Issue #13: Sober Stress Management


The Sober Daily

Welcome to your daily sip of sober!

Just because you're sober doesn't mean life is suddenly rainbows and unicorns. It can be, but generally life is lifey and always will be.

Being sober means you have more tools to handle what life throws at you, but what if you need more tools?

Today we'll discuss ways to handle stress while sober.

Quote

> “The research literature has identified three factors that universally lead to stress: uncertainty, the lack of information and the loss of control.”
Gabor Maté, *When the Body Says No


Listen

Podcast Episode

> How To Stay Sober In Times Of Stress with Casey McGuire Davidson | Megan Gipson | The Family Brain Podcast
In this episode you'll hear why women may set up their lives in a way where they feel like they need to drink to tolerate their responsibilities and schedules. Plus strategies that women can use to stop relying on alcohol as a coping tool for stress and overwhelm, and much more. Listen →

Podcast Episode

> Why We Can’t Cope With Anything (E119) | Gillian Tietz | Sober Powered
"Recently, I found myself in a stressful business-related predicament that I had no control over. I tried to fix it and, in the process, became incredibly overwhelmed. Despite almost three years of sobriety, this incident exposed a crucial deficit in my coping skills, a familiar issue for many of us who used drinking to cope." Gillian explains why this happens. Listen →

Podcast Episode

> How Does Chronic Stress Affect the Brain? (E120) | Gillian Tietz | Sober Powered
Everyone knows chronic stress is bad, but did you know it can actually change your brain? It can change the brain in ways that make it easier to be stressed or to turn to something like alcohol to attempt to cope. In this episode you’ll learn what chronic stress does to the brain, results from the 2022 Stress in America Survey, and how you can turn some bad stress into good stress. Listen →


watch

YouTube Video

> How to Deal with Stress Sober | Sober Bliss
Often we use alcohol to deal with stress and difficult emotions. When you stop, all these feelings appear and it can be difficult to handle them effectively. Learn how to use the powerful R.A.I.N technique to cope with your feelings and emotions effectively and quickly. Watch →

YouTube Video

> How do you stay sober during trying times? | Annie Grace | This Naked Mind
Annie Grace answers a reader's question about staying sober under times of extreme stress. Watch to hear Annie's tips and tricks. Watch →

YouTube Video

> How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety without Substances | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Millions of Americans are trying to medicate their anxiety with alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. This might work for a short time, but it opens the door for addiction and produces even more anxiety in the long run. Having seen this same sequence of events over and over again, clinician Sarah Wicks, PhD, LP, joins host William C. Moyers to talk about anxiety and addiction: how they feed off one another and the healthy coping skills that actually relieve stress. Watch →


read

Blog Post

> 15 Healthy Ways to Manage Stress and Addiction | Dr. K. Dodge, PhD, MSPH, MSW | Behavioral Health Centers
Stress and addiction vulnerability are closely linked, with stress considered one of the main risk factors for substance use disorders. It’s also a leading cause of drug relapse. People who demonstrate addictive behavior often report turning to drug-seeking behavior or relapsing following stressful life events. Learn 15 ways to manage stress. Read more →

News Article

> How I learned to cope with stress when I gave up alcohol on the Whole30 diet | Danielle Page | NBC News
"'I need a drink'" has been my auto-reply to virtually all stressful occurrences in my day-to-day life for about as long as I've been an adult," says Danielle. Read how she found other ways to cope with stress without alcohol while doing the Whole30 diet. Read more →

News Article

> How to manage stress so that it doesn't hurt your health | Wendy Rose Gould | NBC News
We can't eliminate stress, but we change the way our body responds to it. Learn how in this article. Read more →

Book

> When The Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress | Dr. Gabor Maté
Can a person literally die of loneliness? Is there a connection between the ability to express emotions and Alzheimer’s disease? Is there such a thing as a ‘cancer personality’? Find the answers in this book and much more. *Get it here →


engage

PDF - SOBER Technique

> SOBER Breathing Technique | Forward Leeds
SOBER breathing is an intervention based in mindfulness practices. The technique is used to help manage panic attacks, reduce anxiety and stress, and helps to prevent or to disengage from high risk situations that can prevent harm to self and others. It is also used in the help of breaking addictive processes and behaviours, as well as managing pain. See it here →

Workbook

> 52-Week Mental Health Journal: Guided Prompts and Self-Reflection to Reduce Stress and Improve Well-Being | Cynthia Catchings LCSW-S LCSW-C MSSW
Guided journaling is a simple but powerful tool. It can help you boost your mood, practice gratitude, and set goals both big and small. With a focused prompt for every day of the year, this 52-week journal helps you navigate four core pillars of good mental health enhancement. *Get it here →


That's it for today's newsletter. I hope you enjoyed our latest content and find it helpful in your sober journey. Each day will be a fresh list from various places. I'll see you tomorrow!

If you have a resource to share (or comments/suggestions), send to: sarah@thesoberdaily.com

Stay connected,
Sarah Sandidge
The Sober Daily

Pssst! If you forget why you’re hearing from The Sober Daily, it’s probably because you signed up for these emails. If you don’t want these emails, you can say “See ya!” any time or change the frequency of them below.

*Also, note that links may be affiliate links, identified with an asterisk. I occasionally promote things for a commission, but only things I like and believe in that I think you’d like, too.

Sarah Sandidge International, 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104
Unsubscribe · Preferences

Sarah Sandidge Intl

Read more from Sarah Sandidge Intl

The Sober Daily Welcome to your occasional sip of sober! As over-drinkers, our brains are always looking for a way to "light up". We're always on the lookout for a dopamine hit. When we quit drinking, that doesn't change. So how can we find healthier, more fulfilling ways to light our brains up? One way is through "novelty". Make sure to listen to the podcast episode on this. Quote > “If there are no ups and downs in your life, if means you are dead.” ― Anonymous read Essay > The thing that...

The Sober Daily Welcome to your occasional sip of sober! Holidays and long weekends can be daunting when it comes to staying sober. So many people see these breaks as a chance to drink and "relax" as much as possible. But we're smarter than that. We know there's so much more to enjoy and so many better ways to relax! Quote > “Everyone is missing out on something all of the time.” ― Kate Bee, You’re Not Missing Out: Sober Holiday Myths read Blog Post > How Long Weekends like Labor Day Can...

The Sober Daily Thanks so much for subscribing to this newsletter! It was a fun experiment that has ended up taking too much time to maintain. Instead of a daily resource list, I will be sending either a weekly or monthly list to my other, regular newsletter, which you are probably already subscribed to. If you're not subscribed to it, I will add you, and you can decide whether to stay or go. I would love some feedback on The Sober Daily. You can simply reply to this email. I'm the only one...