Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol free life!

On this weeks solo episode I talk about our 3-month Breaking Free program which we run just three times a year. 

Registration for the current program is open   - more info on tribesober.com

We limit each Breaking Free group to 20 so you’ll always get personal attention

In this episode:-

I talk about the warning signs of alcohol dependence as well as the benefits of an alcohol free lifestyle

The Breaking Free program has four components…

Four pieces of a puzzle that come together to create a transformation…

The first piece of the puzzle is Community Support so we connect you with the other people on the Breaking Free program

 We put you in a chatgroup with where you’ll also find some TS team members to answer any questions you may have

You'll also be invited to several Zoom meetings every week

The second piece is our 4 hour Masterclass – a group session which we hold via Zoom.  Another opportunity to get to know the other people on the program as everyone will share their story at the beginning of the session.  By the end of the Masterclass you’ll understand:-

The importance of a mindset change and the damage alcohol does to our health

We’ll be sharing our tried and tested sobriety toolkit and you’ll end the session feeling motivated and excited about the changes ahead.

While the Masterclass will give you an overview of the Tribe Sober approach to thriving in sobriety the online course will enable you to dive deeper at your own pace.  You’ll get all the theory and training you need to overturn your limiting beliefs around alcohol which is the key….

Just as we’ve been programmed into thinking that alcohol is an essential part of our daily lives our online program will de-program you and enable you to understand that you will be happier and healthier without it!

The third piece is our online course which includes videos, podcasts, articles and book recommendations so you’ll be able to throw the book at your sobriety – you’ll be able to treat it as a 3-month project that will take a deep dive into psychology, biology and neuroscience - a project that will change the trajectory of your future.

The fourth part of the puzzle is the personal support. 

You’ll have a 1.2.1 Zoom call with Monica who will explain how everything work and help you with any tech issues

Mid-way through the 3 month program you'll have a session with Coach Darren to review learnings so far

A final session with our Coach Lynette who will discuss how you are applying the theory of the Breaking Free program to your daily life

So that’s the four pieces of our Breaking Free puzzle, four pieces that will come together to create an alcohol free lifestyle that you love..

Apart from creating a program that will get results we’ve created a program that is flexible and will fit in with your busy lives…. 

All of the 1.2.1’s can be scheduled to suit your convenience, the online course can be worked through at your own pace so the only timeslot you need to fit in is the four hour Masterclass. (we can send you a recording if  you can't make it)

While we’re on the subject of time that’s one of the unexpected benefits of sobriety….. when we no longer spend time drinking and recovering from the drinking we find ourselves with extra time on our hands….

As well as the energy to do something constructive with that time!

Registration for the current Breaking Free program is open - more info on tribesober.com

More Info


Tribe Sober membership – you can join up HERE.

To access our website, click HERE.

If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email [email protected].

If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email [email protected].

 

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today
Read more about our program and subscribe HERE

Help us to Spread the Word!

We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.

If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.

Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!

We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.

You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

You can join our private Facebook group HERE.

PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)

Open the Podcasts app. EASY.

Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.

Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).

Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.

Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

My guest this week is James Swanwick, an Australian-American investor and entrepreneur He is the creator of the Alcohol Free Lifestyle, which helps people change their relationship with alcohol

In this episode:-

James was a moderate drinker, but after 20 years of consistent drinking, he realized the negative effect on his health and stopped for what was supposed to be a 30-day experiment. That was 13 years ago and he’s been alcohol free ever since!

Like many of us James hesitated to quit due to societal conditioning – he associated alcohol with socializing and fun and feared being perceived as dull or boring without alcohol. And indeed…

There was some Social Awkwardness for a while - navigating social situations without alcohol felt awkward and he shared a story of pretending to drink alcohol when on a date – this strategy proved to be a mistake when his date discovered he had lied!  

In spite of the tricky start James was soon embracing his alcohol-free lifestyle openly.

We discussed the strong influence of peer pressure and the need for a supportive tribe when quitting alcohol.

We are both seeing a societal shift as people acknowledge the health risks of drinking alcohol – which is heading for a cigarette moment.

Although drinking alcohol before bedtime may help initially with falling asleep but compromises the quality of sleep, leading to irritability, fatigue, and other negative effects on health.

Alcohol's Effects on Sleep and Health:  Alcohol consumption can compromise sleep quality, metabolism, and overall health. It can disrupt the body's natural processes, leading to weight gain, reduced productivity, and increased cravings for unhealthy foods.

James shared some Benefits of his alcohol-free lifestyle which included improved physical health, mental clarity, productivity, and financial success. I

I asked him for his advice for anyone who is struggling to get started on this journey: He suggested starting with a commitment to at least 30 days of sobriety as an experiment, but most importantly be open to extending it to 90 days or longer.

We agreed on the importance of Avoiding the stop-and-start cycle and focussing on the long-term benefits of sobriety.

Overcoming cultural conditioning and resistance may feel challenging, but taking action building an alcohol free lifestyle will lead to transformative results and a better quality of life

You can contact James Swanwick via his website alcoholfreelifestyle.com


More Info

 

Tribe Sober subscription membership – you can join up HERE.

To access our website, click HERE.

If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email [email protected].

If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email [email protected].

to join our mailing list click HERE 

 

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today
Read more about our program and subscribe HERE

Help us to Spread the Word!

