New Here with Allison

What could open up to us if we gave ourselves SPACE from the constant need to consume and chase the highs or lows?In this episode, I discuss locking eyes with an owl and how I never could have seen it if I had been drinking, a world that opens up in sobriety, and a new perspective gained from fasting.If you need help with quitting alcohol or substances, please find the help you need. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

You don’t have to look too far to find a person who is hard on themselves or others for completely natural human expression, exploration, creation, and mistakes.Maybe you’re hard on yourself. I know I can be. It’s quite exhausting, really.It’s not like everyone has everything “figured out.” And besides, aren’t we here to learn, explore, create, and grow? Doesn’t that come with the territory of being a human, and aren’t failure and mistakes a part of the human experience? So, why would we ridicule ourselves or others for being human, for having dreams, failing, expressing, and evolving?In this episode, I discuss being a human and how some of us do our best to avoid it, through numbing, silencing, running away, staying small, quiet, too nice, and unforgiving. How could our world change if we allowed ourselves and others to be fully human while we are here on Earth?What could change if you allowed yourself to BE!? To BE a human. (to feel, dream, create, express, fail, grow, etc) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I discuss shame and some of the ways we can avoid feeling it, possibly without even realizing it, avenues through which shame can be woven into our lives (again, possibly without even realizing it), and how shame is useful sometimes, but not all the time.To be clear, I do not come to this conversation as an expert-I’m barely a beginner, but the other day, it became clear to me that so much of my life has been guided by the desire to avoid feeling shame, and this discovery blew my mind wide open, and now, I’m exploring this side of life. Come along for the ride.New Here with Allison is not health advice. If you need professional health support, please find the support you need. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

One thing I continue to discover about health and caring for one’s health, is that you get to find an approach that works for YOU and your life. You get to play with words, mindsets, and feelings, until something lands, lights you up, and excites you and makes the journey enjoyable. Caring for your body and health gets to be enjoyable. Why not?Considering the body as a friend is my most recent mindset shift that I am playing around with and it feels WARM, LOVING, INTIMATE, NUANCED, PATIENT, KIND, ATTENTIVE, and LIKE A HUG. What if taking care of your body and health could feel like a hug?In this weeks episode I explore the body as a friend, how this perspective can make caring for your body feel warm, loving, and dependable, and why considering your body as a friend can help you to hear your body out, communicate with it, understand it, and follow it’s guidance while working alongside it.New Here with Allison is not health advice. If you need professional health support, please find it.xx This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of New Here with Allison I discuss my experience with suicidal thoughts in early sobriety, what it felt like, why (I believe) those thoughts came up, what those thoughts were telling me, and how I moved through that fire and broke free from those painful chains into a brighter, hopeful, empowered future. I am not giving you advice or telling you what to do. If you need help, please find the help you need. You belong here. Your life matters. What I am doing here is sharing my story and what helped me along the way. My hope is that something here can serve you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

Quitting alcohol hit me like a ton of bricks. The booze was gone, my head was clear, and life looked entirely different than it once did through the drunken haze. It’s not that I thought we’d all live forever, but I felt that we would. and maybe we will? Life goes on after we leave this planet (I think!) But I felt that we would never be anything beyond 20/30-something and we’d remain on this planet for eternity. To some, this sounds silly, I’m sure. It wasn’t something I explored very much, but alcohol abuse/misuse can create a lot of stagnancy in mind and body and everything can appear stuck in time as you remain in the same cycles over and over and over until you break free. But once the alcohol was gone from my life, I looked around and said, “Whoa! Things change. People move on, evolve, grow older, and leave this planet.” It hit me: this time here on Earth is temporary. How had I been living?The weight of my drunken memories and “time wasted” ate me up and I sulked for many months as I regretted my choices. “I’m late!” I said to myself. “I’m behind. It’s too late for me. It’s over.” These words hurt me and I let them and I hid in a dark corner, depressed, repeating to myself every harmful word that reminded me of the time I spent drinking, and I did this until something changed, because I changed it because what else is there to do? What else do we have? Who wants to look back at their life and realize they spoke to themself harshly in a dark corner for years on end?We can regret our choices forever or we can make peace and move on. We can live afraid of what comes next or we can learn to embrace the journey? We can worry about the future and the next great unknown or we can lean into life and find the courage to move forward with open eyes and hearts. We can live lifetimes in a day and go to sleep knowing we stretched time and savored the moments and gave it our all.How are you living? How do you want to live?How do you want to feel on earth?Thank you for being here everyone. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your time. If there is any topic you would like me to discuss in regard to sobriety, alcohol abuse/misuse, health, or life in general, please leave a comment or send me a message and let me know. Peace! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

