The stories of One Year No Beer members themselves can be some of the most powerful and compelling evidence for people who want to learn about how One Year No Beer works. On today’s episode, you’ll hear one of those personal stories from Sharon Hartley, a One Year No Beer member who joined eight months ago.  Sharon is a married mother of three from Lancashire. She has a background in broadcast journalism, and says that she got used to the culture of parties and freebies when she was working in radio. She used to be a regular drinker – the first to arrive at a party and the last to leave – who preferred rose wine and vodka with red bull. “Be brave and be bold and do what you’ve got to do.”  Sharon says that she didn’t have a dramatic experience of hitting bottom before she signed up for One Year No Beer. She just found that more and more of her life was revolving around alcohol, and that it was causing conflict within her family. She also found that she was becoming bored of drinking. She enjoys a challenge and pushing herself outside of her comfort zone, and that instinct led her to One Year No Beer.  Originally, Sharon signed up for a 28-day challenge, and she was skeptical when other members told her that she’d see more of a difference when she went for 60 days or 90 days, but she didn’t believe it at first. However, the further she took her challenge, the more she found that to be true. Sharon explains that it was hard at first, and even scary to try to go without alcohol. It was hard to think past the next party or next weekend and people would ask her why she wasn’t drinking and what was wrong.  However, over time, she got accustomed to it and also started seeing the benefits of going alcohol-free. She says she has more time to spend with the kids, spends more time doing new things like running and mountain climbing, and has even signed up for her first Spartan event. She is also seeing the health benefits of giving up alcohols. She sleeps better and has more energy for the gym, more mental clarity, and better skin.  Sharon says that one of the ways to avoid drinking in the beginning is to remove yourself from situations where you’ll be tempted to drink – it helps not to go to a bar or a party on your first alcohol-free weekend. She also says that it helps to remember that you’re not necessarily removing alcohol from your life forever, just for long enough to change your relationship with it. Her advice for people who are considering joining OYNB or taking an alcohol-free challenge is to just jump in with both feet and don’t wait. There will always be a reason not to do it, so it’s better to make up your mind that you’re going to do it and go for it. LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ Email: info@oneyearnobeer.com