Hi, I’m Amanda. I’m a former social drinker/party girl. I’m not an alcoholic, but I’ve made a conscious choice to live an alcohol-free lifestyle. Why? Because I realized that — without question — alcohol was the one thing that was holding me back from achieving the success I wanted in my professional and personal life.
Let me take you back to where I was about five years ago when I started to get the itch to change my relationship with alcohol. I had just turned 30, accepted a great job, and moved to Austin, Texas. …
If you’re jumping on the alcohol-free train for the month of January, here are common pitfalls you’ll want to be aware of.
I did my first and last Dry January in 2017. I say “last” ironically as it was the catalyst for me to give up alcohol for good…so technically every January is Dry January now.
Since then, I’ve become an advisor and mentor to ambitious, high-achieving women who want to change their relationship with alcohol. Many of them begin their journey working with me as a part of Dry January. Each year, I see an influx of optimistic souls who hope to transform their relationship with alcohol using Dry January as their magic bullet.
Of course, it can be done —…
How to attract, release, & shift friendships during a period of reinvention
You’ve probably heard the adage that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Your friendships play a tremendously important role in how you get along and evolve as an individual.
While your friendships offer support and camaraderie, they can just as easily keep you stuck or cause you to unwittingly play small.
In my role as a mindset coach, I frequently work with clients who are in the midst of a personal uplevel or reinvention…
You’ve probably heard the adage that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Your friendships play a tremendously important role in how you get along and evolve as an individual.
While your friendships offer support and camaraderie, they can just as easily keep you stuck or cause you to unwittingly play small.
In my role as a mindset coach, I frequently work with clients who are in the midst of a personal uplevel or reinvention. …
and how to make Sober September different
When it comes to sobriety challenges like Dry January and Sober September, I’m a bit of a pro. I did my first and last Dry January nearly four years ago in 2017. I say “last” ironically as it was the catalyst for me to give up alcohol for good.
Since then, I’ve become an advisor and mentor to ambitious, high-achieving individuals who want to change their relationship with alcohol. Many of them begin their journey working with me as a part of a 30-day alcohol-free challenge. …
How a Breakup with Boys & Booze Helped Me To Truly Love Myself…And Why I Think It Could Help You, Too.
I walked into the dimly-lit theater and apprehensively took my seat. At 31, this was the first time I’d ever treated myself to a movie solo. My thirty-first year would be full of many firsts. This was my first of many dates with myself.
The catalyst behind this newfound relationship was born out of necessity. It was only a few months before that I’d made the decision to take a break from alcohol. A “party girl” in my 20s, I’d had a sudden sense that my life might be better without it. …
There’s a common misconception that drinking makes dating easier. We’re told that alcohol offers us that little bit of liquid courage we need to loosen up and be ourselves. We learn through media exposure that alcohol makes us sexy, sophisticated, and carefree. We live in a world where the most common first date includes a drink to lighten the nervous energy.
If there’s anyone who fell victim to this myth, it was me. I was an awkward, gawky girl in adolescence. I was taller than most of the boys, unconfident, and shy. I was never asked on a single date…
A Two-Part Antidote
For years, I’d get the Sunday Scaries. That feeling of anxiety that would set in when I started to think about going back to reality after the weekend. I’d have a sense of sadness and dread. It would be difficult to wind down and fall asleep on Sunday night. The anxiety would spill over into Monday morning as I’d trudge back into the office…have you been there?
Typically, I’d be fading out of a hangover that started at happy hour on Friday night. …
Hi, my name is Amanda and I’m not an alcoholic. In fact, back in my drinking days, I was what you would have considered a run-of-the-mill social drinker. I drank just like everyone else in my social circle: a glass of wine with dinner here or there, happy hours, social events. But, as a single, thirty-something — the social events were plentiful. …
I had a conversation with an acquaintance a while back that really tried my patience. While my relationship with this individual had been wearing on me for some time, our interactions of late — while less frequent — had really taken a lot out of me. Maybe you’ve been there, too?
As part of my own personal growth, I try to be observant when I become agitated by another person’s actions. I attempt to respond thoughtfully, rather than react sporadically. I step back, take a breath. I observe. I consider.
In observing this particular relationship, I feel I’d done a…
Amanda Kuda
Seeker. Writer. Elective Sobriety. A 30-something sharing my journey of personal development, spiritual growth, & authenticity. IG: @authenticallyamanda.
