Breaking Free: Finding Community and Purpose
Part 3 of My Journey to Alcohol-Free Living
Sometimes the biggest transformations come from unexpected circumstances. For me, it was during the 2020 lockdown. I was still teaching in the Middle East, working from home on Zoom, with very limited socializing. Unable to travel for 18 months, I decided to do a health kick - exercising every day, eating healthily, reading self-help books.
I didn't really plan to be permanently alcohol free. I went on this health kick during lockdown, but then it continued because the borders were closed for longer than anyone expected, and I couldn’t travel back to the UK for 18 months. And something amazing happened - I started to feel so much better mentally and physically.
The Power of Community
Then I discovered something that would change everything - the online alcohol-free community. I found podcasts and articles and communities, with people talking openly about their journey to sobriety.
It was this revelation that changed everything for me, the discovery that there are other people out there like me who have had these struggles and are talking about it openly and without shame. This is amazing, I thought. There is another way. I don’t have to feel ashamed about my struggles, and I can find people who feel proud about not drinking.
In 2022, while still overseas, I joined an online coaching program around going alcohol-free and changing your mindset. That nine-month program was transformative. In a group of about 15 people, we shared openly, doing the inner work around resentments from the past, learning how to overcome them, how to let go of things, and how to form new positive relationships.
The Mindset Shift
That program shifted everything for me. It really cemented that I don't want to drink, I'm not missing out, and I feel good about it.
Around this time, I noticed the whole alcohol-free scene really took off. When I travelled back to the UK, there were lots of really nice non-alcoholic drinks that I could buy. I could go to bars and not just have a Diet Coke, because I didn't actually want a Diet Coke! I could have an alcohol-free drink in a nice glass with a meal. There were alcohol-free events happening. The stigma seemed to be lifting.
Finding My Purpose
Later in 2022, I took another big step and joined an alcohol-free retreat in Bali with Karolina Rzadkowolska, founder of Euphoric AF, and a leader in alcohol-free empowerment. What I loved about this new alcohol-free scene was that it didn't deny the depths that people go to, but it didn't want to stay in the depths. It wasn't about using willpower and feeling like you're missing out - it was about feeling really positive and finding a new purpose in life.
The retreat led me to join Karolina's alcohol-free coaching certification program in May 2023. At this time, I was experiencing challenges in the workplace, feeling isolated and excluded, and I knew I couldn’t stay.
I made plans to quit my job overseas and move back to the UK, which I hadn't thought I would do. I connected a lot with sober communities online, listened to podcasts, read books and articles, and felt solid in being alcohol-free.
Living My Truth Now
I moved back to the UK in March 2024, and now I'm in the process of building an alcohol-free coaching business. Everything has changed, but that's not to say it's all hearts and flowers when you quit drinking - life still happens.
I had a horrendous couple of years in the workplace before coming back to the UK, but I felt much better equipped to deal with it because alcohol was not ever present in my life, and I had learned strategies to help me navigate challenges. I could have clarity around what I thought and felt about things. I could map things out. I could be present, however painful that was at times.
In terms of mental health, I still have bouts of depression and anxiety, but I'm much better equipped to deal with it and implement things in my life which ease it. Going alcohol-free was a hugely positive and liberating step for me.
The Changing Culture
The drinking culture, especially in the UK it seems, is shifting. While there are still pockets of binge drinking, particularly among my generation (Gen X), younger generations seem much more aware of making healthy choices and forming authentic connections with others. They don't seem to be drinking in the same way that my generation did.
I don't feel uncomfortable now going into a pub or a bar and not drinking, whereas when I first got sober, it felt quite hard. I felt as though I was the only person that was alcohol-free. The culture is changing, and it's becoming easier to choose an alcohol-free life.
Your Journey Awaits
If you've been following my story through these three posts, you've seen the full arc - from struggle to early attempts at change to finally finding freedom. The key differences in my successful sobriety were:
Finding the right community
Doing the inner work
Changing my mindset about alcohol
Discovering new purpose
Being proud rather than apologetic about being alcohol-free
If you're ready to write your own story of transformation, I'm here to help. Download my free 7-Day Alcohol-Free Kickstart guide and join a community of women who are discovering their true potential without alcohol.
You can also sign up here for my weekly email, where I share tips and motivation.