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Sober Vibes: Alcohol free lifestyle tips for long-term sobriety, whether you're sober curious or ready to quit drinking for good
Hey, Friend! Welcome to the Sober Vibes podcast, where sobriety meets empowerment.
I’m Courtney Andersen, your host, a sober coach, author, and mom. I’ve been living an alcohol-free life since 8/18/2012. I know firsthand what it’s like to be a binge/grey area drinker, spending four years stuck in the moderation cycle before finally quitting for good.
The Sober Vibes podcast is your go-to space for real talk, proven strategies, expert guidance, and inspiring stories from people who are redefining what it means to live without alcohol.
Each week, we dive deep into the topics that matter most—from how to quit drinking alcohol, managing cravings, and navigating social situations to rebuilding confidence, emotional sobriety, and finding joy in sobriety.
Whether you’re newly sober, in long-term recovery, or just sober curious about alcohol-free living, Sober Vibes offers the support, insights, resources, and encouragement you need.
Join a like-minded community and discover how sobriety can unlock a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life. Don’t just quit drinking, let’s have fun on this sobriety journey together!
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Sober Vibes: Alcohol free lifestyle tips for long-term sobriety, whether you're sober curious or ready to quit drinking for good
How to Reset After Summer: Sober Mindset Tips to Stop Drinking and Avoid Relapse This Fall
Did your summer sobriety not go as planned? Maybe you set out for a sober summer, tried Dry July, or gave Alcohol-Free August a shot, but somewhere along the way, things slipped. If that happened to you, I want you to know you’re not alone.
In episode 239 of the Sober Vibes podcast, I’m sharing how you can personally reset after this season if it didn’t go the way you wanted. My goal is to provide you with genuine encouragement and practical tools to help you keep moving forward.
Here’s what you will learn:
- Why shame keeps you stuck after a slip or alcohol relapse, and how to shift into curiosity instead
- How I re-anchor into my “why” and set fresh intentions each season
- Simple rituals that help me stop drinking urges in their tracks and stay grounded
- What it looks like to build a strong sober mindset, even when your summer didn’t feel perfect
- Why fall is the perfect time for a reset if you’re looking for help quitting alcohol or tips on how to drink less alcohol
You don’t have to wait until January 1st to start over. You can reset right now and move into fall with clarity, strength, and a new sense of confidence in your alcohol-free journey.
Resources Mentioned:
The After-Emotional Sobriety Guide
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PODCAST SPONSOR:
This episode is sponsored by Soberlink, a trusted accountability tool for anyone navigating early recovery. Whether you're rebuilding trust with loved ones or want more structure in your sobriety, Soberlink offers a discreet and empowering way to stay on track.
Sober Vibes listeners get $50 off their device!
Grab your discount here!
Hope this episode helps you today, and thank you for a wonderful season 6!
Thank you for listening! Help the show by Rating, Reviewing, and/or Subscribing to the Sober Vibes Podcast.
Connect w/ Courtney:
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Did your summer sobriety not go the way you planned? Hey, welcome back to the Sober Vibes podcast. I am your host and sober coach, courtney Anderson. You are listening to episode 239. You are listening to episode 239.
Speaker 1:So maybe you set out to do a sober summer, a dry July, or maybe even an alcohol-free August and, somewhere along the way, a summer of 2025, things slipped right. Maybe you had a few drinks you didn't intend to, or you just didn't feel as strong in your sobriety and that foundation as you hoped. If that's you, I want you to know you are not alone. Summer can be one of the hardest seasons to navigate alcohol-free, even though I do believe that it's one of the best times to quit, because you can utilize the great outdoors and the weather to your favor, but between vacations, barbecues, kids getting out of school and those little munchkins not having that structure right Social pressures it's easy to feel like you lost your momentum. It's easy to feel like you've lost your mojo, really. The good news, though, is a new season is upon us, even though you are listening to this at the end of August, and I never like to skip through summer, but fall is coming. I think first day of fall is September 20th. I think that's the first day of fall. I'll have to look at my calendar. But fall is coming and this really is about let's reset, okay, and the fall season naturally brings change, more structure and fresh routines right, which makes it a powerful moment for you to recommit to yourself and your sobriety.
