#188 Why Staying Sober This Summer Is So Worth It (feat. My Mom)#188 Why Staying Sober This Summer Is So Worth It (feat. My Mom)
Happiest Sober Podcast
Madeline and her mum chat about why summer can feel especially challenging in early sobriety and share how those first difficult moments can give way to genuinely joyful sober summers. They talk through romanticising alcohol, playing the tape forward and building new, alcohol-free associations with sunshine, patios and long warm evenings.
47:36•23 Jun 2026
Why a Sober Summer Feels Hard at First – and Brilliant Later
Episode Overview
- Summer can trigger strong drinking memories, especially in the first year, but those urges ease as new sober memories are built.
- Romanticising a single drink ignores the reality that the hangovers, anxiety and shame always come with it as a “package deal.”
- Shifting focus to sober joys like morning coffee outside, evening walks and clear-headed days helps reframe what makes summer fun.
- Beliefs about needing alcohol to belong or enjoy events are just stories; with time and experience, those stories can be replaced.
- Support from other sober people is especially helpful in social seasons, and sticking with sobriety brings pride and relief by summer’s end.
“You can’t have that one drink you’re romanticising without everything that came along with it for you. They are a package deal.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This chat between Madeline Forrest and her mum brings a relaxed, honest look at why staying alcohol-free in summer can feel hard at first – and why it’s still so worth it. They talk about how warmer weather can stir up old associations: drinks by the pool, boozy barbecues, rooftop cocktails.
Madeline recalls her first sober summer, when “the first taste of warm weather” hit her like a ton of bricks and she kept sneaking inside to cry because she felt so left out.
Yet in the very same summer, she ended up loving being the designated driver, sipping frozen mocktails, music up, windows down – and realising, as she puts it, “this feels like freedom.” Her mum gently questions the belief that summer is automatically the toughest time, pointing out how much of the struggle comes from expectation and from the stories we tell ourselves.
She highlights how beliefs shift over time: at first it seems like the liquid in the glass is what makes you belong, but eventually you see you’re still part of the group whether you’re drinking or not. They also dig into romanticising alcohol and the importance of “playing the tape forward” – remembering that the dreamy glass of wine on a patio always comes bundled with hangovers, anxiety and shame.
Instead, they suggest romanticising sober pleasures: morning coffee in the garden, evening walks, patios and people-watching, actually tasting the food, and waking up clear-headed. Madeline shares pieces of her own story, including heavy drinking in Australia and the relief of finally coming home and getting honest about her relationship with alcohol.
Both emphasise that the version of you who had a Day One was incredibly brave – and that a sober summer might be challenging at first, but it’s also a chance to build new memories you’ll actually remember. So what kind of summer do you want to look back on when September arrives?
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