:But if, like me, you want to have a drink occasionally, as I used to, I am here to say I did successfully moderate. I don't like the word moderate, it was really just drinking mindfully. I don't like the drinking moderation. You know it's a hard one really, because what is moderation for one person might be very different to another. But drinking mindfully is quite different.
Speaker 2:I could happily go to an event and have one glass of bubbles and that's it and come home and have a cup of tea. I didn't start from that place. I did end in that place for an entire year before this year, when I was alcohol-free. I would have a glass of bubbles in a vent or none. I was firmly in the take it or leave it camp. But again, that lovely mantra of I can drink as much as I like, I'm choosing not to, so I would stop at one. But over time I really just thought it's adding zero value. I have done so much learning and growth, I don't need it. What am I having this one glass of bubbles for? I really don't need it. And so it's nearly been one year.
Speaker 2:So if you do want to have a drink, it's not the end of the world. For some it will be and you will work that out quickly. Okay. But if you are thinking, can I never have a drink again, you are the only one that is going to know the answer to that when you start seeing how you feel and react and remember you can change. So let's chat habit tracking. If you are going to have a drink, habit tracking is a powerful tool that can support you in maintaining this new lifestyle. Okay, so you can do this inside the app.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure if you will have the Mind the Sip app, but if you are wanting to drink, you do need to have a tool that's going to keep you accountable so you can plan out how many drinks you are going to have. It's really important that you don't wing it, because we've winged it before and the night's gone pear-shaped so you are intending to have one drink. Put that planned drink into your drinks calculator. It's quite eye-opening. When I started on this journey and I would put in my four drinks, thinking I was having two margaritas and two glasses of red wine, so I was having four drinks it was 9.2 standard drinks. Now the weekly recommendation, the weekly guideline in Australia, is 10 standard drinks a week. So I was having a weekly amount in one night and I wasn't just drinking for one night. Of course, friday, Saturday, sunday, I was really good. I didn't drink midweek, but there I was having three times the recommended guidelines in a weekend.
Speaker 2:So if you are intending to drink, you need to have it track. Put your drinks into the standard drinks calculator so that you are truly accountable as to how much you are actually consuming, because you can say you're having one and it's really closer to two. So just be really mindful of that. Set your drink intentions and then track your drinking so you really can see how much you are using sorry, you are drinking, consuming. You can also use the journal entries. Now I suggest if you are having a drink, you might want to journal really quickly one sentence, how you're feeling before that drink and how you're feeling after. It already sounds like quite a lot of work really.
Speaker 2:It's probably easier just to have zero, but if you are wanting to have a drink, it is important for you to actually be able to reflect back on how you were feeling before that moment, what you thought it was going to give you, what you thought it was going to add to that social situation and how you felt after. And then review and adjust regularly, checking your progress, being honest with yourself, and you will notice patterns. And if you notice patterns or areas where you're slipping, adjust your plan accordingly. It just prevents you from reverting to old habits. So the last area is leaning on your support systems and, fortunately for you, you have this beautiful group to rely on. So these are the people that you can share your wins or wobbles with.
Speaker 2:For others it may be a private community Again, we have one inside the Mind the Sip app for our premium members or perhaps it's just a friend or a significant other. Whomever it is, it's really important you have someone non-judgmental that you can share with. This sounds really obvious, but sometimes it's not. You may confide in a friend and say, oh, I thought I could have a drink, I plan to have a drink, but I'm finding it's creeping up. I thought I could have a drink, I planned to have a drink, but I'm finding it's creeping up. And if they're not a supportive person, they may come off as yeah, I knew it wouldn't work. I knew that wouldn't work for you. Yeah, you just wasted all that time, you haven't. So it's really important to find somebody that is genuinely supportive and, luckily for you, you have this beautiful group. You'll all be in the same boat. Luckily for you, you have this beautiful group. You'll all be in the same boat.
Speaker 2:And I guess the biggest thing I'm going to circle back to is that it takes time. So breaking these habits that are so ingrained and collectively we have decades and decades of this ingrained habit it's going to take time. So I'll leave you with an analogy that I find so helpful in this area, and it's a nice light analogy and you will think of it every day. So if you slipped up and didn't brush your teeth one day, you wouldn't say to yourself bugger it, I'm just not going to brush my teeth this week or month, I'll start brushing them later this week or next month. You would brush them again the very next day.
Speaker 2:The same thing should apply to alcohol. If you do slip up, don't let it derail your progress. Get straight back to work the very next day. So treating yourself with that understanding and kindness really is key to a life with less alcohol. You have absolutely got this. It is a long process and it's an exciting one, because a life with less alcohol truly is amazing. The time that you get back the true connections that you feel when you are catching up with people, they're invaluable and you will absolutely get to a point, I guarantee, where you just simply don't miss alcohol. It adds zero value and you're content just the way you are. That brings me to the end of my formalities, so I'd love to open up the floor with any questions or comments that you may have.
Speaker 1:And thank you. We're just such a lovely motivating chat. It's always helpful just to hear another voice reinforcing the alcohol-free benefits. I'm sure the group may be sick of my voice at the moment. I've been there every day, just you know. This is why it's great keep going, keep going. But it's always lovely to hear somebody else in their own journey and experience as well.
Speaker 1:So much there came up for me. Um, you know, in terms of what are our favorite ways of saying I'm not drinking today, my faith is I don't have time for that today, sorry, uh, I get you and just throw it straight back. Sorry, no time for that. What can I get you? Um, new traditions, fabulous. Um, new traditions for me. We're doing christmas, an activity so literally going down to the Balmain Bowls Club and doing barefoot bowls, which I think is $10 a person. We're doing Kris Kringle, so I think I'm going to get away with Christmas this year being max, you know, $50. And just finally, before I hand it over to questions, you just reminded me when the kids were little. You know my tradition less so my husband was to wrap the presents, do the cards with wine and just totally get through those long hours. You know, quite drunk. Yeah, thank God those days are over.
Speaker 2:Thank God, and then a very early start the next day, yeah, very very early, start the next day.
Speaker 1:Did anybody here have a question or two for Ange and the Mind, the Sip?
Speaker 3:app. Hi, hi, I don't, I don't have a question, and but I just wanted to comment that there were two things that really jumped out at me that I love. I love the teeth analogy. That's really, that's really powerful.
Speaker 2:I really like that one too. It's really light, but that's why I said you'll think of it every day. Because you'll brush your teeth every day and think I'm brushing my teeth every day. I'm not going to drink today.
Speaker 3:Yeah right, You've taken it even a step further for me, which I really like, and I also wanted to say thank you very much for pointing out that it takes time. This is my second challenge and there's been bumps in the road, but each time I try, I learn more and I'm more determined to work towards, you know, a different path for me, so it's really great to hear that from someone who's done it, because I think we are too willing to beat ourselves up when we do have a slip up, as opposed to celebrate when we don't. So I just wanted to say thank you for that.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that, thank you, I know. And I find there is and there is bumps in the road. I lost my mother just only two months ago and obviously I'm going through extreme grief right now and I'm feeling it all and I'm actually really grateful for that. I am feeling it all. I do wobble sometimes, but it doesn't even cross my mind that alcohol is going to add any value to that. So, talking about new traditions and this is quite a personal share but literally on my mother's deathbed, maybe 12 hours before she passed, she had a carer come and they bathed her and she said to me oh, I had my hands in these bowls of water and I was circling them in this water and it felt lovely. And she said I can't wait to float weightless in the ocean. And you know, it saddened me because I thought, oh, but you're not going to be doing that. But what she was saying was she can't wait for that feeling of freedom, no more pain in her body. And it was a gift because now I have started a new tradition.
Speaker 2:I'm not particularly a swimmer, but I am now swimming and every day I go to. Well, every day that I go to. I try to get there as much as possible but when I do I go to an outdoor ocean pool and I do my laps and I just feel so connected to her and I probably look like a bit of a weirdo but at the very end I float on my back weight lifts in the ocean as a bit of a tribute to my mom and I feel it all. I feel emotional speaking about it now, but I feel like it's such a gift that we don't have alcohol dulling everything and the same with celebrations, why we go in so fancy and dressed up beautifully and we've organized a cake and lovely food and decorations and music and then go on this slow decline over the night, why it holds such power when it really shouldn't. And when you release that power you start to enjoy all the things that you were looking forward to enjoying before. Alcohol sort of smashed it all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well said, absolutely well said. And I see a question here. I just want to say and thank you so much for just talking about your mum and grief, because drinking through grief is massive, those big T traumas that can blindside us, massive obstacle to slip ups, it's a massive an escalation with drinking. So, um, just, yeah, thank you for touching on that with this group. Really appreciate that far away um, yes, thank you, ang.
Speaker 5:That was really special what you shared about your mum, so that's lovely. I suppose what I wanted to talk about was when I first started this challenge and the group knows I sort of said to Bella I can't imagine being totally alcohol free, but I do need to moderate a lot. Yeah, bad habit, blah, blah, blah. And now we're into it and I've been doing quite well and who knows what the future holds. I hope I can. You know, continue with it. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen whatever. But that's sort of the way I'm aiming.
