The Life Of Bryony - The Life of You – Millie Mackintosh’s Three Essentials for a Joyful Sober Christmas

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Millie Mackintosh is back to chat about the three absolute essentials she relies on to not just survive but thrive without alcohol during the festive season. We talk wellbeing, self-care, finding little rewards that feel even better than a tipple, and just how transformative those small daily choices can be. Whether you’re newly sober or just curious, Millie’s approach – and her honesty about learning to embrace Christmas in a whole new light – will leave you feeling inspired and supported. This chat will give you some practical advice, a giggle or two, and a reminder that you’re not alone this December!BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODEMillie’s book, Bad Drunk, is available in paperback from the 8th January 2026.LINKS TO SUPPORT GROUPSIf the content of Millie’s episodes resonated with you and you would like support, please consider the following:DRINKLINE – For anyone who is concerned about their drinking, or someone else's.To speak to someone call 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm).ALCOHOL CHANGE UK – For anyone seeking help with their own or someone else’s drinking.Visit https://alcoholchange.org.uk/ THE FORWARD TRUST – For anyone needing support to recover from addiction.Chat to someone online at https://forwardtrust.org.uk/talk-to-us (weekdays 9am-5pm) ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS – For anyone who feels their drinking is causing problems or who has a desire to stop drinking.Call 0800 917 7650 visit https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:Bad Drunk: Millie Mackintosh on Sobriety, Motherhood, and HealingWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUGot 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 xxCREDITS:Host: Bryony GordonGuest: Millie MackintoshProducer: Laura Elwood-CraigAssistant Producer: Tippi WillardStudio Manager: Sam ChisholmEditor: Luke ShelleyExec Producer: Jamie East  A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, gorgeous ones, and welcome to the bonus edition of The Life of Briney. Today, Millie McIntosh is opening up about the three things that help her get through Christmas without resorting to Bayleys. I think I've got such a busy mind, and I find it very hard to relax. Yeah, okay. And to slow down my thoughts. So if I have a very deep tissue massage, which is quite uncomfortable, it makes me come out of my head. And I really look forward to it, and that's like, that's my treat. you know how we talked for alcohol being a reward.

I think when you remove alcohol, you still need to have the rewards. My chat with Millie coming up right after this. Millie McIntosh. I follow you on Instagram, obviously, and you're just full of well-being tips. So I feel that this bonus episode, The Life of You, is going to be easy for you. The three things that are essential to your well-being during the festive period. What would be number one?

Number one, exercising. Okay. Because I have a list of things I feel I really need to do every day in order to keep my mental health in check. And that is directly linked also then not feeling that I want to have a drink. Yeah. And exercise really is like medicine. Yeah. you know find something that you like to do i remember getting into running um one year over

christmas because i was like because the gyms are not open and you know it's just it's accessible to everyone uh i know you love to run as well i do um so i will be moving my body every day somehow it might be dancing in the kitchen with my kids if it's pouring with rain outside i probably won't be going for a run um but it might be running it might be going to a class if i can get in somewhere but just might be doing a workout at home, getting some kind of movement in pretty much every day. Yeah, I find it's essential. It's the day I don't do it. You might think I'll have a rest day, but I'll just do something less intense. It's not, not, I'm not saying do intense exercise every day, but just move your body. Also, the idea, I have this thing about

rest days where I'm like, I can have a day where I move and I rest. Yeah. Like it doesn't But I still feel, I feel like, unless you're like doing like, you know, hit training or something, doing that every day, you might get injured because your muscles need a rest, but I'm not doing anything that intense. Okay. So gentle action. Some kind of movement every day. Depends, like, see how you feel. I think, be intuitive, be like, do I feel like doing a two or three hour hike today?

Or do I feel like just going for half an hour run? Or do I feel like just having a dance on my own in my bedroom? Or stretch. Or a stretch. I love a stretch. Love a stretch. I love a good stretch. And that's such a good way to just be kind to yourself as well.