Speaker 1:So today I'm going to share three simple tips to help you reset after summer. Release the shame, because we're not going to live in the shame of this anymore. Let's release it and move into fall, feeling grounded and confident in your alcohol free journey. Remember, if you want to go deeper, beyond just listening and into real change, you don't have to do it alone. You can work with me one-on-one in my Silver Coaching Program, where we create a plan tailored to you, or also to in my Sobriety Circle and that is my community for women only in the first few years of sobriety, who want support, accountability and tools to thrive. You can find both links in the show notes below. So tip number one let's release the shame and learn to thrive. You can find both links in the show notes below. So tip number one let's release the shame and learn from it. Like, honestly, shame is just going to make things worse for you.
Speaker 1:The first step to resetting is releasing shame. Shame tells us that we are terrible people, that the mindset will keep you stuck. Okay, what you want to learn and lean into instead is curiosity. Remember, sobriety is all about a growth mindset. It truly is, because it is. You're changing your whole lifestyle and you're changing what you know and what you have known, and especially, too, for a lot of us who were in this relationship with alcohol for a very long period of time. That is why you have to have a growth mindset when it comes to this.
Speaker 1:All right, so let's lean into the curiosity and ask yourself this what was going on this summer when I didn't follow through? Were you tired? Were you lonely? Were you caught up in a comparison where you were looking at social media and being like how the fuck does Courtney have 13 years? Like, how'd she do it? Or were you overwhelmed by social pressure? Because that is, it's very hard for people to not drink when others are drinking in front of them, and these aren't excuses.
Speaker 1:You have to now look at this stuff as insights. Look at this as data, since we're now in a data-driven world. They show you where you can grow and what you can compare or, I'm sorry, what you can prepare for next time. Right, take this experience as data, not as a personal failure. Okay, because there's no pass fail and sobriety. This is such learned behavior and it is just habitual and it is an addiction as well. So every slip, every struggle you had is now an opportunity to understand yourself better.
Speaker 1:This is why I don't shame the slips. I don't. I'm not going to sit there and tell you you need to start over at day one. It's no, for some people that doesn't work and for some people, counting days that gets overwhelming. And then they get defeated and they say F this and don't want to do it anymore. Because I understand that the person and the person who is listening to this, especially this podcast. You are a lot like me where you push somebody to do something that isn't working their way. Then you just throw your hands up right and you just then say F it Like this, I don't want to do this. It's almost like you get backed into a corner and then you just continue to drink instead of realizing no, I have to do this the way that fits me, my lifestyle, my personality, because that gets overlooked a lot of the time, and you just have to learn from this and understand yourself better. So you need to put on your blinders. Let go of the shame. Look back this past summer and see where these slips what you needed, more of that suited you.
Speaker 1:Tip number two re-anchor into your why right and set some fall intentions Again. Let's get into the boo-boo of this and, as cheesy as it is, it is so cheesy, but and I understood this more when I became, when I became a mother about people talking about seasons of life right, the season of life of I was in this. So let's get into the natural seasons that we have to adapt to in the world, right, fall, winter, spring, summer, Fall is legit a natural reset, and there's a shedding of fall if you think about when the leaves fall off the trees. Okay, and also, too, this is when kids go back to school. I once read somebody, or read somewhere, that a person forget who it was, but it was like oh, this makes sense. Where they're like I don't. My reset is like my year starts in September, and obviously I think this person was clearly a mother, so I get it more now. So they start their school, their year, in fall instead of really starting that like January 1st, right. So the kids are going back to school, right, routines tighten back up, there is more structure and then there's a shift in energy.
Speaker 1:It's the perfect season to re-anchor into your why, because your why today is going to look a lot different than what it was maybe a year ago. Or maybe you've been on this journey for the last four years or five years or six years, and when you started, life is a lot different now for you. So that is why you have to continuously meet yourself with where you are at today and not where you were at six years ago. Ask yourself this why do you want to be alcohol-free? Is it for your health? Is it to show fully up as a parent, right? Do you want to feel proud of yourself? Do you finally want to get off this goddamn hamster wheel of regret? Because if you're listening to this today and you did have slips over the summertime I'm sure you're feeling a certain type of way of yourself and that is of the regret.
