In today’s episode of the One Year No Beer Podcast, Ruari is trying out a new format. Rather than interviewing a guest, Ruari is going to spend some time talking about the community and some of the things that are going on with the OYNB community and its members.  First of all, Ruari shares some updates from the OYNB HQ, including the fact that OYNB has expanded to about 16 full-time members of the team. There’s also a new community manager, and OYNB members should expect to see some big changes over the next three months.  “It’s an interesting journey, this changing your relationship with alcohol. It’s different for everybody.”  Ruari also mentions that he’s noticed several people sharing stories of grief and personal loss in the community recently. He talks about how his experience with grief was to continue down the same destructive path that he was on before. Ruari believes that this is not unusual – heavy drinking is a common element of funerals and wakes, for example. But as Ruari points out, alcohol is a depressant, and adding it to a situation that’s already upsetting can cause a person to spiral.  Ruari believes that the answer is to really get in touch with your feelings and find a safe space in which to feel them. He recommends a book, Focusing by Eugene Gendlin, that was recommended to him by a counselor in his youth and that he believes can help people trying to get in touch with their feelings.  Ruari suggests contacting the Samaritans (at 116 123 in the UK) for people who are in need of someone to talk to. He also reminds listeners that they can contact info@oneyearnobeer.com for help and that they’re planning to relaunch their coaching program very soon.  Ruari believes that connections are an important part of the answer to dealing with addictions, as well as an important part of the One Year No Beer mission. He explains that OYNB is heavily invested in their partnership with Spartan, and they’re going to have a presence at every Spartan in the UK, as well as some in the US. The next upcoming Spartan is in early May and will be held in Kent, and OYNB will be there with a tent, providing an excellent opportunity for members of the OYNB community to meet and make connections.  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