Issue no.20-Women in Business
JANEY LEE GRACE - THE SOBER CLUB
Career
Has your profession changed since you got sober? Tell me about your business and what you hope to achieve for women in recovery. My fledgling business, Choose Sunrise, is founded on the belief that no one should feel afraid to ask for help with alcohol use. I’m taking this message into the workplace, helping professional women (and men) to catch sight of what life might be like without alcohol. By taking alcohol on the same de- stigmatisation journey that other taboo subjects have been on (e.g. depression, anxiety, mental health, menopause) I believe we can reach people and help them to reset their relationship with alcohol to prevent alcohol use disorder from developing, rather than trying to reverse the damage afterwards like most traditional alcohol services. What does coaching-program-etc look like and what do you offer at Choose Sunrise? Whiles most employers believe they don’t have an alcohol issue in their workforce, professional women up and down the country are struggling to find time for proper self- care, instead self-medicating to hide the overwhelm that accompanies the average working mum’s week. Scratch the surface of the best-intentioned workplace wellbeing programmes and you might be surprised how woefully inadequate the provision is for ‘grey area’ drinkers. Did I mention my own referral to a therapist who told me she drinks more than I do and not to worry? At Choose Sunrise, we’re on a mission to create alcohol-safe workspaces , without killing the buzz. We help employers improve productivity, reduce absence and improve employee well-being through peer support, line manager training, alcohol policy, culture and anti-stigma activities. What does the future hold for you? We’re developing a comprehensive accredited programme aimed at employers who genuinely care about the well-being of their colleagues and we’re looking for 5-8 pilot employers to work with us in 2023 to road-test the proposition at a reduced cost. What is your favourite quote in the sober world? "The best thing about getting sober is feeling all the feelings, and the worst thing about getting sober is feeling all the feelings! "
A new beginning for Janet Hadley
have really improved since I stopped drinking, which is something others have really noticed, too. What are your sober rituals daily? I’m currently in a routine of getting up early to go cold water swimming in a local Lido – the wine-drinking version of me would never have believed that! I’m also partial to a bottle of Leftfield Kombucha at about 8 pm most evenings. Do you have a home team (community) in sobriety? It is 100% the Sober Club Coaches whom I trained with – I know that they’ll always be there to lend an ear and cheer me on – we’re really lucky to have all met through Janey’s amazing training and have a really close bond! Have you found meditation, podcasts, or books helpful in recovery? Janey’s podcast is brilliant, and I also enjoy The Bubble Hour and Sober Awkward. I’ve devoured every quit lit book I can get my hands on and have reviewed many of them on my website, but my favourite has to go to Catherine Grey for the Unexpected Joy of Being Sober – it genuinely changed my life. What was the last sober book you read? Glorious Rock Bottom by Bryony Gordon. A brutally honest autobiographical account of truly hitting rock bottom and rising up again. Do you have any sober heroes/heroines? It’s got to be Janey Lee Grace for me – finding her podcast was a turning point for me in realising that living a sober life was actually a possibility for me. If there is someone reading this out there what would be your top sober tip for them ? If you’ve tried to moderate your drinking, but keep finding yourself back at square one, open your mind to the possibility that ditching the booze completely might actually be easier – and a lot more fun!
What is your sober date? I stopped drinking on 26th June 2020 in the first lockdown in the UK How long do you think you had a problem with alcohol before you took the decision to make the changes and do the work? The turning point for me was when my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I found my relationship with alcohol took on a dark side, as my drinking went from ‘sociable and fun’ to ‘numbing out and forgetting’. It was at least 2 years before I finally had to admit that my attempts to moderate were not working – I felt that I had to stop. If only I’d known how much better life would be, I’d have done it years ago! I never had an off-switch with booze. What program did you use to reach freedom from alcohol? Twelve Step or Modern Recovery? I sought help from an alcohol counselor who was brilliant, but it’s been the sober community and meeting others who are further along than me that’s helped me maintain long-term sobriety. Professionally has your sober decision had any consequences? In my ‘day job’ as I call it, it’s not made a huge amount of difference, other than surprising a lot of people and raising a few eyebrows.! However, it’s made a huge difference to my career path choices.I recently stepped down from a promotion at work so that I have the mental capacity to work on my start-up business, helping employers to create drink-safe workplaces, without killing the buzz. Have you seen great changes within your relationships at home + work in sobriety? Definitely – I am so much calmer, and I’m a better mum. I listen more, I’m less sensitive to criticism and generally much better balanced. I’m not perfect, but my mental health and anxiety levels
So true!
www.choosesunrise.co.uk
THE SOBER CLUB WITH JANEY LEE GRACE
HOLA SOBER | MADRID
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