Speaker 1:And go back to tip number one of you know the topic of shape. So, once you reconnected to your why and go back to tip number one of you know the topic of shape. So, once you reconnected to your why, set that fall intention for yourself. Maybe it's committing to, let's just say, 30 days alcohol-free. Maybe it's focusing on emotional sobriety, tools like journaling or therapy. Maybe it's time to go to therapy.
Speaker 1:Keep it very specific and realistic. Writing it down makes it real and revisiting often keeps you accountable. And when I say revisit it, often I say revisit it every day for yourself. Every day you need to be looking at that and be like why am I doing this? Because it's so easy in today's day and age to slip. It's so easy to drive your ass up to the local store and buy yourself alcohol. It's very easy to go to a movie nowadays and order yourself a Chardonnay and sit and watch a flick for two and a half hours right God, you can get this stuff delivered to your house now. That's how easy it is. So revisit your why on a daily and then a two. I want you to just future trip a little bit and then say how would it look like if I showed up every day sober, alcohol-free, whatever you want to call it for yourself, and how would that look and how I feel come January 1st. And then visualize yourself on January 1st showing up as this version of yourself, where there's no regret or shame and there is that growth mindset for yourself. So, number two, rewrite out your why with who you are as of August, something 2025. Hey, good people of the world, it's Courtney. And if you're in your first year or your fifth year of sobriety, let's be real.
Speaker 1:Summers can be tough like a very, very, very challenging. It took me a couple summers to finally feel comfortable. There's something about warm weather, parties and poolside drinks that can make it feel like everybody's drinking but you. But just because drinking culture ramps up, especially during this time, doesn't mean your progress has to slow down. That's where a tool like Soberlink can help. It's a high-tech breathalyzer that helps people in recovery stay accountable, not through shame, but through structure, scheduled daily tests. Let you share instant, verified results with the people who support you, so you don't have to do it alone, worried someone might question your results. They can't, because Soberlink uses facial recognition and tamper detection, so there's no way to cheat it. Whether you're rebuilding trust or you just want that extra layer of support this summer, soberlink is here to help you stay the course of your journey. I've witnessed people benefit from Soberlink is here to help you stay the course of your journey I've witnessed people benefit from Soberlink and I want you to be the next. Visit wwwsoberlinkcom. Forward slash sober dash vibes to sign up and receive 50% off your device today. You can also check the link in the show notes below. You can also check the link in the show notes below.
Speaker 1:Tip number three Create new rituals for this season. So summer there's a lot of rituals tied to drinking right. Patio happy hours, tailgates, beach days with the coolers, lake days, parties, barbecues. If those pulled you back in, make fall your chance to create new rituals for yourselves. So a couple ideas Swap out, maybe, the Sunday mimosas for a fall walk with a coffee. Maybe swap out those mimosas with some type of fall and a beverage. I will link my little mocktail menu I had made a couple of years ago and I will make a new one coming up in due time, okay. So swamp out those fall drinks or, I'm sorry, those summer drinks for then something a little bit more fall, cozy vibes, right, even if that's just hot water with lemon, because too, as the weather changes, then you will want something warmer In the evening. Try out a new tea ritual, or an in a cider instead of wine, sometimes just having that there for yourself and making sure that your fridge is stocked or your pantry is stocked with these teas, of having those beverages for, even if it's just a Coca-Cola. Having your beverage stocked and you set up for success is going to help.
Speaker 1:But you have to replace that ritual, because that's what drinking becomes. It is like all of these rituals you made for yourself and then you get stuck in this really dysfunctional, toxic ritual relationship because it's with alcohol. So now let's create healthy ones for yourself. Replace scrolling or stressing with a journal practice. You do not need to write pages upon pages, but just set yourself a prompt what am I grateful for today? Or how did it feel, do this one? How did it feel showing up alcohol-free today? Listen, not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows, but at least you're going to go to bed proud of yourself for not drinking. It might look ugly on how you got to hit your head on that pillow, of what the emotions look like, but at least you made it to your pillow without drinking that day, and that's a win. Light a candle and read before bed.