Speaker 5:But my question to you is I'm really curious how you felt with your um. Friday, saturday, sunday two margaritas, two red wines my favourite drinks. You go, girl. But it must have really been a push-pull for you so good during the week, and so your body had been detoxing. You'd really probably just started to clear your head and this and that and the other, and then you'd be having these fabulous drinks three nights in a row. Then you'd be having these fabulous drinks three nights in a row, so you'd get into this different sort of phase. But you really must have just been doing this constantly to yourself and that would have been really difficult, I think.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I actually wasn't, because when you're being truthful with yourself, if you're drinking Friday, saturday, sunday, that that's three days, and then often it would get to Wednesday and you'd think, okay, okay, I'll have a little wine. Like you know, I mean my, my arm was easily bent. So if a girlfriend said, should we get a wine, I'd be like, okay, all right, well, let's get a rosé. So that's a Wednesday, right? So really what? You're having a Monday and a Thursday off. So I think, even when you say you don't drink midweek even if I didn't, it's only four days I'm still drinking three. So you're actually never giving yourself a chance to reset. You're genuinely not. And what I generally say to people that are in the private community for Mind, the Sip that have downloaded the app, they're coming from a place 80 want to drink in moderation and 20 want to eliminate completely ah, that's interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they start off 80%, start off wanting to reduce alcohol.
Speaker 2:Uh, and I say the dry months, uh, and the challenges that you've done, like this are excellent, but the months like sorry, the challenge you've just done now is excellent because you've had all the learnings that have gone with it. A dry month like dry July or Feb, fast or dry January are great for charities, but as far as key learnings go for alcohol reduction, they don't add a lot of value. I think they can sometimes do a bit of damage because often let's use July as an example. We preload our June and our August. So we've got this false sense of reality. In July we hibernate, we're not socializing, we're white knuckling it through counting down the days to the 1st of August.
Speaker 2:You can buy tokens anyway if you do want to drink and you'll really. You think, oh, thank God, I've proved to myself I can do a month off the booze, so I don't have a problem, there's no problem. And the problem is you haven't allowed yourself any lovely learnings in that month of June like you have now. So, yeah, I think, even if you have extended breaks from booze, sometimes you don't feel the impacts on your body because you haven't actually allowed your mind to go there either. You know you haven't. You haven't taught or fed it anything.
Speaker 1:And what does your, what does your app offer? So if you're, if you've got a craving and an urge, is there anything there? So can you tap straight to that community? Yeah, you can, and it's all free.
Speaker 2:There is a premium version, but it was really important to me that people that are struggling with their alcohol. So alcohol use disorder, obviously, is slightly different. If you are needing to detox or needing some additional support, you obviously need to see a GP or you know, we're not. This is not, this, is not that. But yes, there are uh podcasts in there, including your beautiful podcast, bella, yep, so you can quickly pop a podcast in. They're they're all on the um, the home screen. They're easy, tons of them, awesome options. Again, you might think I'm not going to listen to a whole podcast when I've got a craving, but it just starts. It's just a start of something. Even just pop some music in. But as far as the app goes, yes, you can jump into a podcast.
Speaker 2:I talked about guided meditation before. It is the go-to, so I have hand-selected guided meditations, these particular ones. The voices are really beautiful in my opinion. They're not these sort of annoying voices that you're like Australian, british voices. They're lovely and they are guided meditations. I love the sleep ones. Obviously, you're not going to pop on a sleep one if you're in the middle of a craving, but the sleep ones are beautiful because it's kind of like an adult bedtime story or something you know you think. You pop that in your ears or on the phone next to you and just don't forget to set a timer for the podcast. Sorry for the meditations to stop, otherwise you'll wake up at 2 am in some vortex down, I don't know, in some sort of weird trance music or something.
Speaker 2:So, yes, I would suggest grabbing the app, putting on a podcast, jumping into the community or listening to a meditation. But most importantly is that establishing what emotion you're trying to meet. It's so simple. It really comes quite naturally later. So that's the first thing. Just take that with you. Is you think, okay, I'm craving alcohol, why? So what emotion is it that I'm trying to make? It works every single time I'm stressed Okay, I need a cup of tea, I need a hug, I need to cry, I need to scream, I need the kids to pick up their shit.
Speaker 1:I just you know what is it that I yeah what's getting what's hitting me to overwhelm.
Speaker 2:What is it? Yes, yeah, and you. Once you have that connection where you think what is it that my body is craving? Because it's not alcohol, your brain is telling you it's alcohol because it's trying to fix something temporarily, really quickly. Yes, you know.
