Grace First: How to Navigate the Holidays Without Alcohol | The Joy Edit | E858

Nov 29, 2025

Explore how the holidays can be both joyful and overwhelming. One host shares her journey through an alcohol-free holiday while processing grief. Discover the power of grace over willpower and learn to replace judgment with curiosity. The discussion includes insightful tools for recognizing triggers and creating new traditions. A five-step reflective exercise helps listeners cultivate self-compassion. By the end, you’ll feel empowered to navigate the season with ease and a personal grace statement.

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INSIGHT

Grace Creates Space For Real Change

Leading with grace creates space for curiosity and lasting change.
Grace reduces shame so the brain can access problem-solving and positive emotion.

ANECDOTE

First Alcohol-Free Holiday After Grief

Coach Hayley described her first alcohol-free holiday after her mother's death.
She felt gratitude and genuine belly laughs instead of shame and avoidance.

INSIGHT

Shame Undermines Change

Shame blocks curiosity and fuels repetitive drinking cycles.
Replacing shame with safety rewires the brain toward problem-solving and healing.

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Ever catch yourself wondering why the holidays—meant to be joyful—can feel so overwhelming? In this first episode of The Joy Edit, Coach Pam and Coach Hayley explore exactly that. They walk alongside you through the rush of traditions, emotions, expectations, and memories that make the season both beautiful and complicated. Hayley opens up about her first alcohol-free holiday after losing her mom, while Pam shares Annie Grace’s “order of operations,” revealing why shame keeps us stuck and why grace sets us free. Coach Zoe jumps in with a relatable moment from a long family gathering, showing how curiosity can soften triggers and help you stay grounded. Throughout the episode, you’re invited into gentle reflection, deeper breathing, and tiny mindset shifts that add up in powerful ways. By the end, you’ll feel more equipped—and more at ease—about how to navigate the holidays without alcohol.

Highlights include:

Why grace—not willpower—shifts how to navigate the holidays without alcohol

Hayley’s first alcohol-free holiday after her mom’s passing

Zoe’s tool for noticing “the wave” before it pulls you under

Pam on Annie’s neuroscience-backed “order of operations”

A 5-step reflection to turn judgment into curiosity

Creating your personal Grace Statement for the season

And more…

Episode links:Learn how to handle holiday stress without alcohol - https://thisnakedmind.com/how-to-handle-holiday-stress-without-alcohol/

Related Episodes:

Overcoming a Craving: My Best Advice | Reader Question | E10 | https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-10-reader-question-overcoming-a-craving-my-best-advice/

How do I deal with death and grief without alcohol? | Reader Question | E262 | https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-262-reader-question-grief-without-alcohol/

How do you survive the holidays without alcohol? | Reader Question | E438 | https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-438-reader-question-how-do-you-survive-the-holidays-without-alcohol/

Ready to take the next step on your journey?
Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

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