The One Year No Beer Podcast is the show created to inspire you to take the steps needed to Finally Transform Your Relationship With Alcohol.  This podcast will help you to kick start your healthy habits and reconnect with your true self by taking you on the journey of becoming the most productive, present and healthiest version of yourself.  You’ll hear the inspiring, motivating and thought-provoking stories of some of the 80,000+ OYNB members who have changed their lives and now enjoy improved sleep, being more productive, reducing anxiety levels, losing weight and feeling noticeably better just by taking a break from booze.  If you are thinking about changing your relationship with alcohol, or you are alcohol-free, then this podcast will not only give you top tips, ideas, strategies and support but also motivate and inspire you to totally transform your life! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever get hung up on perfection, black and white thinking, and the feeling that you must choose between all and nothing? That’s the kind of thing that today’s guest deals with on a regular basis. Listen in to Jessica Seeley Jennings to find out about her work with wellpower and accepting yourself. Jessica is the wife of Jeff Jennings, of Relationship Remastery. You can hear his interview in an earlier episode. In today’s episode of One Year No Beer, Jessica discusses some of the things that she’s learned in over 20 years of working with mental health disorders, eating disorders, and couples therapy. She’s also a certified alcohol and drug rehab counselor.  “I think we as human beings get stuck in polarizing opposites. We feel we have to be perfect and push and push ourselves to unrealistic extremes.” Jessica talks about the common all or nothing attitudes that she hears about in counseling and therapeutic settings. She discusses how people can let go of that way of thinking and find a balance that’s healthier and more sustainable.  Jessica also talks about communication and its importance. Chris, Kristine, and Jessica all agree that loneliness is a common problem, especially for people in certain stages of the OYNB process who have difficulty making connections with others. Jessica explains why people in our society have difficulty with connection and what they can do about it.  Listen in to the episode to hear what Jessica has to say about the power of wellpower vs. willpower, and why it can be important to accept what is and learn to reach for your goals in a different way. Jessica gives examples of her work and what people can do to help themselves when they’re struggling, as well as sharing how listeners can reach her. LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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/  JESSICA SEELEY JENNINGS Email: jessica@relationshipremastery.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Changing your relationship with alcohol is a huge and important journey. But humans are complex, and they can go through more than one huge and important journey in their lives, and maybe even during the same time period. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Seth Staggs about his childhood in the Bible Belt of America, coming out as a member of the LGBT community, and making his OYNB journey. As of this recording, Seth Staggs is on day 388 with no alcohol, making him a OYNB success story. Seth has had a lot of interesting things happen in his life, however, and giving up alcohol is just one of them.  “Looking back, I was looking forward to my 30s and was just kind of okay, what am I going to do to make my 30s better?” In today’s interview, Seth talks about what it was like for him to grow up in the Bible Belt among a religious family and community that did not accept LGBT people at the time. Seth understood that he was different, understood that he was gay, and even faced homophobia at school and in the community, but did not feel comfortable admitting it out loud as a teenager. It wasn’t until after high school that he began to tentatively admit who he really was as he found friends that were also part of an LGBT community that he hadn’t realized existed in his home state of Arkansas. Of course, coming out didn’t solve all of Seth’s problems. While he found acceptance and a sense of belonging at gay clubs and bars, he also found something else – alcohol. And it was from there that Seth developed a pattern of drinking that interfered with the other things that he wanted to do with his life. Seth says that he remains supportive of gay clubs and bars, but the alcohol was a problem for him.  Things really came to a head when a friend of Seth's caused an accident that involved drinking and driving. That helped Seth to realize that if it had happened to his friend, it could happen to him to. In January of 2019. Seth joined One Year No Beer.  In today’s episode you’ll learn more about Seth’s OYNB journey, and about how he decided to become vegan as well. You’ll also hear about how he had a slip in his journey but picked back up and successfully completed 365 days and then some. Finally, Seth also addresses the future – what he sees ahead for himself in 2021 and beyond.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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

One Year No Beer is about something much bigger than changing an individual’s relationship with alcohol. It’s about changing society’s relationship with alcohol. And often, when one person makes a significant change, they find a way to share that change with a broader group of people. That’s what today’s guest did. In today’s episode, Johnny Johnson discusses the drinking culture that he was a part of. He didn’t consider himself an alcoholic or think of his drinking as anything over the top – it was just normal. It was normal to go out for drinks on weeknights with colleagues and go out on the weekends with old school friends. It was normal to work through hangovers. It was normal to spend Sundays recovering so that the cycle could start over again with the next work week. “I looked back at my life and I started thinking, I'm just on this hamster wheel and I'm not enjoying life.” Johnny decided after his wedding that he was tired of this version of normal – tired of having hangovers, tired of worrying about what he might have done and forgotten about while he was drinking. So, he decided to give up alcohol for a while, then decided to join One Year No Beer so that he could experience the support of a community during his journey. But that’s not where Johnny’s story stops. He found himself telling friends and family about going alcohol-free because he was excited about it. And because he still wanted to go out and join in social activities, he also started exploring alcohol-free drinks. Johnny did find some nonalcoholic beers that he liked, but most