October 2, 2025 • 14 mins
🍂 Most women wait until January to change their drinking habits—but that might be the worst time to start. In this episode, I share why fall is the perfect season to release alcohol and how a reset now can set you up for peace during the holidays and strength in the new year.
✨ Ready for support? Join me in the Sacred Sobriety Lab—your faith-based community for coaching, encouragement, and freedom from alcohol. Join here ➡️ LINK
What you’ll hear in today’s episode:
- Why January is one of the hardest times to make lasting changes with alcohol.
- How the urgency of fall (and its “looming deadline”) can help you reset now.
- What the trees teach us about letting go—and how it applies to your sobriety journey.
- Simple reflection prompts to help you release alcohol and build momentum before the holidays.
I'm here for you. I'm praying for you. You are NOT alone!
Please subscribe to this podcast so you won't miss a thing!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to the Catholic Sobriety Podcast, the
go-to resource for women seekingto have a deeper understanding
of the role alcohol plays intheir lives.
Women who are looking to drinkless or not at all for any
reason.
I am your host, Christy Walker.
I'm a wife, mom, and ajoy-filled Catholic.
(00:21):
And I am the Catholic sobrietycoach.
And I'm so glad you're here.
If you're waiting for January tochange your relationship with
alcohol, you are wasting thebest 90 days of the year.
I'm Christy Walker.
I'm your Catholic sobrietycoach, and today we're going to
(00:42):
talk about why fall, notJanuary, is actually the perfect
time to release alcohol andreset your habits.
And yes, I'll even throw in sometree jokes and confessions along
the way.
Now, January gets so much hype,doesn't it?
New Year, New U, gym ads areeverywhere.
(01:04):
The diet programs come out infull force.
Everyone buys new planners.
I actually have a seriousplanner addiction.
We color code our lives and weswear this is the year.
But here's the thing (01:22):
January is actually one of the hardest
months to make big change,especially when it comes to
alcohol.
Think about it.
It's dark, it's cold, there'snot a lot of things to do.
And if you live in the PacificNorthwest like me, it's damp and
(01:43):
gross outside.
The holidays have just ended.
You're coming off of too manycookies, too much stress, and
maybe too much wine.
January is the month whereyou're tired and you're bloated
and you're cranky, and thenyou're supposed to give up your
nightly coping mechanism.
(02:04):
Yeah, that's a tough sell.
And the research backs this upbecause nearly a quarter of all
resolutions fail by the firstweek.
By February, almost half areabandoned, which means most
people are back to square onebefore the groundhog even sees
his shadow.
(02:25):
So if you've ever started strongin January and then thought,
what is wrong with me?
Why can't I keep this up?
Friend, it's not you.
It's January.
January is like that fleakyfriend who hypes you up, but
doesn't actually show up whenyou need her.
Now, that said, I'm still gonnainvite you to make some changes
(02:46):
in January, but I'm gonnaexplain to you why now is an
even better time.
So to do that, let's talk aboutfall.
October isn't just pumpkin spiceseason, cozy sweaters, and all
the soups.
I love soups.
It's the beginning of the lastquarter of the year.
(03:09):
You've got 90 days left, and ifyou're like me, a looming
deadline sometimes pulls out thevery best in you.
I'll give you an example.
Lent, a couple years ago, Iplanned a half-day Holy Spirit
workshop.
And let me tell you, I had allthe ideas floating around in my
head for weeks and weeks.
(03:31):
Notes in a journal, prayers, afew scribbles on sticky notes,
but I didn't actually put it alltogether.
Then, as the date grew closer,the urgency kicked in.
You know what I mean.
And suddenly the Holy Spirit andI were working overtime.
(03:51):
I was praying, writing,fine-tuning, and it all came
together.
And you know what?
That workshop ended up being oneof the most powerful things I've
ever led.
And it's not because I hadmonths of perfect preparation,
but because urgency focused me.
And that's what fall feels like.
(04:12):
God's built-in deadline.
Not to stress us out, but tosharpen our focus.
Instead of saying, I'll justcoast until January, fall says,
nope, let's finish this yearstrong.
So imagine this.
Instead of stumbling intoJanuary with regret and a foggy
(04:33):
head, you could walk intoJanuary with 90 days of peace
behind you.
90 days of small winds, ofbetter mornings, of clearer
prayer time.
You'll already be rooted, you'llalready be steady and already
living like the woman that youwant to become.
(04:54):
And then there's fall itself.
The season is literallypreaching at us every single
day.
Look at the trees.
They're letting go of theirleaves, not holding on, not
bargaining, not saying, but Iworked so hard for these leaves.
Look how pretty they were inJuly.
(05:15):
They just dropped them.
Now, yes, I know the trees don'tactually have a choice.
It's biology, but go with mehere because I think there's
still something we can learn.
