On this weeks bonus episode, Bryony sits down with writer, creator and “sober mum” Cat Sims for a brilliantly honest conversation about the three things that help her live her best life.

From daily AA meetings and the reality of long-term sobriety, to why she unapologetically takes solo trips away from her family for four nights at a time, Cat opens up about the routines and boundaries that keep her sane. The pair also get into the double standards around motherhood, the joy of being alone, and why making a cup of tea for one can feel oddly euphoric.

Cat also reveals the surprisingly therapeutic habit that might just change your life, having full-blown conversations with yourself while walking around the park in AirPods.

Funny, raw and wildly relatable, this is a conversation about recovery, motherhood, freedom, and finding small ways to hold onto yourself in the chaos of everyday life.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:

Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Matt Haig

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Tippi Willard

Studio Manager: Mitchell Lias

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Editor: Rowan Jacobs

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I’m joined by writer, creator and fellow sober woman Cat Sims for a conversation that is raw, funny, uncomfortable in places, and deeply hopeful. We talk about what “functioning alcoholism” really looks like when you’re a mother, why so many women struggle in silence, and the strange loneliness of feeling completely out of control while still appearing to hold everything together.

Cat opens up about blackout drinking, cocaine, shame, motherhood, marriage, and the terrifying moments that finally forced her to confront her addiction. We also talk about recovery, AA, emotional sobriety, social media, parenting teenage daughters, and why learning to apologise might be one of the bravest things a person can do.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered if their drinking has become a problem, and for anyone who needs reminding that change is possible, even when it feels impossible.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:

Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Cat Sims

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Tippi Willard

Studio Manager: Mitchell Lias

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Editor: Rowan Jacobs

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Haig is back for this bonus episode! After our main conversation about The Midnight Train and his mental health journey, I wanted to dig into the three things he actually leans on when his brain wants to sprint off in twelve different directions at once. Matt talks honestly about addiction, breakdown and why undiagnosed ADHD made his life feel like constant self-sabotage. He shares how the “boring” stuff – sleep, routine and structure – became his first line of defence, why sobriety turned out to be the most exhilarating decision of his life, and how love, friendship and family stopped him disappearing into the darkness. If your mind feels messy, addictive or out of control, this episode is a reminder that you don’t need perfect habits – just a few non-negotiables that help you keep going.

BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

Matt’s new book, The Midnight Train, is available to buy from 21st May.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Got something to share? Message us on @lifeofbryonypod on Instagram.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it – it really helps! Bryony xx

CREDITS:

Host: Bryony Gordon

Guest: Matt Haig

Producer: Laura Elwood-Craig

Assistant Producer: Tippi Willard

Studio Manager: Mitchell Lias

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

Editor: Rowan Jacobs

Exec Producer: Jamie East

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.