4. You Can Do Hard Things: Jules Nears One Year AF During a Natural Disaster

When a natural disaster hits, many of us reach for the fastest relief we know: alcohol. In this episode, Jaime and her mom Jules share a real-time update from Packwood, Washington after historic flooding and evacuation, and talk honestly about why the bar felt like the obvious move for so many people and what changes when you’re alcohol-free.

Jules is just weeks away from one year alcohol-free, and she opens up about the brief moment the thought crossed her mind during evacuation and why she chose clarity instead. Jaime shares how disasters can trigger anxiety, catastrophizing, and the urge to numb, plus the tools that help you stay grounded when everything feels out of control.

This conversation is a reminder that alcohol doesn’t make hard things easier, it delays them. And that being alcohol-free can unlock something powerful: presence, service, and the ability to truly show up for your people.

In this episode, we cover:
• Why people congregate in bars during storms and crises
• How alcohol impacts anxiety, sleep, and decision-making under stress
• Jules’s craving moment during evacuation and how she worked through it
• Community support, donations, and showing up for neighbors
• What changes when you stop numbing: confidence, focus, and self-trust
• Cozy coping that actually helps (yes, Soup Jules makes an appearance)

Key Moments:
00:00 Flood update from Packwood
06:51 Jules nearing one year alcohol-free
07:22 The craving moment during evacuation
10:13 Bars, disasters, and the pull to numb
15:20 “Would you be doing this if you were still drinking?”
20:12 Soup, comfort, and resilience
23:30 You can do hard things, alcohol-free

If you’re navigating anxiety, overwhelm, or a tough season, you’re not alone. Keep going.

Please rate and review if this episode resonated with you, and share it with someone who needs this reminder today.

Connect with Jaime:

• Website: https://amazinglyalcoholfree.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/amazinglyalcoholfree
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Work with Jaime

• Join Amazingly AF Dry January
• Join The Confidence Club