A New Christmas Recipe

Dear Friends,

Welcome to week two, in this three-week series of simple, effective tools to support you over the holiday season.

When I first stopped drinking, I assumed Christmas would never feel the same again.

In truth, and thankfully, it didn’t.

My first AF Christmas was all about being curious, instead of anxious. I focused on being present, confident, and committed. And it was worth it.  In many respects, navigating this first season alcohol-free and having a good time set me up for the year to follow.  I knew if I could do Christmas, I could do anything!

 As each year passed, it got easier and easier. 

Christmas began to feel… quieter, slower, and simpler. And in that simplicity, something beautiful began to unfold.

Without the haze and the  “just one more,” I started to really notice things again — the unique smells of the varied dishes,  the spontaneous laughter of the kids, the tear in someone’s eyes when they opened a thoughtful gift.
All the tiny details that alcohol had blurred for years suddenly came back into focus.

Furthermore, being totally present allowed me to savour those moments, which helped with feelings of deep connection, especially with my kids.

 I realised that my Christmas wasn’t broken, the recipe was. I needed to add new ingrediants, and remove the stale ones.

I’d spent decades stirring together stress, people-pleasing, exhaustion, and wine, trying to create feelings of joy or feeling 'less'.
But each pour simply drowned out the experience.  

So I learned over time to pour my whole self into the experience and rewrite my Christmas recipe.

🎁 This Week’s Invitation

If alcohol has always been part of your Christmas “recipe,” take a few minutes to rewrite it.

Ask yourself:

• What are the ingredients that actually create joy for me?

• Which ones can I leave out this year?

• What new flavours — moments, people, or rituals — could I add in?

Maybe it’s an early-morning swim, a walk with coffee instead of champagne, or the deep satisfaction of waking up clear-headed and calm.

Get creative. Experiment. You’re the chef now.

✨ As we head into these final weeks, remember — you don’t need to pour joy or relief from a bottle - you can access them in presence if you get curious, get creative, and rewrite the recipe.

With presence,
Sarah Connelly