With the new year upon us, I wanted to squeeze in one more podcast to offer some encouraging words for anyone who needs to hear them, and those encouraging words are “All is well, even in failure, even in falling away from the health plan as you originally set it to be.” Can it be so simple? Can you have your back even if things don’t go as originally planned? What if “failure” is just a part of the journey, even the health journey? What if failure is the perfect opportunity to learn, even when it comes to your health?I am not encouraging anyone to go back to drinking simply for the opportunity to learn, and I’m not encouraging anyone to neglect their health, but even swaying from the plan is ok. All is well. You can use the opportunity to reflect, grow, gather yourself, see what works and what doesn’t, adjust your sails and continue on. You can use every inch of the journey to get to know yourself and your body as you find your way and develop a strong relationship with YOU and YOUR VESSEL.In this episode, I offer a perspective shift around “failing” when it comes to health, fitness, sobriety, and how you can “failure” to your advantage on the journey of life. This podcast is not health advice. If you need support on your health journey, please find the support you need.Thank you for being here and listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

There is something about living in the darkness and BELIEVING you’re meant to stay there forever and that there’s no way out, that can make you feel absolutely hopeless. But what if there’s another way? What if there is a way out and through? What if it’s available to you? What if you just need to keep going and pay attention to the things that call to you and catch your attention to discover your path to new freedom?I just listened to the episode of Radiolab that I referenced in this podcast but I am unable to retrieve the link to share it here. The website is https://radiolab.org/podcast and the episode is called “WORDS” and it was published on August 9, 2010.This podcast is not health or life advice. If you need professional health support, please find the support you need. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

Is something hurting you? Does something ache? If not, then But if so, are you willing to acknowledge the pain? Can you identify it? Can you be honest about it?There’s something so powerful about saying “That is where it hurts! OW!” and then making the shifts necessary to free yourself from the pain or at least ease the pain. In this episode, I discuss the power of acknowledging the pain in your life and how doing so can open the doors to new freedom, why we might be afraid to acknowledge pain, how shoving the pain down can manifest in one’s life, and a bit about my journey of healing after sexual trauma (which came only after acknowledging the pain).This episode is not health or life advice. If you need support from a professional healthcare worker, please seek the health you need.P.S. My apologies in advance for speaking so loudly into the microphone. I was pumped! And I don’t yet know how to change the volume settings after recording, so check your speaker volume before hitting play. lol This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve been noticing and surprised by the SPACE that can open up when you rid your life of alcohol or whatever else is occupying too much of your world in a toxic way. If the toxicity of your choosing fills you to the brim and flows over your edges, how will there ever be space for new and vibrant life to enter your reality?In this episode, I discuss some surprising fruits of sobriety, the space that opens up when the alcohol is gone, and how this SPACE offers new room to FEEL and CONNECT, and also, a very special hat that represents a new beginning that grew out of pain.Thank you for being here and listening. Is there anything in particular you would like me to discuss in future episodes? If so, please comment or send a message via substack (New Here with Allison)As always, if you need support in quitting alcohol or any substances, or healing thereafter, please find the support you need. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I talk about gratitude and the importance of inviting your body into your gratitude, knowing what gratitude feels like in your body, becoming gratitude and radiating as such, and using the physical experience of gratitude to better understand your body so you can it as a tool and help yourself along in this life. If you make it through the somewhat lengthy introduction (thanks for your patience and I learn how to do a solid intro) then I get to the meat of the message and it’s worth it. As always, this podcast is not health advice. If you need professional health support, please find the support you need.Thank you for listening. Cheers,Allison This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

For the past 11 months, I have posted on TikTok everyday discussing the topic of sobriety. I’ve included my story, observations, opinions, and approach to quitting alcohol, and listeners have commented on my videos with their opinions, stories, thoughts and struggles in regard to sobriety. Among those comments a few themes have popped up, all of which I relate to, and all of which I have heard through my years of drinking and talking to people. In this episode, I discuss three of those themes that some people can struggle with when it comes to sobriety, choosing health and freedom, and navigating life after alcohol. Thank you for listening. As always, this episode is not health or life advice. If you need support with quitting alcohol or any substance, please find the professional support you need. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

When I first got sober, and could finally see clearly for the first time in years, I felt this intense desire to SPEED WAY UP AND PLAY CATCH UP FOR 20 YEARS OF DRINKING. Every day was filled with a sense of anxiety that told me I was behind, and that feeling guided my days to misery, and funnily enough, it didn’t much help me to move forward in life. ha!Turns out, slowing down is not only allowed but useful especially in early sobriety (and always? what do you think?) as you navigate life without substances, as you build a new foundation, as you learn to take care of yourself in this wild world. Why not slow down and do it right this time? Why not give yourself the space to notice every detail? Why not leave room for divine gifts?Thank you so much for listening! As always, New Here with Allison is not health or life advice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

I drank and abused alcohol for 20 years and when I finally quit, 2+ years ago, everything clicked and I stepped into sobriety with certainty.Don’t get me wrong, since entering sobriety, I have been humbled and my confidence in life has been challenged, but never enough to consider drinking again, at least not seriously. So how did I do it? How did I arrive here at the decision to quit alcohol? Well, I tried and failed to quit a million times and learned a lot along the way until the scale tipped in the direction of love and care and I stepped into this new reality.Thank you for being here and listening. This podcast is not advice. Feel free to follow this podcast on Substack, Apple, or Spotify.Feel free to share with a friend.Feel free to leave a review.Feel free to be free.xoxo This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