Because we do have a choice.
And when it comes to alcohol,many of us cling to it the way
trees don't cling to leaves.
(05:38):
We hold it tight even when it'sbrown and crunchy and not
serving us anymore.
We tell ourselves, but I needthis glass.
I need this glass at the end ofthe day.
It helps me relax.
It makes the holidays tolerable.
Maybe certain family memberstolerable.
(06:00):
But meanwhile, Jesus iswhispering, let it go.
Let it go.
I have something better for you.
And here's the funny part.
I always say that I don't likechange, but that is not exactly
true.
I actually love the changes thatfall brings.
(06:21):
I love the colors, the coolmornings, the cozy sweaters.
I love how life slows down afterthe summer chaos.
So maybe it's not change itselfI resist, but it's the
uncomfortable kind of change,you know, the kind that asks me
to release something familiar,even if it's not good for me.
(06:44):
But that's where the treeschallenge us.
They show us that letting go itisn't death.
It's just a preparation.
Jesus tells us, I am the vineand you are the branches.
And branches have to be prunedfor new fruit to grow.
(07:05):
So maybe this fall is yourpruning season.
Maybe releasing alcohol now iswhat will make space for peace,
joy, and freedom in the monthsto come.
And let's be real.
The last 90 days of the year arewhen alcohol really sneaks in.
(07:27):
Thanksgiving, Christmas, NewYear's, family stress, office
parties, the endless just oneglass.
For so many women, the holidaysare when good intentions just
fly out the window.
We tell ourselves, it's fine,it's fine.
(07:48):
I'll deal with it in January.
But by January, you're not justphysically run down, you're also
carrying guilt and regret.
So what if this year wasdifferent?
What if what if you walked intothe holidays ready and steady?
(08:10):
What if you had alreadypracticed saying no and already
have the confidence that youneed to tell yourself you can
enjoy yourself without alcohol,you can manage stress or survive
Aunt Matilda's holiday drama.
(08:32):
That's the gift of starting now.
By the time the holidays hit,you'll already have momentum.
And instead of scrambling to fixit all in January, you'll glide
into the new year with peace.
So I'd like to invite you toreflect on these three
(08:54):
journaling prompts.
You can just reflect on them inprayer, you could journal about
them, you know, if you have anotebook.
But I invite you to really thinkabout this.
So grab a pen and paper, pausethis episode.
If you're driving, walking,whatever, you can always come
back to it.
But here are the questions.
(09:16):
The first one is what needs tofall away in this season of your
life?
Is it the nightly glass of wineor the belief that you need
alcohol to relax?
Maybe it's the guilt and theshame that you carry around it.
Write it down and release it inprayer.
(09:38):
The next is how have deadlinesbrought out your best in the
past?
Think of a time when you rose tothe occasion because you had to.
How can you apply that sameurgency to the last 90 days of
the year and to yourrelationship with alcohol?
(10:00):
And finally, what small winswould bring you peace by
December 31st?
Maybe it's not focusing onperfection.
Maybe it's just 30 days alcoholfree or cutting back to
weekends.
Maybe it's committing to soberSundays.
Small wins stack into bigtransformation.
(10:26):
Okay, let's pray in the name ofthe Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.
Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for thegift of seasons.
Thank you that fall reminds usto release what no longer serves
us and to trust you with thenew.
(10:48):
Today we ask for the courage tolet go of alcohol or whatever
else is holding us back.
And the faith to believe thatyou are preparing something
better.
Help us to enter the holidayswith peace, not regret, and to
finish this year rooted in yourlove.
(11:13):
Amen.
In the name of the Father and ofthe Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Friend, if you're listeningright now and thinking, yes, I
want to let go of alcohol, but Idon't want to do it alone.
I just want to invite you tojoin me and the ladies in my
sacred sobriety lab.
(11:34):
The lab is my faith-basedcoaching community for Catholic
women who want to drink less ornot at all and walk in greater
freedom.
Inside the lab, you'll findweekly group coaching calls with
me where we dive into habits,triggers, faith, and practical
strategies.
(11:54):
We have a Sla group where youwill find daily encouragement
and accountability so that younever feel like you're walking
this road alone.
In fact, we have a channel inthere right now for Sober
October for some of the ladieswho actually want to go
alcohol-free this month.
(12:27):
This is not about shame.
It's definitely not aboutwhite-knuckling it.
It's about walking together,rooted in faith, with practical
tools and a supportive communityto carry you through.
You can find the link in theshow notes.
Now, here's the truth (12:45):
January is not magic.
Fall is the perfect time torelease alcohol and reset your
life.
The trees might not have achoice, but sister, you do, and
I believe God is inviting you tolet go so that He can fill you
with something so much better.
(13:07):
Thank you so much for being heretoday, and I'll talk to you
again soon.
Well, that does it for thisepisode of the Catholic Sobriety
Podcast.
I hope you enjoyed this episode,and I would invite you to share
it with a friend who might alsoget value from it as well.
And make sure you subscribe soyou don't miss a thing.
(13:29):
I am the Catholic SobrietyCoach, and if you would like to
learn how to work with me orlearn more about the coaching
that I offer, visit my website,the Catholic Sobriety Coach.
Welcome to the Catholic Sobriety Podcast, the
go-to resource for women seekingto have a deeper understanding
of the role alcohol plays intheir lives.
Women who are looking to drinkless or not at all for any
reason.
I am your host, Christy Walker.
I'm a wife, mom, and ajoy-filled Catholic.
(00:21):
And I am the Catholic sobrietycoach.
And I'm so glad you're here.
If you're waiting for January tochange your relationship with
alcohol, you are wasting thebest 90 days of the year.
I'm Christy Walker.
I'm your Catholic sobrietycoach, and today we're going to
(00:42):
talk about why fall, notJanuary, is actually the perfect
time to release alcohol andreset your habits.
And yes, I'll even throw in sometree jokes and confessions along
the way.
Now, January gets so much hype,doesn't it?
New Year, New U, gym ads areeverywhere.
(01:04):
The diet programs come out infull force.
Everyone buys new planners.
I actually have a seriousplanner addiction.
We color code our lives and weswear this is the year.
But here's the thing (01:22):
January is actually one of the hardest
months to make big change,especially when it comes to
alcohol.
Think about it.
It's dark, it's cold, there'snot a lot of things to do.
And if you live in the PacificNorthwest like me, it's damp and
(01:43):
gross outside.
The holidays have just ended.
You're coming off of too manycookies, too much stress, and
maybe too much wine.
January is the month whereyou're tired and you're bloated
and you're cranky, and thenyou're supposed to give up your
nightly coping mechanism.
(02:04):
Yeah, that's a tough sell.
And the research backs this upbecause nearly a quarter of all
resolutions fail by the firstweek.
By February, almost half areabandoned, which means most
people are back to square onebefore the groundhog even sees
his shadow.
(02:25):
So if you've ever started strongin January and then thought,
what is wrong with me?
Why can't I keep this up?
Friend, it's not you.
It's January.
January is like that fleakyfriend who hypes you up, but
doesn't actually show up whenyou need her.
Now, that said, I'm still gonnainvite you to make some changes
(02:46):
in January, but I'm gonnaexplain to you why now is an
even better time.
So to do that, let's talk aboutfall.
October isn't just pumpkin spiceseason, cozy sweaters, and all
the soups.
I love soups.
It's the beginning of the lastquarter of the year.
(03:09):
You've got 90 days left, and ifyou're like me, a looming
deadline sometimes pulls out thevery best in you.
I'll give you an example.
Lent, a couple years ago, Iplanned a half-day Holy Spirit
workshop.
And let me tell you, I had allthe ideas floating around in my
head for weeks and weeks.
(03:31):
Notes in a journal, prayers, afew scribbles on sticky notes,
but I didn't actually put it alltogether.
Then, as the date grew closer,the urgency kicked in.
You know what I mean.
And suddenly the Holy Spirit andI were working overtime.
(03:51):
I was praying, writing,fine-tuning, and it all came
together.
And you know what?
That workshop ended up being oneof the most powerful things I've
ever led.
And it's not because I hadmonths of perfect preparation,
but because urgency focused me.
And that's what fall feels like.
(04:12):
God's built-in deadline.
Not to stress us out, but tosharpen our focus.
Instead of saying, I'll justcoast until January, fall says,
nope, let's finish this yearstrong.
So imagine this.
Instead of stumbling intoJanuary with regret and a foggy
(04:33):
head, you could walk intoJanuary with 90 days of peace
behind you.
90 days of small winds, ofbetter mornings, of clearer
prayer time.
You'll already be rooted, you'llalready be steady and already
living like the woman that youwant to become.
(04:54):
And then there's fall itself.
The season is literallypreaching at us every single
day.
Look at the trees.
They're letting go of theirleaves, not holding on, not
bargaining, not saying, but Iworked so hard for these leaves.
Look how pretty they were inJuly.
(05:15):
They just dropped them.
Now, yes, I know the trees don'tactually have a choice.
It's biology, but go with mehere because I think there's
still something we can learn.
Because we do have a choice.
And when it comes to alcohol,many of us cling to it the way
trees don't cling to leaves.
(05:38):
We hold it tight even when it'sbrown and crunchy and not
serving us anymore.
We tell ourselves, but I needthis glass.
I need this glass at the end ofthe day.
It helps me relax.
It makes the holidays tolerable.
Maybe certain family memberstolerable.