venues carried big brands that he didn’t care for as much. Rather than giving up, Johnny was inspired by the situation. He decided to create his own alcohol-free beer. His goal was to get it into pubs and restaurants so that when he and other people like him went out, they could order an alcohol-free beer that they liked and were proud to be seen drinking. In today’s episode, Johnny discusses his journey with alcohol, his foray into nonalcoholic brewing, and his experiences with the One Year No Beer community. Listen in to learn how Johnny managed to create a healthy nonalcoholic beer and to pick up a promo code that will give OYNB members a discount on Johnny’s alcohol-free beer. LINKS & RESOURCES OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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/  JOHNNY JOHNSON’S LINKS UNLTD Beer: https://www.unltd.beer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, in the wake of a tragedy or difficult life event, people find themselves turning to alcohol to numb the pain. But today’s guest is proof that it’s possible to overcome tragedy and difficult life circumstances and to give up alcohol. It takes work and commitment, but it can be done. Chris Hemming is a man with a dramatic life story. In today’s episode, he frankly discusses how his little brother began experimenting with alcohol, and how that experimentation culminated in a fatal car crash on Halloween. Chris says that you might assume that after such a tragic event, he wouldn’t allow alcohol to be a problem in his own life. But of course, things don’t always work out the way that you might assume they would. “It's not easy. If somebody says it is, they're not telling you the truth. I think the answer is, is this is a daily battle.” Chris goes on to explain how, as an adult, he ended up getting pulled over, arrested, and charged with a DUI. And further, he relates how, while he was waiting for sentencing on his DUI case, he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain tumor. His sentencing had to be postponed so that he could undergo brain surgery and recover from that.  Fortunately, Chris did survive the tumor and brain surgery, and he learned some things from the whole experience. In today’s interview, Chris talks about the power of forgiveness – both forgiveness from other people and forgiving yourself. He also discusses his own relatively new alcohol-free journey. At the time of this recording, Chris has been alcohol-free for four months.  Chris talks about some of the things that he’s learned since his brain surgery, including how to cope with changes in his memory. He discusses his business, how it’s changed during this time due to COVID, and what he has coming up on the horizon. Finally, he shares his own advice for people who are beginning their alcohol-free journey. Listen in to today’s episode to learn more about Chris and his story.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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

Dr. Alan Desmond is a returning guest to the One Year No Beer podcast. Alan is a gastroenterologist and a passionate advocate of plant-based diets.  In today’s episode, Alan discusses his own One Year No Beer journey. He talks about how he would give up drinking when he was training for Spartan races and why he finally decided to give up alcohol for good. He was training for a Spartan Ultra, and he decided to begin a challenge 90 days before a race. Like many people who try the One Year No Beer challenges, he found that he slept better, woke up fresher, and was generally more productive without the alcohol.  “For me, it's been a real gamechanger. It's like you discover all this extra time in the day.” Alan also discusses his interest in plant-based diets. As a gastroenterologist, he explains, he frequently gets questions from patients about what they should be eating, what they should be avoiding, what types of foods will make them feel better and improve their diagnoses. Alan’s interest in giving his patients evidence-based answers to their questions led to his advocacy for a plant-based diet.  Now, Alan’s written a book about plant-based diets and how they can help individuals lead healthier lives. In discussing his book, Alan talks about how the right diet can lead to a healthier mind and a healthier body. His book details a 28-day plan that people can use to test out a plant-based diet and see for themselves how much better they feel. He even talks about how the right diet can reverse serious conditions like diabetes and chronic inflammation. Listen to the episode to learn more about Dr. Desmond, his book, and the power of plant-based diets.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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/  Dr. Alan Desmond Links: Dr. Alan Desmond on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.alandesmond/?hl=en The Plant-Based Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GKCF7B6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The One Year No Beer Podcast has a new co-host! Kristine Laping will be joining host Chris Laping to bring you guests, stories, and insights on the One Year No Beer Podcast. In today’s episode, Chris and Kristine talk with Rakale Hannah. Rakale is a one-to-one coach in the ONYB community, but that’s not her only important role. Rakale is also a gifted musician who has just released an album entitled Other Side of Blue. Rakale has a moving personal story to share, and in today’s episode, she discusses her own journey and how she ended up in a position to help others in their journeys. Music has always been part of Rakale Hannah’s life. She grew up as the daughter of a Baptist preacher and both of her parents were singers, so Rakale has been singing since she was very young. But there was also a darker side to Rakale’s upbringing. She reveals that as a child, she experienced a lot of religious control as well as physical and verbal abuse at home. She talks about experiencing shame and feeling as if she had to present a face to the world that suggested everything was beautiful, even when the opposite was true.  "I've had times where I'll be on stage singing a song and someone will come to me and say, you were coaching me while you were singing like I felt the energy of change in your music.” Rakale discusses how her childhood experiences left her with pain and trauma, and how her journey involved working through those experiences. She talks about what helped her through her difficult childhood – notably, her own imagination played a big role, as well as connections that she made with others in her church.  She explains how she chose healing and transformation, and how that changed her life’s journey. Rakale discusses how her changes weren’t instantaneous – she spent time working with different therapists until she found the right one and she had to work through the unfinished business of her life one step at a time. Rakale states that it’s consistency that people need to seek, not perfection. She talks about the importance of showing up and making progress, even if doesn’t go as quickly as you’d prefer.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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

