Ali Roff Farrar is author of The Wellfulness Project and the Wellness Director at Psychologies magazine. She is also a regular contributor to the OYNB Blog! She is passionate about combining western sciences of psychology, neuroscience, and coaching with the Eastern philosophies of meditation, mindfulness, and yoga, to cultivate true holistic wellness in body and mind. In addition to the BSc degree she holds in Psychology, Ali is a qualified ‘200 hr Yoga Alliance Certified’ teacher and will shortly qualify as a Mindfulness teacher and expert for both stress and chronic pain. Ali joins the podcast today to talk about how, amid all of the noise and information out there, we often rely on others to make us happy or heal us and consult our phones for advice before consulting our inner compass. She is interested in empowering people to start to look inwards and discover the wisdom they have inside themselves instead of seeking answers outside. She believes that mental health is often pushed aside as we get caught up in the chatter of the mind and that by practicing directed mindful attention using ‘Wellfulness’, we can become more balanced in how we listen to our bodies, minds, and heart, and find greater holistic alignment in our lives, using this to create an authentic and sustainable healthy lifestyle that’s unique to our needs.  “If we can start to find a different way to deal with, react to, and respond to really those negative emotions, we can start to get a different relationship with them” In today’s episode, Ali talks about how she used this practice to help navigate life away from alcohol, and how that has improved her life. Listen in to hear what Ali has to say about how she changed careers, stopped drinking, wrote a book, and changed her life.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ ALI ROFF FARRAR’S LINKS AND RESOURCES Ali on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliroff/?hl=en  Ali’s Website: www.aliroff.com  Ali’s Book The Wellfulness Project: A Manual for Mindful Living: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wellfulness-Project-Ali-Roff-Farrar/dp/1783253215/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=wellfulness+project&qid=1581696733&sr=8-1  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone wants to find a partner with whom they can share a lasting, rewarding relationship. For those who haven’t already found that person, or who have had difficulty maintaining a relationship, or even those who have difficulty loving themselves as much as they deserve, today’s guest has valuable insight. Channa has over 15 years of experience as an international, award-winning, matchmaker, love coach, and holistic practitioner. She specializes in total transformation - from loving yourself to falling in love to maintaining a fulfilling relationship. Channa has helped thousands of men and women make this transformation and guided them every step of the way. “Setting boundaries is not being mean. Setting boundaries is being direct with grace and kindness.” Throughout her professional experience as a Matchmaker and love coach, she has learned the science of what makes and breaks relationships and witnessed the emotional component behind the science first- hand. Channa’s extensive experience in dating and relationships make her well-prepared to help you discover or achieve any of your relationship goals. In today’s interview, Channa shares what put her on this path to begin with. She talks about the lack of examples of loving, healthy relationships when she was growing up, and her own struggles with low self-worth and poor relationship choices. She also shares how she began taking accountability for her life and relationship choices and grew into someone who can help others achieve their own relationship goals. Channa also shares some helpful tips for meeting people, calming pre-date nerves through meditation, and sober dating. She discusses sober dancing, online dating, and the value of setting boundaries for yourself.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ CHANNA BROMLEY’S LINKS AND RESOURCES My Love Gurus Matchmaking: http://www.mylovegurus.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s it like to change your relationship with alcohol when you come from a family that’s in the alcohol business? Today’s guest has some insights on that intriguing question. Sid Mallya is an American Born British actor of Indian descent. He attended Wellington College and then Queen Mary, University of London where he obtained a BSc in Business Management. He spent some time in business but felt that his true calling lay elsewhere. So he trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, graduating with a Master of Arts in acting. His film credits include the Netflix Original film, ‘Brahman Naman’, and ‘Best Fake Friends’ which is currently streaming on Amazon. “If you hear all the stuff that I've said, I've never said alcohol is bad either.  I said that you just need to figure out if it's bad for you at this juncture.” In today’s interview, Sid shares his college experiences and his brief career in business. He explains how he ended up deciding to pursue acting instead of staying in the family business.  