Sarah Sandidge | SAHM

What did you discover about yourself once you quit drinking?

When you quit drinking and you're figuring out how you're going to stay sober for good, setting up and sticking to YOUR boundaries is key. It doesn't matter if anyone else understands or agrees.

Remember, healing your alcohol brain is a journey, not a race. Every small, intentional choice you make to engage in life — whether it’s cooking a meal, playing a game, or simply sitting outside and listening to the birds — brings you one step closer to the person you want to become.

Avoiding boredom doesn’t mean keep yourself busy 24/7 or pile your schedule with endless commitments. Constantly running at full speed is overwhelming, and that’s just as dangerous for a recovering brain as boredom. The key is to find a middle ground — activities that rest your brain and body while also keeping you engaged enough to steer clear of those old drinking habits.

Is it time to stop poisoning yourself?

You will be bored when you first quit drinking. Suddenly the amount of extra time and mental awareness you have is stunning! And sometimes overwhelming. It's good to have a list of things to do so the boredom doesn't lead back to drinking.

You often see the phrase "alcohol and drugs" in articles, which is misleading because alcohol is a drug. They don't need to be separated. It'd be like saying "meat lovers' pizza and pizza." Meat lovers' pizza is a type of pizza. Alcohol is a type of drug.

How often do you think about what your life looked like while you were drinking? Does it help in any way?

After you've been sober for a bit, wonderfully, miraculously, you get your brain back. Suddenly you can think again and solve problems again. You can handle big things like relationships and small things like what’s for dinner. The brain heals.

Part of the reason my brain was so blank while I was drinking was because I had drunk myself out of good health. My body wasn't working. Forget having the brain power to figure out an exercise routine. I could barely figure out how to get out of bed and take care of my children.

The problem with escaping into a bottle is you can't learn, grow, change. You get stuck inside that tiny glass prison, sloshing around with whatever liquid is at the bottom. When you climb out of the bottle and breathe the fresh, clean air, you can once again see all the potential you have.

I often hear that most people become heavy drinkers (choose your own label here) because of childhood trauma. I don't think that was the case for me. Was it for you? (No need to divulge specifics here...)

Do you feel like you're a new person since you quit drinking? OR you've rediscovered who you truly are? This may be two sides of the same coin. I enjoy dissecting nuances. 🤓

Alcohol is truly like being in an abusive relationship where your identity gets smaller and smaller as the abuser grows larger and larger.

Do you celebrate your soberversaries? If so, how? If not, why?

"Soft heart, strong back." What does that mean to you?

We end up trading our dreams, passions, goals for the quick fix alcohol seems to provide. But when you ditch the booze, you free up time and energy to rediscover what truly makes you happy.

Flipping the switch in your brain to a more positive, joyful outlook takes some work. Start here —What are you grateful for? I'm finding gratitude flips off the negative almost automatically. The more I state what I'm grateful for, the less room there is for complaints.

It's never too late to start something new. What are you working on right now?

Self-awareness is the first step on any path to improvement. What do you think?

How do you avoid overwhelm?