We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.

If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.

Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!

We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.

You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

You can join our private Facebook group HERE.

PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)

Open the Podcasts app. EASY.

Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.

Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).

Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.

Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

In this New Year episode, Lynette records from a small guesthouse in Evander, a dusty coal-mining town in South Africa — a place marked by both decay and unexpected beauty.

Through a moving real-life encounter, she reflects on how we are all dealt a hand of cards in life, and how joy, purpose, and meaning are not found in better circumstances, but in how we meet the life we have.

This episode gently explores the illusion of “readiness,” drawing on the work of Dr. Julia di Gangi, to show why change is not about more time, but about emotional power, identity, and presence.

Using the poetic metaphors of the snake shedding its skin and the horse moving forward with aligned energy, Lynette invites listeners to step into the now — not by forcing change, but by listening to the quiet inner yes.

This is a conversation about emotional sobriety, relationships with self and others, and creating a life of vibrancy and quiet joy — right where you are.

In This Episode, We Explore:

How life’s “hand of cards” doesn’t determine our joy — how we play it does

Creating heaven or hell through how we meet our circumstances

Why waiting to feel “ready” keeps us stuck

Emotional power vs. time and overthinking

The snake as a symbol of shedding old survival patterns

The horse as a symbol of presence, aligned movement, and inner power

Sobriety as a doorway, not a destination

Emotional sobriety and learning to meet life on life’s terms

Relationships with self, others, and life itself

Trusting the quiet yes instead of forcing the how

Path to Purpose

Path to Purpose is for people who are sober and asking: now what?

 

It’s about learning how to take your hand of cards and create a life of vibrancy, connection, and joy — meeting life on life’s terms without numbing, bracing, or waiting for things to be different.

The next intake opens in February.

If you feel a quiet yes, you don’t need to work out the how.

Path to Purpose is the what.

📩 Email Lynette: [email protected]

This week I'm doing a solo episode - 10 reasons to do an alcohol free January - and 14 tips to get you through.

In This Episode

REASONS TO DO AN ALCOHOL FREE JANUARY

You've got a great "reason" to not be drinking when people ask!

A dry month is a great way to test your dependency - if you can't get through a month without booze then you need to make some changes

Alcohol is so toxic that just taking a month off will have significant health benefits

Alcohol is linked to liver disease and 7 different types of cancer - 1 glass of wine will raise your risk of breast cancer by 15%

Alcohol will weaken our immune systems - and put us more at risk of becoming infected with Covid

20% of regular drinkers will become dependent over the years - drinking more than a bottle and a half of wine a week may damage your health

A month off alcohol will reduce your anxiety, freshen up your looks, help you lose weight and enable you to get some good quality sleep

Making a donation to our January fundraiser will give you a dopamine hit (giving makes you feel good) and enable you to receive online and community support for 31 days - you can sign up here

TIPS TO GET YOU THROUGH

Shake up your daily routine and exercise every day

Be ready to cope with your emotions - if you've been numbing your feelings with alcohol they will come to the surface

Use a journal to track your progress, note your triggers and process your emotions

Listen to music, make a soundtrack for your January Challenge - a real mood changer

Have your go-to drinks -drinknil.co.za are offering 10% discount on all their alcohol free drinks for people doing our Challenge

Find your tribe - its hard to do this alone - check out our membership program here

Please donate to our Earthchild Fundraiser - and get 30 days of community and online support - sign up link is here

MORE INFO

To access our website click here

Please subscribe and share this podcast so we can reach more people who need our help.

Thank you

Undefended Joy

Choosing Willingness, Acceptance, and Faith This Holiday Season

The holiday season can be joyful — and it can also be triggering. Family dynamics, social gatherings, unmet expectations, and old habits often leave us feeling tense, reactive, and searching for relief.

In this episode, Lynette explores a powerful and compassionate practice she calls Undefended Joy — a way of meeting life without armour, self-protection, or resistance.

Drawing on teachings from Dr. Julia DiGangi and real-life experiences, Lynette shares how willingness, acceptance, and faith can gently replace the need to escape with alcohol or other numbing behaviours.

This episode is not about forcing happiness or “getting it right.”

It’s about softening, staying present, and discovering that joy becomes available when we stop fighting reality.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

Why so many of us drink or overdo things in search of relief

The difference between being undefended and being defenseless

How willingness creates emotional resilience and mental fitness

Why the opposite of certainty is faith

How accepting difference (in ourselves and others) reduces conflict

A simple question to ask when you feel triggered

Why joy is not something to chase — but something that emerges when fear loosens its grip

Lynette also shares a gentle invitation to support yourself through the festive season with Tribe Sober’s Festive Open House, offering free access to community support, inspiration, and live sessions.

A question to reflect on:

What would it look like to meet this moment — just as it is — undefended and willing?

 

🎄 Tribe Sober Festive Open House

For the first time ever, Tribe Sober is opening its doors for a Festive Open House from 21 December to 2 January.

It’s completely free and gives you a chance to sample:

Daily inspiration

Community support

Live Zoom sessions

Practical tools for staying sober and grounded over the holidays

👉 Visit tribesober.com, sign up for monthly membership, and use the coupon code OpenHouse12

If you need help, you can also email [email protected]