Sid talks about his interest in environmental causes and the small things that people can do to create real change in the world. He also speaks frankly about his mental health journey – what it was like to be diagnosed with OCD and how becoming a target for online hatred triggered a depressive spiral. He explains what it was like to be diagnosed and how treatment has affected him. Sid also talks about his experiences with alcohol through the years, from fairly standard drinking activity in college to the kind of heavy drinking that he engaged in while he was living and working in India. He explains his decision to stop drinking and what that alcohol-free journey has meant for his life.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ SID MALLYA’S LINKS  Sid Mallya on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sidmallya/?hl=en Sid Mallya on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sidmallya?lang=en Sid Mallya on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SidMallya/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some jobs are more social than others, and people who have social jobs often find that alcohol accompanies the social aspect of their work. That may be especially true for those who work in the entertainment industry, like today’s guest.  Suzanne Shaw auditioned for the ITV show Popstars in 2001. As a participant in the show, she won a place in the newly-formed pop band, Hear’say. The band saw great success, including two number one records and four top 10 hits, as well as their own TV show.  “At the end of the day, if you do put your mind to something and you are determined, you can achieve great things.” When the band eventually broke up, Suzanne found career success in musical theatre, plays, and television. But despite her career success, Suzanne’s life was not perfect, and in today’s episode, she talks about some of the challenges she faced over the years.  At the time of this interview, Suzanne was 95 days into her One Year No Beer challenge, and she talks frankly about the improvements in her life as she changes her relationship with alcohol as well as the difficulties of saying no to alcohol, especially during isolation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Suzanne describes some of the changes that she’s made since giving up alcohol, like turning vegan and taking up running. And she also talks about her own podcast, The Challenge Files, where she explores some of life’s difficult challenges.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ SUZANNE SHAW’S LINKS & RESOURCES Suzanne Shaw on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzi_shaw/?hl=en Suzanne Shaw on Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzanneshaw?lang=en Suzanne Shaw on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanneshawofficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Sweeney is an entrepreneur, an adventurer, and an author. He’s also known as the “Fear Guru”. In the current climate, many people are experiencing even more fear than they normally do, so today’s interview with Patrick may be helpful for people who are looking to overcome or control their own feelings of fear.  In today’s interview, Patrick speaks about the neuroscience of fear. What is fear for? Why do we feel it? Why do we need it, and how can we keep it from controlling us. Patrick explains how fear can be leveraged as the fuel that drives you to your peak performance.  “The first thing that everyone should know out there is that our brains were designed to adapt.” He discusses how the brain works as a prediction engine, and why being unable to predict an outcome causes feelings of fear and anxiety. He also discusses the different types of fear and what they mean. And Patrick also explains the relationship between fear and alcohol or the decision to give up alcohol.  Patrick also talks about how parents should talk to their children about fear. He discusses the importance of teaching children not to be victims, and how parents can teach children to take control of their own lives and to see themselves as creators, not victims.  Toward the close of the interview, Patrick discusses his backup plans – what he might have ended up doing with his life if his current occupation didn’t work out. And he also shares some helpful encouragement and wisdom for audience members who may currently be struggling with fear.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a difficult time for many people. The spread of coronavirus is having a devastating impact. Whole countries are instituting lockdowns. Even people who aren’t compelled to stay home may do so out of fear of catching the virus. Some people have lost their income, others are adapting to working from home for the first time. Children are out of school and stuck at home with parents who are also stuck at home.  What does this mean for the One Year No Beer community and the wider community? Anxieties are high. Emotions are volatile. People are fearful – and perhaps bored at the same time. This is going to result in many people turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism. But we know that alcohol really doesn’t help you cope.  “Alcohol is a depressant. We don't really realize the impact, and I'm yet to have a scientific study around this, but one day we definitely will.” Alcohol increases anxiety. It’s a depressant, so it may also increase feelings of sadness and depression. It puts you at risk, both because you have to go out to get alcohol and because it negatively impacts your immune system, making you more susceptible to viruses than you would be without it. If you’re a parent who is spending more time at home with your children than usual, drinking – and the accompanying hangovers – won’t make it any easier for you to function as a parent.  