A week ago, I had the brilliant idea to get rid of (almost) everything that I purchased in the years I was abusing alcohol: clothes, bags, books, art, jewelry, furniture, a guitar. As I looked around, these items from my drunken years were weighing me down as they constantly reminded me of my old chaotic life while simultaneously trying to build a new freer one. The process of letting go scared me-fears came to the surface and I needed to confront them with every item I released, and it was a solid practice in letting go, releasing my grip, and having faith that the gaps will fill in with good things of my creation.This podcast is for entertainment purposes and is not advice. Thank you for being here and listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, getting sober is like stepping into a brand new reality. There was before and there is after. It’s undeniable. At least for me. Do you feel that too?This shift in realities deserves attention because if everything is new, then many of us could afford to be patient and caring with ourselves as we find our way in this new life. Many of us could afford to offer ourselves a little more grace. Don’t you think?Thank you for being here and listening.(This podcast is not advice)You can listen to New Here on Substack, Spotify, and Apple. If you feel called to do so, you can leave a review and I’d very much appreciate it. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

If you’re alive on earth, you live in a body. For our time here, it’s our home and vessel, and so many of us do our best to ignore it, run away from it, numb it, stay so busy we forget it exists so that we don’t have to feel the corners and crevices and vibrations; so that we don’t have to feel the symptoms and messages it is sending us. What are we so afraid of? Do we feel powerless in our bodies? Are we scared that, if we dive in, we’ll have to confront what we find and we won’t know how? The body is communicating and yet we ignore and push it away. What could happen if we listened and got to know it INTIMATELY and listened to it’s guidance? How could we grow? In what ways could we heal?In this episode I talk about the wake up call I am currently receiving from my body through symptoms and physical sensations and the lessons I am learning from this experience. I recall the years I drank and how my body was communicating with me and ways we can practice listening to our bodies and learning to trust them and their guidance. This episode (and podcast) is not health advice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

Recently, 2+ years into sobriety, I realized that something I’m doing isn’t working. A lot is working, but there is a big piece of the puzzle that is missing, and I’m fairly certain it’s that I don’t know how to surrender, have faith, and trust God or myself on this journey. Oof.It’s ok. I’m learning, you’re learning, we’re all learning.Sobriety is a new life, so it’s no wonder I/You/We don’t know how to do everything. Who does?Anyway, in this episode, I break down what I believe can be scary about surrendering, what it can feel like, and how we can (possibly) embody this practice + life-style of surrender.This podcast isn’t advice. I’m figuring this life out as I record and sharing what I feel, think, observe and learn along the way. I hope something shared here can serve you or help you along.Cheers! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

Something clicked a few months ago when I realized just how much of my life has been guided by fear. I noticed it as I’ve moved through my relationship with procrastination because I've had to or I won’t get ANYTHING done.But as I’ve, ever so slowly, worked through this part of my life, it’s grown clear that i’m afraid of the unknown. “What will happen there in the unknown? Will I know how to handle it? What if I can’t handle it? Ok, i’ll just stay over here, making myself busy with all the same things I’ve been “working on” for months and then i’ll never have to move forward” Said the woman who was afraid of the unknown and procrastinated on lots and lots of things.Well, luckily for HER, awareness is the first step and from there, amazing growth and change can occur. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

Back when I drank alcohol, there was very little room for expansion or healthy change, as I was filled to the brim with the mental, physical, and emotional drama that accompanied my alcohol consumption. Post-alcohol, I’ve learned there are endless ways to fill one’s life with noise and distractions, and it can interfere with one’s potential. In this episode, I discuss the observations I’ve made about creating space to make room for expansion, healing, and growth, how easy it is to fill one’s life with noise to avoid making space, and what has helped me create space in my life post-alcohol.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

With sobriety and awakenings or years spent drinking or doing anything else destructive, there can be loss and a whole lot of it. It can look like things being ripped out of the palm of your hand or choosing to peacefully part ways with the life you once knew, but loss can occur. And it can be devastating. But it seems that the loss needs to occur for new growth to take place. It seems some of us must lose the life we once knew so that we can make room for the great things to come. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

I found myself on an energy drink bender, a surprising new way for me to escape the moment and keep the high going; keep that constant buzz going.Don’t worry, I made it out and through and I gained some wisdom along the way that I believe more people can relate to than one would initially think.And it got me wondering: are those of us who seek out a constant buzz just trying to escape the moment? Are we trying to avoid something or run away from something even if it’s boredom? Even if it’s presence? Even if it’s God?I wonder, I wonder, I wonder: What are we afraid of? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe

I quit alcohol and woke up from a dream and now I feel new here. I am new here. Are you?I’ve come to find that this experience of feeling new after giving up booze is not at all unique, not only because so many others have given up alcohol or drugs and feel new too, but because we are new every minute and moment and every day. Not to mention that we are new when we go through any kind of change and shift: becoming a parent, getting divorced or married, moving across the country, living through 2020, starting a new career, starting or ending anything.We can relate to each other in many a ways, and that includes our newness.xoxo,Allison A. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newherewithallison.substack.com/subscribe