Over the past few weeks, the One Year No Beer Podcast has had several great guests who have discussed things like how relationships change when you stop drinking, the importance of finding self-love and self-worth, and the exhilaration of taking a major leap, like quitting a day job to follow your passion. Today’s episode combines elements from all of those themes in one show.  In today’s podcast, you’ll hear from host Chris Laping and his wife Kristine Laping about their experiences with giving up alcohol together, as a couple. Chris and Kristine have reached their two-year anniversary of changing their relationships with alcohol together, and they have a lot to say about what the journey has been like for them.  “The reality is, when you do a lookback, now that we’ve hit our 2-year milestone there are some really interesting insights from who we were as a couple when we were drinking, vs. now, when we don’t drink.” Chris and Kristine discuss the difference in how they handle the kinds of common disagreements and annoyances that all married couples have now that they no longer drink. Kristine talks about her “belligerent drink” and recounts an episode that she would handle very differently today. They also discuss how alcohol can be used as an avoidance technique, and Chris talks about his increased ability to sit in discomfort now, rather than trying to avoid it.  Chris and Kristine also discuss the tensions that can arise when one member of a couple decides to give up drinking and the other does not, and the value of the accountability that occurs as a side effect of couples deciding to change their relationships with alcohol together. They discuss the things that they’ve done that they probably never would have done if they’d still been drinking and the occasional triggers that each still deals with. Listen in to learn more about Chris and Kristine’s alcohol-free journey. LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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

Does making one big change make other changes easier to make? For example, can changing your relationship with alcohol also make it easier to make other healthy lifestyle choices? Can it give you the confidence to follow your passions professionally or personally? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Clare Freeman. Clare has reached 775 days entirely without alcohol at the time of this podcast recording. She’s also built a successful business and hosts a popular podcast of her own.   In today’s interview, Clare talks about where she was just three or four years ago. She describes herself as just drifting and existing amid a turmoil of stress, grief, heartbreak, and exhaustion. While she outwardly looked like she was doing well as an award-winning BBC producer, but internally, she was making unhealthy choices like drinking excessively and overeating to avoid her feelings. She’d even begun to ask herself if she was an alcoholic. “What I was stuck with was I knew I wasn’t an alcoholic, but I knew there wasn’t something right.” Clare concluded that she wasn’t an alcoholic, and she decided that a group like AA wouldn’t be right for her. She believed that alcohol was part of her problem, but she didn’t want to be labeled as an alcoholic for life and she didn’t believe that the AA approach would be useful for her. She attempted to moderate her drinking, but she didn’t feel as if that approach would work for her either. Then she found One Year No Beer through Catherine Gray’s book, The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. She explains that the difference she saw in the ONYB community was that the people were really moving forward, thriving, and living their best lives. Clare believed that that was the kind of community that she could do well in also.  Clare shares how she felt when she reached the last day of her 365 day challenge, and why it wasn’t the grand event that she expected it to be – but also why she felt driven to keep going. She also talks about how she handled challenges to her sobriety, and how those challenges still present themselves, even after close to 800 days of being alcohol-free. She goes on to talk about her work and even explains how she came to give her podcast consulting business its distinctive name, A Small Furry Bear Productions. Listen in to the episode to learn more about Clare’s journey, life, and work.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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/  CLARE FREEMAN’S LINKS The Slimming World Podcast: https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/blog/discover-the-new-slimming-world-podcast/ A Small Furry Bear Productions: https://www.asfbproductions.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year No Beer is all about changing your relationship with alcohol. But when you do that, you might find yourself dealing with changes in your other relationships as well. How do you maintain a relationship with a friend when the foundation of that relationship is meeting up for drinks – and you’ve stopped drinking? What about your romantic relationships? Is your relationship with a spouse or partner doomed if you stop drinking and they don’t? What’s the best way to get your partner to support you? Is it fair to ask them to stop drinking just because you do?  Relationship struggles are a commonly discussed problem in the One Year No Beer forums. In today’s episode of the ONYB podcast, you’ll hear from Jeff Jennings, a clinical psychologist who specializes in educating and coaching individuals and couples as they work on connecting and maintaining relationships.  “Be firm in your commitment, and if you are committing to an alcohol-free life, you want to communicate that commitment to people.” In today’s interview, Jeff talks about several different aspects of relationship issues that a person might encounter when they give up drinking. Jeff discusses both spouse or partner relationships as well as relationships with friends and others. He explains the importance of clear communication and how to address issues that are likely to arise during your alcohol-free journey.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ 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/  JEFF JENNINGS’S LINKS Relationship Remastery Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/relationship.remastery Jeff’s email: Jeff@relationshipremastery.com      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices