Sober and love a morning routine? The two go hand in hand. When women give up alcohol they often incorporate exercise into their daily routines. When that exercise is scheduled for early morning, they know they need to be bright-eyed for it. Often they’ll create a strict morning routine with exercise, journaling and affirmations as part of their sober pillars. Routines bring structure, a lifestyle framework and can help you achieve your big life goals.

It’s Christmas morning and you wake up fresh, energized, feeling organised and ready to be present and enjoy the day. You’ve taken a break from alcohol and you’re feeling fitter, lighter and more in control. You’re less anxious about the holidays and having everything done – because you’re approaching it lightly this year, from a place of calm and you feel organised, efficient and you’re still including plenty of ‘me time’ in your schedule.

If you’ve experienced slip-ups in your sobriety, you may have felt regret, shame and defeat. It can feel like ‘it’s all over – you blew it’. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. In fact, we can learn from slip-ups and better prepare ourselves for next time. We can take a slip-up and let it show us how it feels when we drink alcohol – the nausea, headaches and exhaustion. We can see a slip-up as simply part of the journey. No sober journey is linear, after all. It can take many failed attempts at sobriety before it sticks.

Ask most middle-aged women how they are, and they’ll say “busy”, “stressed” or “overwhelmed”. Many use alcohol to “take the edge off”, not realising alcohol releases cortisol, which adds to stress. Middle-aged women are drinking more than ever before. One in 5 women aged between 45 and 60 is a binge drinker. Why? Simply: They have more life pressures than ever before.

If you’ve suspected drinking alcohol has an impact on menopause you’d be right. The hangovers are worse, mood swings more severe and sleep is more compromised than ever before.

If you’ve asked yourself “When does sobriety get easier?” chances are you’re in the early stages of sobriety. You’re battling withdrawal, cravings and mood swings. Triggers pop up out of nowhere and everyone wants to know “Why aren’t you drinking?”

What comes to mind when you think of the term 'alcoholic'? Homelessness, drinking out of a paper bag, shaking hands reaching for a drink every morning and shadowy, shameful addiction meetings in the basement of a church? That’s what most people think about the term alcoholic.

If you’ve decided to quit drinking for 30 days here’s how you can prepare yourself – emotionally and physically. If you’ve decided to quit drinking for 30 days read this first for your best chance at success.

If you’ve suspected alcohol affects women differently to men you’d be right. Here’s why.

If you’re recently sober and can’t sleep you need a sleep schedule, extra supplements and exercise.

What does it feel like to be 3 years sober? I’m looking back on the good, bad, and yep, the ugly parts.

What mum actually needs on Mother’s Day is NOT wine. She needs a new way to soothe her nervous system.

There are countless benefits to living alcohol-free. Many are physical. Some are emotional. They are all deeply personal. From simply ‘feeling better’, sleeping well, and waking up bursting with pride each day, to better skin, weight loss, and a jump in productivity. Here are my top 10 benefits of living alcohol-free.

IF you’ve quit drinking, prepare yourself for 10 questions EVERYONE asks. They swing from ‘Are you an alcoholic?’ to Why can’t you have one drink?’ and ‘Isn’t sobriety really boring?’ Drinkers are often confronted, bewildered, and uncomfortable around sobriety and the awkward questions get blurted out. Not sure what to say? I’ve got you!

Ready to change your drinking habits? And you want to make it stick this time? You’ll need a plan for triggers, plenty of support and an honest look at your WHY. It all starts with WANTING to change.

You’ve been thinking of joining a sobriety course but - how do you know if you’re ready? And what’s a sobriety course all about anyway? Enrolling in a structured and supported program to help you change your mindset around drinking alcohol is a big decision. It’s personal - and probably wasn’t made overnight. Here’s what a sobriety course will teach you - and 5 signs you’re ready.

Are you a people pleaser? Often people-pleasing goes hand-in-hand with grey area drinking. We let our boundaries wobble and we put others first because we are in ‘just coping’ mode. We bury our own true needs to simply ‘get through the day’. We go above and beyond to make other people feel good and we put other people’s opinion of us over our own opinion! The thoughts, judgement and approval of others become our drive.

When I shared my experience of the mummy wine culture in the major Australian publication, MamaMia, I was overwhelmed by the response from thousands of women who contacted me to say ‘That’s my story too.’ Women who, like me, had noticed their alcohol consumption slowly but surely creeping up after having children, where the days blur into one and weekdays are no different to Friday nights.

The 5 pillars of sobriety are Movement, Connection, Balance, Routine and Growth. Apply them to your life and you’ll find going alcohol-free easier, more enjoyable and most importantly, sustainable in the long term.

This milestone of 1000 days of sobriety feels bigger and more meaningful than any other. I’m finally standing still long enough to truly reflect on what a brilliant achievement this is and allowing myself to bask in the glory of what it has meant to me - and all those around me.