Sober October - Susan from Hola SoberSober October - Susan from Hola Sober
Alcohol Free Life - Janey Lee Grace
Janey Lee Grace and Susan Christina from Hola Sober talk candidly about Sober October, sharing stats, personal experiences and practical tools for extending a dry month into lasting change. The conversation highlights shame, courage, community and the freedom that can come from choosing an alcohol-free life.
46:14•16 Oct 2026
From Sober October to Your Last Day One with Susan from Hola Sober
Episode Overview
- Early irritability and low moods are common in sobriety and linked to brain chemistry readjusting, not a personal failing.
- Alcohol is addictive; shifting blame from yourself to the substance can reduce shame and open the door to change.
- Treat Sober October as an opportunity to create lasting change, rather than a countdown to drinking again.
- Writing both a “never again” list for drinking behaviours and a gratitude list for sober gains helps clarify why staying alcohol-free matters.
- Staying present, focusing on just getting to midnight, and leaning on supportive communities can make continuing beyond October feel achievable.
“The single most rebellious act of brutal courage that I have ever done in my life is put down the wine glass.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This replay brings back a lively, honest chat between host Janey Lee Grace and Susan Christina from Hola Sober, all centred around Sober October and what happens next.
Janey sets the scene by talking about clients who feel irritable and confused in early alcohol-free days, reminding you that “life isn’t all rainbows and bunnies just because you’ve quit the booze.” She explains how brain chemistry needs time to reset and why the real goal is that long-forgotten feeling of contentment and being comfortable in your own skin. Susan brings the stats and the straight talking.
She notes that tens of thousands officially sign up for Sober October and many more quietly join in, often because “they have a concern” about their drinking. She remembers years of shame, waking up convinced she was uniquely flawed, and describes the turning point as taking “radical responsibility” and accepting that alcohol itself is addictive, not her personality.
There’s plenty here for anyone halfway through a dry month thinking, “What now?” Susan is clear that using Sober October as a countdown to “loshville central” on 1 November is a missed chance. Instead, she urges people to write a “never again” list of drinking regrets alongside a gratitude list of sober gains, and to bring in their horizon to just getting to midnight and doing it again.
Janey and Susan swap stories of high-functioning drinking, unhelpful advice from professionals, and the quiet courage of saying “I don’t drink” as a complete sentence. They talk about community spaces like The Sober Club and online sober circles as vital support, especially on those flat days when sobriety doesn’t feel magical.
If you’re doing Sober October, or simply wondering if your last Day One could already be behind you, this conversation might be exactly the nudge you need to see alcohol-free living as rebellion, self-respect and genuine freedom. What would your “never again” list look like?
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