There are healthier things that you can do to relieve your feelings of anxiety and fear. A breathing exercise can help you calm your nervous system and regain some clarity and focus. You can use this time in positive ways – to bond with your family, for example, or to work on goals that will allow you to come out on the other side of this as a better and healthier version of yourself.  This is also a good time to support others who are considering changing their relationship with alcohol. You can set an example and encourage others not to use alcohol as a crutch during these challenging times. Here at ONYB, we’re working to help and reach more people by giving away our 28-day challenge for free to anyone who’s struggling. And you can help as well – by spreading the message, by sharing the podcast and other content, and by showing up in the community to support the new people coming in. Together, we can have an incredible positive impact on the world during a very difficult time.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The subject of today’s interview is Andrew Liddle. Andy is a teacher who’s made great progress in his alcohol-free journey. In today’s episode, Andrew shares some of his history with alcohol. He says that he was introduced to alcohol at a fairly young age – around 14 or 15 years old. Like many people, he found that the people around him, including friends and family, enabled his alcohol use, and by the time he reached the age of 18, he was well-versed in drinking.  Andy said that he had some great times and great holidays, and didn’t see drinking to be a negative at that time in his life. But by his early 30s, he had started to question whether this was where he really wanted to be in life. He was experiencing anxiety, especially when dealing with hangovers. And that’s where he was when he discovered One Year No Beer. “Being alcohol-free, I’m just not as stressed anymore.” Andy says that he had tried giving up alcohol before, especially by attempting to participate in Dry Januarys, but those attempts were unsuccessful. He talks about what it was like for him to give up alcohol – what his challenges were and what worked for him.  Andrew also talks about his career, and what made him decide that he wanted to be a teacher. He explains how drinking affected his career and also how giving up drinking has improved things. He discusses how a colleague describes him as less flustered than he used to be.  Andy also talks about how he got into running and doing marathons, and how being alcohol-free has helped him healthwise, as well as in terms of his personal life and hobbies. He also discusses the effects of going alcohol-free on his mental health. Finally, Andy shares his advice to people who haven’t yet attempted to give up alcohol and what he would say to somebody to convince them to try the alcohol-free challenge.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is the founder of Expert Empires, the cofounder of the Elite Closing Academy, and the creator of the Expert Empires Mastermind. Nick James joins the podcast today to talk about a secret sauce he’s discovered that will help him grow his businesses even more – and it’s a secret that OYNB members already know about.  Nick started running events in 2008. He recalls that 8 people showed up for his first event. His most recent event attracted 1500 people. He brings in experts and speakers to talk about how to successfully grow businesses and establish brands, and he’s already successfully grown his own business quite a bit. But when he sat down to set his intentions for 2020, he wanted to find a way to grow even more and help even more people.  “This is not fashionable in the personal development world, but I actually don’t read books. But I like to digest content through audio.” An audiobook prompted him to ask himself what one thing he could do to make everything else either easier, or unnecessary. And the answer was for him to be more present, have more time, and become an even better leader. And Nick decided that the best way to accomplish that was to give up alcohol.  Nick says that he had set this intention before. Reducing his alcohol intake was on the list every year, and it was the only intention that he fell short on every year. He decided that trying to moderate his alcohol intake wasn’t working, so the answer was to give it up entirely.  Nick describes feeling very worried during his first week of going alcohol-free. He was a public figure and he’d posted his intention on Facebook, so if he failed, he would be failing publicly. He was also afraid that even if he succeeded, he’d hate it, but be stuck with it. However, he found that after that first week, it was much easier than he’d expected to abstain. Listen in to hear Nick talk more about his alcohol-free journey. He talks about how much the OYNB community has helped and how the change has affected his business. He explains how he has more energy, more productivity, and more time now. And Nick and Ruari talk about what a game-changer it would be to get this message across to other entrepreneurs.