Gilly Baker - Life Coach

Choosing differently.

Feeling differently.

Living differently.

A little reminder that our alcohol free choices are part of a much bigger change. 💗

At around day 27 of my alcohol free journey, I didn’t have a grand plan. I just knew I felt a bit better… and I kept taking tiny steps. Journalling. Meditating. Walking. Listening. Learning.
Those small steps didn’t look dramatic — but they were quietly changing everything.

Because small steps have a way of turning into big leaps.

Those early days led me to a stronger marriage, a diploma in Coaching and Positive Psychology, a certificate in Alcohol Free Performance Coaching, three weeks solo in Bali, dancing five hours a week, completing a Hyrox… and yes, throwing myself off a bridge yesterday morning.

None of that happened overnight. It happened because I kept choosing the next small step.

You don’t need my version of big leaps. You get to have your version.

So tell me - what small step are you taking right now that feels like it might lead somewhere bigger?

Two holiday photos taken exactly 13 years apart - 2013 drinking a Coronarita (or three), 2026 walking the Caminito del Rey. The contrast is wild… and honestly, I think I look younger now. I know I feel it.

My alarm went off at 6am this morning. I’d never have booked a trip like this if I was still drinking - never mind actually getting up and doing it. Alcohol free living didn’t just give me my energy back; it gave me my life back.

When you stop drinking, life opens up in ways you never imagine. More mornings like this. More adventures you say yes to. More versions of yourself you get to meet.

Your future self is waiting.

Day 1 → Now.

Two completely different versions of me - and only one of them ever got to truly live.

Alcohol free life didn’t just change my face… it changed everything.

I became someone my Day 1 self wouldn’t recognise, inside and out.

Choosing to ditch the wine, didn’t just give me years - it gave me quality.

If you’re standing at your own Day 1, wondering if it’s worth it… it is.

In every single way.

If you want help taking your first step, drop me a DM.

I talked about my alcohol free journey on the Wine O’Clock Woman podcast…and I didn’t hold back.

I shared the raw bits. The honest bits. And the parts most people never say out loud.

If you want the link, DM me or drop a comment below.

I was a grey area drinker - stuck between a 3 and an 8 on the scale.

Not “bad enough” to be dependent or and alcoholic. And definitely not “fine”. I was trapped in that exhausting middle lane so many women quietly live in.

And if you’re reading this… there’s a good chance you’re somewhere in that middle too.

If you’re curious about how you might feel alcohol free - not forever, just for a reset - the next Alcohol Reset Challenge starts 1 July.

Want the link? Tell me below.

Rebecca Thomson | Breaking the Drinking Cycle with the amazing Rebecca Thomson.
Sarah Rusbatch for the July Alcohol Reset Challenge.

Here’s the next five Tropic products I reach for on repeat - and I promise, this batch of five is just as good as the first.

Each one brings something unique to my routine, whether it’s the texture, the results or just that little moment of calm it gives me.

Swipe through to see what makes these five standouts.

If you want tailored recommendations or fancy a browse, my Tropic shop is always open - and if you’re feeling overwhelmed by choice,because there’s just so many great products on offer, drop me a DM or comment below.

Someone asked me recently if I was an alcoholic because I’ve stopped drinking.

I wasn’t even annoyed or surprised. I post about being alcohol free so I must have had a real problem, right? I think that question says way more about how we view alcohol than it does about me.

If the scale runs from 1 (never drinks) to 10 (severe alcohol dependency), I lived somewhere between a 3 and a 7. That’s what we call the middle lane or the grey area.

And my guess is just about everyone reading this post is there on that scale too.

So no, I wasn’t an alcoholic.

But I was a grey area drinker - that middle lane so many of us quietly sit in.

Not “bad enough”. Not “a problem”.
Just pretending it was fine because everyone around me was in exactly the same place.

But I got curious and tired of feeling rubbish, so I took a break.

I joined a 30 day challenge - anonymously at first because I felt embarrassed and because of my job.
But after a week something shifted and I started posting in the private group under my own name because I realised there’s actually hundreds and thousands of women like me, feeling exactly like I was, and there’s power in naming it and changing it.

After 30 days, I felt better… so I kept going.

After the next 30 days, I felt even better… so I kept going again.

And that’s how everything changed.

Sarah’s next Alcohol Reset Challenge starts 1 July. The group will open soon for introductions and to allow everyone to settle in.

If you’re even slightly curious about what a break might feel like - and you suspect you’re somewhere in that grey area too - come join us.

Message me or comment for the link. The cost is super low and the 30 days is worth so much more than what Sarah charges.

And please share this.

You never know who’s quietly struggling behind a “perfectly fine” exterior - juggling work stress, life pressure, menopause or just that nagging feeling that alcohol is taking more than it’s giving.

You don’t need to be drinking every night.
You don’t need to be drinking bottles at a time. Just enough to make you feel crap… and ready for something better.

Saturday cheers from me!

Trying something new. Sipping Mother Root from the matching glass and feeling very pleased with myself - definitely my new AF obsession.

What’s your favourite alcohol free drink?

900 days… minus 1.

Still alcohol free.
Still growing.
Still becoming the woman I’m genuinely proud of.

And that “minus 1”?
That was the day I realised my strength was never about perfection - it was about getting back up, choosing myself again and refusing to let one afternoon rewrite my whole story.

That moment didn’t break my progress - it clarified it.
It made me stronger, clearer and more committed than ever.

The minus 1 matters.
Because I learned so much in that single afternoon - enough to keep exploring, keep healing and keep doing the work.

And now, at 900 days, I can say this fully and calmly:
I’ll never drink again.
And I don’t miss it… not even a little.

Your turn:
What’s one moment that showed you you’re stronger than you realised?
I’d love to hear your version.