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Hey Hey! I’m sharing my answer to a question from a reader this week. And scroll down to watch the IG LIVE with Sober Mom Squad Founder Emily Paulson and Real Housewives star and sober mom Braunwyn Windham-Burke! 🍊

This one.

This is the one.

This process didn’t start for me until I hit 1 year AF. The first year was a lot about how to “be” in the world without drinking. I went to events without booze. I had stressful, celebratory, lonely, and boring times, all without booze.

Year 2 was about figuring out who I was without it. For so long, I had been the life of the party. I wanted things to be fun, and I thought that meant getting a buzz on. The reality was that I couldn’t keep up with that way of life and be happy. I wasn’t going to live the life I deserved if I kept alcohol in my life.

The process of figuring out who you are without alcohol won’t be easy. It won’t be quick. I believe it takes years for us to truly figure it out - and even then, we still learn things about ourselves every day. The point is in the process. Keep an open mind, and keep learning about yourself.

Read books, listen to podcasts, and figure out what you like to do (and not do). Take an inventory of your life - who are your real friends? What types of things bring you joy or drain your energy? Do more joyful things and less draining things. You got this. ❤️

Last week was a busy (in a good way) week for me. I got a lot of projects done and made some progress on new ones.

Being productive feels SO. GOOD. to me. It boosts my mood more than a lot of things.

This week I’ve got 2 afternoons off, and I plan to use them wisely. Two meetings for prospective opportunities, and more….you guessed it, writing! 😊

Here’s a photo I took a month back in my hometown. There’s something about recognizing how beautiful places are that you hadn’t realized before. My hometown is one of these places. They call it “Pretty Little Red Wing” for a reason. As an adult, I realize why. ❤️

You’re Not the Only One Who Doesn’t Drink. Find Someone Who Is Telling Your Story. [Medium]

Alcohol Doesn’t Have to be An Accessory to Motherhood [SheKnows]

Should people with ADHD drink alcohol? Here's what the science says [Inflow]

Sober Instagram is reducing stigma around addiction [The Daily Dot]

How do you deal with sugar cravings?

Quick answer: eat something sweet. 🤔🤣

This all depends on where you are at in your AF journey. If you’re just starting out - eat all the sweets you want. You deserve it.

My motto is, “sugar isn’t running my life just yet - so it can stay.”

But I realize that might not be a long-term fix for some. And even I start to feel icky after too much sugar too often.

Don’t limit yourself to no sugar. That’s a huge lifestyle change, and it’s drastic. I like to get a bag of small chocolates and drop a few in my lunchbox for the week. I eat one every day after lunch as a treat. We also believe strongly in eating dessert in our family. And by “in our family,” I mean me. Lately, my son and I have ice cream after dinner. It’s our “thing.”

Again, it’s a personal choice. But now that you don’t drink - what are you treating yourself with? If you want that treat to be a sweet one - go ahead. Just know that too much is probably going to make you feel icky and might mess with your health-goals if you have them, so try to find a way to have it in your life without overdoing it.

One Of The Signature Cocktails Served At The Emmys Was Alcohol-Free [Tasting Table]

This IG LIVE!
braunwynwindhamburke: “Such a great conversation with @emilylynnpaulson author of Hey Hun and Highlight Reel, finding honesty and recovery beyond the filtered life about the mommy wine culture, getting sober and having the honest conversations with our kids! If you’re sober, sober curious or just want info on how to live your best life ever watch and follow!! #sobermoms #sherecovers #onedayatatime #mommywineculture”

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