Speaker 1:Small moments like this feel intentional and grounding, create a vibe in your house for yourself where it's relaxing and calming. So these rituals prove to your brain that you can feel joy and comfort and connection without alcohol and that you are living your life and changing the habit around. And the more you practice them, the stronger this becomes for yourself and the more of the reality it becomes. And that's where you have to start. That's where you start building that self-trust of like all right, I'm doing, I got it. I'm like 90 days in here and I'm starting to trust myself more and more. And the pull to alcohol isn't as strong as it once was when I was at like week two, because it does get lighter and lighter as time goes on and then it eventually just disappears one day. I can't tell you what that time frame is going to be for you, because everybody is different, but what I know from the women that I have coached over the years and for myself is, after that 90 day mark it does start getting easier and the pull is not there as it once was.
Speaker 1:Like I said in the beginning, okay. So if your summer didn't go the way you hoped, take a deep breath, acknowledge that you are a human being and that you're starting. You're not starting over from day zero. Okay, you're starting from today and you're starting again, but this time with a little bit more insight and more clarity and more strength than that you had before and more of that data of tapping into what was going on with you during that time of. Was there something you could have said no to? Are you fighting this? Are you fighting that?
Speaker 1:Let's just say that introvert in you, that where it's like you should be embracing it more, or that you need to be embracing more the power of no and not people pleasing, because a lot of this stuff is why women drink in the first place is because they're trying to make something work that isn't aligned with who they are at their core, whether that is that you're booked and busy and you can't be that booked and busy you know what I mean that you're extremely overstimulated by these little munchkins of ours. You know that you are completely overwhelmed by your job and you have extended yourself so much that you just now want to punch your boss and everybody that works around you because you hate them. Trust me, it's somewhere within you that it's like, because you are so programmed to go and then, when you overextend yourself, what's the easiest thing to do is to drink and to try to escape that, or maybe to. That's why I said mentioned going to therapy. Maybe you need to work on something that happened to you a long time ago, that is coming up for you now and that you need to talk about it with somebody. And yeah, therapy for some people is very scary, but I can say therapy is such a gift and a blessing and you might have had a therapist where it's. This person isn't serving me right now like they once used to. I really need to find a person who connects with me on this one specific issue, and it's okay to start over with a professional. It really is Okay.
Speaker 1:So fall is your season to reset and recommit and move forward in your alcohol free journey. Okay, so thanks for hanging with me on today's episode. If this episode obviously spoke to you, please share it with a friend who might need this reminder too. Okay, thank you so much. I'm wrapping up. This is the last episode of season six.
Speaker 1:As you can tell if you have looked at the new cover art, sour Brands is doing a little bit of a rebrand party people, and I will be taking the podcast over to YouTube for season seven. I'm not doing any breaks in between. You can still listen to the podcast. It will still be available on iTunes and Spotify and wherever you listen to your podcast. But I will be now having video for podcast interviews and myself included, going forward as well, as I'm going to be doing more videos over on YouTube with topics about how to quit drinking, all things of sober vibes.
Speaker 1:Okay, so please make sure and I will put it in the show notes below that you subscribe, if you are a lover of the YouTube, that you subscribe over there to make sure that you're subscribing to that page. And, as always, if there's any topics you want to talk about, or if you are a listener to the show and you want to be on the podcast, reach out to me SoberVibes at gmailcom or DM me on Instagram and we will set that up, and you can. Any topic episodes you want me to chat about. Let me know as well, cause I always love hearing back from you, cause there could be a topic you haven't heard about yet or there's something going on with you where you're like I need this to be answered.
Speaker 1:Courtney, please help, please help me. All right, so all the resources I mentioned in this episode will be linked. Make sure to check out our sponsor, sober Link and, as always, I'm very grateful for this audience. It was a good season six and I'm ready to keep expanding more for season seven and on and bring on cool guests and talk about some cool shit. All right, as always, keep on trucking and stay healthy out there. Thank you.
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