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ NICK JAMES’S LINKS & RESOURCES: Expert Empires: https://www.expertempires.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is alcohol especially problematic for women? What exactly are the effects of alcohol on women’s health? That’s one of the subjects that today’s guest is going to address.  Kanchan Koya has a PhD in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School. She’s also a certified health coach, an author, and the founder of the online platform Spice Spice Baby. Kanchan has also recently completed One Year No Beer’s 90 Day Challenge.  Not only is it preventing our body from detoxifying estrogen efficiently, but the estrogen that’s accumulating is then making the alcohol more irresistible. So, you get stuck in this loop. Kanchan grew up in India and considers herself to be a health and wellness educator. One of her areas of interest is the science of spices. She’s studied the health benefits of spices and their value as preventative medicine. She explains that many medicines have their roots in plants and that it’s worthwhile to consider both traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals as parts of a whole wellness solution.  In today’s interview, Kanchan also speaks about alcohol, specifically about the different effects that alcohol has on men and women. She explains that alcohol inhibits the body’s ability to detoxify estrogen, which is why even moderate alcohol consumption can lead to an increased risk of certain health problems, like breast cancer, in women.  Kanchan also discusses her own journey with alcohol. She grew up seeing moderate alcohol consumption as a source of relaxation for her own father and started drinking herself for the same reasons. She describes her own typical alcohol consumption as moderate as well, but she began to feel concerned that even that moderate amount of alcohol was an addiction for her, and that it wasn’t serving her highest health needs.  Kanchan discovered One Year No Beer through a podcast interview that she was listening to, and the program appealed to her because she felt it was geared toward alcohol users like herself – those who weren’t addicts in the typically accepted sense of the word, but who wanted to create some distance between themselves and a potentially harmful habit.  Kanchan discusses her experiences with the 90 Day Challenge and how she’s handling alcohol consumption now that she’s completed the challenges. She also shares her thoughts about mindfulness and being part of a group like One Year No Beer, as well as some tips for people who might be just starting their first alcohol-free challenge.   LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ KANCHAN KOYA’S LINKS & RESOURCES: Spice Spice Baby: https://www.spicespicebaby.com/ The Momlight Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/momlight/id1457407033 Kanchan Koya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiefspicemama/?hl=en Kanchan Koya on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kkoya?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to raising children, you have to make your moments count, because your child will only be a child for so long. Parents know this, but many find it harder than they expected to get in the quality time that they and their children need. And worries about doing it wrong can lead some parents not to even try.  Today’s guest joins the podcast to talk about intentional parenting. Justin Batt is the founder of Daddy Saturday, an organization designed to help dads raise good kids to become great adults. Justin explains how Daddy Saturday got started – his wife was getting started establishing her own business, and Justin found himself in the position of being the primary parent on most Saturdays. He noticed that these Saturdays didn’t always result in the kind of time he wanted to spend with his children, despite good intentions, so he decided to make a change.  “It starts with you as the parent first, and you modeling for your kids what you want to see in them.” Justin started making plans to engage with his children in an intentional way. With a plan of action in place, not only did Saturdays go more smoothly, but Justin found that he was able to be really present with his children, not just physically, but emotionally as well.  It didn’t take long for Justin to discover that he was not the only father experiencing similar things, and he set out to find a way to use his own engagement with his children to help out other fathers as well. This is what led to Daddy Saturdays.  In today’s episode, Justin explains how he began helping other fathers develop plans for engaging with their children and how that intention helped relationships improve. He also discussed his research into the problem of fatherlessness, including how fathers can sometimes be present in the household but not emotionally available for their children, and how that affects children and families. He also discusses his own experiences with alcohol and giving it up. Listen in to learn more about Justin, Daddy Saturday, and intentional parenting.  OYNB LINKS    OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Email: info@oneyearnobeer.com     JUSTIN BATT’S LINKS: Daddy Saturday: https://daddysaturday.com/ info@daddysaturday.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices