When you are overcome with anxiety, grief or sadness what do you do?
Despite being the fastest swimmer in the country at one point Hilary Phelps never felt good enough, pretty enough or smart enough in her life. She started using drugs and alcohol to make her feel a part of.
She focused more on the negative so the accomplishments or compliments couldn’t even get into her energy field. Through her work in recovery, she has become ok with who she is and has learned that not everyone is for her in long-term sobriety.
Hilary and I shared a lot about the benefits as well as potential consequences of putting boundaries in place. She talked about how if we set a goal and then we don’t do it, no one else in our life care. We are letting ourselves down. This applies to boundaries as well when we allow people to push back on them.
In our active addiction, we self-sacrifice in all areas. When we begin doing the work of emotional sobriety and building confidence, setting boundaries and respecting ourselves it is a lot easier to manage difficult emotions and stay in peace. Therefore, in recovery, it is really important to keep the promises we make to ourselves. Hilary says the whole thing is a journey.
Hilary shared about her experience with motherhood, divorce and grief and how she dealt with those HUGE emotions. What sobriety does is allow her to show up on life’s terms. She offers real practical tools on how she deals with the big feelings. You will be able to put them in place starting today.
Hilary is a speaker, an addiction recovery advocate, a writer, and a holistic wellness coach. Her mission and purpose is to help other women find their voice and heal from anything that is holding them back from finding their purpose. Hilary lives in Arlington, Virginia with her son, Alexander.
www.HilaryPhelps.com
@HilaryPhelps_ (Instagram)
@HilaryPhelps (Twitter)
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Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my program Sober Freedom Transformation is now open! It is for women who have been sober for a year to many and are ready to discover who they want to be in long term sobreity, develop confidence and improve their relationships.
If you aren't part of the Confident Sober Women Facebook group, it's a great place to be. There are over a thousand other sober women there building lives they don't want to escape from. Come on over and join us.
And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy today and maybe a second one for a friend. There is so much hope in recovery, and I shared my story so raw and vulnerably so that others would know they aren't alone and that there is a way to live well, manage relationships, parent your kids, and have a healthy body, all while staying sober. Grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.