Sober & Sauna
Why I believe sauna and sobriety are such a natural pairing
People often ask why I'm so passionate about combining sober coaching with sauna.
For me, they complement each other beautifully.
When I stopped drinking, I realised that alcohol had never really been the thing I was searching for. It wasn't the taste or even the buzz. What I was looking for was relief. A way to slow down after a busy day. To quieten my mind. To feel connected. To take a break from the constant demands of life.
During my early alcohol free years, sauna became an important part of staying well.
I'd cycle down to the beach after work, leave the day behind, sit in the warmth, dip in the sea and head home feeling completely different to when I'd arrived. Calmer. Clearer. More grounded. It gave me time to think, time to breathe and, perhaps most importantly, permission to simply stop.
Looking back, I can see that sauna and cold water gave me many of the things I had once searched for in alcohol, but without the anxiety, poor sleep or shame that so often followed a night of drinking.
They became part of my toolkit for living well.
What surprised me most, though, wasn't the physical benefits. It was the people.
Some of the most meaningful conversations I've ever had have happened sitting in a sauna or standing in the sea after a swim. There is something about stepping away from everyday life, putting phones to one side and sharing an experience together that encourages people to open up.
As women, we carry so much. Work. Family. Caring responsibilities. Expectations. Grief. Worry. We often convince ourselves we're the only one struggling.
Then someone tells their story.
They talk about feeling overwhelmed, drinking more than they'd like, losing confidence or simply feeling disconnected from themselves.
Someone else nods.
The relief is almost immediate.
Not because anyone has solved the problem, but because they no longer feel alone.
As a coach, I've seen time and again that stories have the power to reduce shame. When we hear ourselves reflected in someone else's experience, we stop believing there's something wrong with us. We begin to understand that we're human.
This is one of the reasons I'm so drawn to the traditions of the Estonian smoke sauna, where women have gathered for generations to mark life's biggest moments. They celebrated, grieved, laughed, cried and supported one another. The sauna wasn't simply somewhere to wash. It was somewhere to put down the emotional load for a while.
I find that idea incredibly powerful.
Alongside coaching, I always spend time helping women understand what's happening in the brain. Alcohol affects our reward system, which is why it can become so closely linked with relaxation, comfort and relief. The good news is that our brains are wonderfully adaptable. Over time we can build new rituals and healthier ways to meet those same needs.
For me, sauna, cold water, nature and genuine human connection have all been part of that process.
They haven't replaced alcohol.
They've replaced what I thought alcohol was giving me.
Relief . Reward . Presence . Connection . Joy.
That is why sauna and sobriety make such a powerful pairing.
Neither is about deprivation.
Both invite us to slow down, reconnect with ourselves and remember that we were never meant to do life alone.
To me, that's what Drink Less. Live More. has always been about.
Not simply drinking less.
But finding healthier, more meaningful ways to live more.