(06:00):
But meanwhile, Jesus iswhispering, let it go.
Let it go.
I have something better for you.
And here's the funny part.
I always say that I don't likechange, but that is not exactly
true.
I actually love the changes thatfall brings.
(06:21):
I love the colors, the coolmornings, the cozy sweaters.
I love how life slows down afterthe summer chaos.
So maybe it's not change itselfI resist, but it's the
uncomfortable kind of change,you know, the kind that asks me
to release something familiar,even if it's not good for me.
(06:44):
But that's where the treeschallenge us.
They show us that letting go itisn't death.
It's just a preparation.
Jesus tells us, I am the vineand you are the branches.
And branches have to be prunedfor new fruit to grow.
(07:05):
So maybe this fall is yourpruning season.
Maybe releasing alcohol now iswhat will make space for peace,
joy, and freedom in the monthsto come.
And let's be real.
The last 90 days of the year arewhen alcohol really sneaks in.
(07:27):
Thanksgiving, Christmas, NewYear's, family stress, office
parties, the endless just oneglass.
For so many women, the holidaysare when good intentions just
fly out the window.
We tell ourselves, it's fine,it's fine.
(07:48):
I'll deal with it in January.
But by January, you're not justphysically run down, you're also
carrying guilt and regret.
So what if this year wasdifferent?
What if what if you walked intothe holidays ready and steady?
(08:10):
What if you had alreadypracticed saying no and already
have the confidence that youneed to tell yourself you can
enjoy yourself without alcohol,you can manage stress or survive
Aunt Matilda's holiday drama.
(08:32):
That's the gift of starting now.
By the time the holidays hit,you'll already have momentum.
And instead of scrambling to fixit all in January, you'll glide
into the new year with peace.
So I'd like to invite you toreflect on these three
(08:54):
journaling prompts.
You can just reflect on them inprayer, you could journal about
them, you know, if you have anotebook.
But I invite you to really thinkabout this.
So grab a pen and paper, pausethis episode.
If you're driving, walking,whatever, you can always come
back to it.
But here are the questions.
(09:16):
The first one is what needs tofall away in this season of your
life?
Is it the nightly glass of wineor the belief that you need
alcohol to relax?
Maybe it's the guilt and theshame that you carry around it.
Write it down and release it inprayer.
(09:38):
The next is how have deadlinesbrought out your best in the
past?
Think of a time when you rose tothe occasion because you had to.
How can you apply that sameurgency to the last 90 days of
the year and to yourrelationship with alcohol?
(10:00):
And finally, what small winswould bring you peace by
December 31st?
Maybe it's not focusing onperfection.
Maybe it's just 30 days alcoholfree or cutting back to
weekends.
Maybe it's committing to soberSundays.
Small wins stack into bigtransformation.
(10:26):
Okay, let's pray in the name ofthe Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.
Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for thegift of seasons.
Thank you that fall reminds usto release what no longer serves
us and to trust you with thenew.
(10:48):
Today we ask for the courage tolet go of alcohol or whatever
else is holding us back.
And the faith to believe thatyou are preparing something
better.
Help us to enter the holidayswith peace, not regret, and to
finish this year rooted in yourlove.
(11:13):
Amen.
In the name of the Father and ofthe Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Friend, if you're listeningright now and thinking, yes, I
want to let go of alcohol, but Idon't want to do it alone.
I just want to invite you tojoin me and the ladies in my
sacred sobriety lab.
(11:34):
The lab is my faith-basedcoaching community for Catholic
women who want to drink less ornot at all and walk in greater
freedom.
Inside the lab, you'll findweekly group coaching calls with
me where we dive into habits,triggers, faith, and practical
strategies.
(11:54):
We have a Sla group where youwill find daily encouragement
and accountability so that younever feel like you're walking
this road alone.
In fact, we have a channel inthere right now for Sober
October for some of the ladieswho actually want to go
alcohol-free this month.
(12:27):
This is not about shame.
It's definitely not aboutwhite-knuckling it.
It's about walking together,rooted in faith, with practical
tools and a supportive communityto carry you through.
You can find the link in theshow notes.
Now, here's the truth (12:45):
January is not magic.
Fall is the perfect time torelease alcohol and reset your
life.
The trees might not have achoice, but sister, you do, and
I believe God is inviting you tolet go so that He can fill you
with something so much better.
(13:07):
Thank you so much for being heretoday, and I'll talk to you
again soon.
Well, that does it for thisepisode of the Catholic Sobriety
Podcast.
I hope you enjoyed this episode,and I would invite you to share
it with a friend who might alsoget value from it as well.
And make sure you subscribe soyou don't miss a thing.
(13:29):
I am the Catholic SobrietyCoach, and if you would like to
learn how to work with me orlearn more about the coaching
that I offer, visit my website,the Catholic Sobriety Coach.
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