216 - Three Tips to ANTI-UP your sobriety!216 - Three Tips to ANTI-UP your sobriety!
Real Recovery Talk
Tom Conrad shares three practical ways to strengthen sobriety through better sleep habits, movement and nutrition. The episode focuses on feeling physically and emotionally better so that staying sober becomes more manageable.
10:56•4 Sept 2022
Doing Good, Feeling Good: Three Simple Ways to Boost Your Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Feeling good physically and emotionally makes sobriety more sustainable than simply removing alcohol or drugs.
- A simple evening routine such as reading can support sleep and create a sense of achievement without relying on junk food or medication.
- Regular movement, even short daily walks, can lift mood and act as a powerful support against depression in early recovery.
- Focusing on an 80-20 approach to nutrition—mostly whole foods with occasional treats—can significantly improve how someone feels in sobriety.
- Social meals can be enjoyed for their community aspect, while everyday eating at home is a key place to avoid routine junk food.
“"Sobriety, it sucks if we don't feel good."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This short, punchy episode of *Real Recovery Talk* sees host Tom Conrad speaking directly to people in early recovery who feel emotionally all over the place, even after putting down the drink or drugs. Tom shares his own early-sobriety routine of frozen pizzas, ice cream and sleep meds, and how it left him feeling stuck.
As he puts it bluntly, "sobriety, it sucks if we don't feel good." From there, he lays out three simple but challenging shifts that helped him start "doing good, feeling good" – without pretending it’s all easy or glamorous. First up is sleep and evening routine. Tom talks about coming off his sleep medication (with a clear disclaimer that he isn’t a doctor) and replacing late-night junk food with reading.
For him, reading gave a genuine sense of achievement: he woke up remembering what he’d read and feeling just a little bit proud of himself. Next is movement. Tom is upfront: he’s seen people in treatment fall apart emotionally when they’re not doing anything to improve their wellbeing. For many, basic exercise becomes a game-changer. He recalls joining a CrossFit gym around six months sober and feeling his depression lift, calling exercise the best antidepressant he knows.
For beginners, he suggests something as modest as a couple of 10-minute walks a day. Finally, Tom talks food. He contrasts his early “garbage” diet with a simple 80/20 approach: mostly whole, unprocessed foods, with room for pizza, burgers and tacos when out with friends, focusing on community and connection rather than perfection.
The tone stays honest, practical and no-nonsense – perfect if you’re sober or trying to get sober and want concrete ideas to feel better in your own skin. Which of these three areas could you start improving today?
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