Speaker 1:Yes, we've been through a few of those in the last week in our community.
Speaker 2:Lots, oh, I bet yeah, I'm sure I'm repeating material. You've already not at all no, no, not at all.
Speaker 1:Um. Did anybody else have another question for Ange um I yeah, it was.
Speaker 4:I didn't really have a question, but probably similar to what all of us are thinking. So I'm approaching six weeks alcohol free.
Speaker 4:Amazing Congratulations that is amazing, yeah, and Bella knows it's a long time coming and I would love to think that one day I could be a mindful drinker. And it's just interesting to me, I haven't quite got in my head. When does that happen? I'm not thinking you have the answer, but I'm sort of planning to go for 100 days. Amazing, yeah, because I don't think. I'm certainly not ready, I think, even to have a sip of alcohol at this point. I think wouldn't be good. So it's just really interesting to try and get your head around. What's that going to mean after a hundred days and how do you introduce it and what, what are the exceptions and things like that?
Speaker 2:Well, when you get to a hundred days, you're going to want to reward yourself. Do not reward yourself with alcohol. No, reward yourself with a really nice massage or a facial or a delicious donut yourself with a really nice massage or a facial or a delicious donut, you know? And keep pushing. When I talk about drinking, mindfully, that was how I successfully reduced by the time I got to six weeks alcohol free. Like you are, I wasn't working out ways to get back to drinking. If that makes sense, yeah, it does.
Speaker 2:So most people are starting where you were six weeks ago, and so for them sometimes zero is just too much.
Speaker 2:And so let's take the two margaritas and two red wines. They would start with one margarita and one red wine, and then they would taper down to two nights on a weekend, instead of three, with the one and one red wine, and then they would taper down to two nights on a weekend instead of three with the one-on-one, and then they taper down to two days, and then they taper down to one, and then they would keep it going like that for ages. The whole point of the app is to reduce on your own time, but also within the health guidelines. Yeah, you can still use the app and not drink. You can actually set accountability goals. So you basically have a, an event and you and the event can just be at home on the couch. But you put in a time and and select keep me accountable and we'll send you a message to see how you're tracking oh, that is brilliant and that's good to know and there's also a message that sends you.
Speaker 2:You opt in for a message every morning or evening to check if hey was today an alcohol-free day for you, and you say yes or no, and if it's no, you enter your drinks. But I look forward to that. It travels with you too, and that is key on your holiday. I look forward to that every day on my holiday. Yesterday an alcohol-free day Did. That is key on your holiday. I look forward to that every day on my holiday. Yesterday an alcohol-free day. Did you have a drink yesterday?
Speaker 1:No, I just want to quickly say, just leading a little bit on from that discussion yes, when you get past 100 days and get past a year and you think, oh well, then what? Because you know you can have that fixed mindset, I'm really being pretty good, it's now time to spoil myself, or whatever you can think back. Well, how many years have I been in this tug of war where it's occupied so much of my bandwidth? It's been my top goal every year, every month, every weekend, to stop bloody drinking. Well, when you get to that point and it's faded, you just celebrate it's not top of my list anymore and you just basically make room for the next issue. There's always going to be something else there that you've got to deal with.
Speaker 2:And there's generally growth that comes as well. So the opportunities that arise when you're not drinking alcohol are quite amazing. I think you have so much more time. You arrive home, leaving as good as you felt, and you wake up the next morning feeling like a really smug bitch.
Speaker 1:Smug bitch. I love it. And absolute delight, just positive. Thank you, um. And absolute delight, just positive. Thank you, um. Enthusiasm and you know. Just thank you to to everybody here for being here as well. And I loved hearing about your app and I really liked hearing the non-drinking their option. That allowed you to, um, set the goal, plan ahead and get a bit of encouragement. So all of that information. We've already put that up in our Facebook group.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, come download it Come and join and I'll put more of that information in the show notes when we release the podcast.
Speaker 1:But thank you, pleasure and come and join the private community.
Speaker 2:You can't have too many communities, you know, I agree. Thank you. Thank you, pleasure, and come and join the private community. You can't have too many communities, you know, I agree, thank you. Thank you for having me. Thank you, guys, and if you want to reach out at all or just have a chat or have a bit of a laugh on socials, you can follow me on Instagram if you're on there. I'm at MindTheSip. Yeah, I do some silly reels and my inbox is always open and I would really love to hear how you're going. Please shoot me a message on there, that'd be fantastic.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank you, thank you, okay, bye.