Be like, okay, what do I need to do something a bit gentle? Yeah. And also not guilting yourself if you don't do it, if you don't feel like it. But I know I'll feel better if I do it. You're right. I know I will guilt myself. I know. So some kind of gentle exercise just move in a way that you enjoy because if you hate it and it's counterproductive.

Yeah, don't do something you hate. I am a big fan of meditation. So is that number two? Number two. Do you meditate every day, Millie McIntosh? It's really hard when you've got kids. Millie meditation, Macintosh. My kids understand that I need to meditate.

So if they are awake at like 5am or which is often the case around Christmas because I're so excited, I make it work by if I have to put the TV on and just be like, go and watch TV. Here's a box of cereal. Be quiet. Okay, so I was going to say, how have you, how have you led your kids? kids to understand that you need to meditate. I just tell them that it's what I need to do. That's how I start on my morning.

And if they walk in while I'm doing it, they'll sometimes come on lie on top of me or like sit next to me or watch me. And I don't get stressed. I try, I don't get stressed by them doing that. Because I once or twice was like, oh, I can't do it properly because they're here. And then it's actually better.

And then if they're watching you do it, they're also quite interested. They're like, oh, what is this? They're learning. And Buddhist monk would say, that that's life. Life on life is, so they've come in and you're just going to have to carry on and that's because it's not about stopping thinking, is it? It's about. Yeah. It's being mindful of everything that's happening. And if they keep coming up to me every few minutes, I try and do 20 minutes.

I do transcendental meditation or TM. Wow. So do 10 minutes. So I wake up and like before I've looked at my phone, I go, I have, I sleep with my phone on airplane mode. I go on my phone to an app and just put up this timer on and just sit and do it, do the meditation before I've kind of got out of bed. That's amazing. What's the app? I think it's called like equanimity timer or something. But you could just use a timer on your phone if you want. I just like this has like a chime. And then like you know, okay, you've got a minute to prepare and then you kind of just try and get settled. Repeat your mantra in your head for 20 minutes. You get distracted. You just go back to it. What's your mantra at the moment? You can't tell anyone because you get you do a little ceremony.

you get given the Sanskrit word and that's your mantra and you can't do it any I love that it's properly for yourself it's properly for yourself again if some days it just doesn't feel possible but I notice when I don't do it okay so movement and meditation and probably like my top two okay what is number three some self-care okay so can I guess what the is there going to be another M. Mm-hmm. M-mm-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-massage. Yeah.

I love a massage, and that is my ultimate self-care treat. I think I've got such a busy mind, and I find it very hard to relax. Yeah. Okay. And to slow down my thoughts. So if I have a very deep tissue massage, which is quite uncomfortable, it makes me come out of my head. Yes.

I don't want a relaxing massage where someone's just, like, stroking me. I'm like, no. I want the, like, deep, I'm like, as hard as you can. possibly do it. I want to feel bruised afterwards. I'm so with you. The worst thing is when you get a massage and they're like stroking you and you are like, I'm not a cat. I know. I want like a tie massage or like, you know, like I want to be, I want someone to like be like standing on my back. Standing on my back. Yeah. Yeah. I'm with you. And do you, do you go somewhere or do they come to you? When, oh, it depends. Um, quite often at home. Again, sometimes the kids want to come

in. Yeah. I'm just like, sit on bed with your iPad and your headphones on and if you've got to whatever, if they feel like they need to be near me, I'm like, I'm still going to have my massage and I don't get stressed about it. I quite often have them at home. Can I ask how often you have a massage? I try and have one a week. Okay, but that's like, so this is the bonus again, going back to that first episode that we've just done. And then people will be like, oh, you're so like, that's not achievable. But the thing is, is that if you give up, if you're drinking the amount that we were drinking, Millie, and you give that up, you're saving a hell a lot of money. Yeah, definitely enough for a massage every week. And that, you know, putting stuff back,

and also we get to do what the fucking hell we want. That's the other thing. You know, as grown adults, I have made the choice that I am not drinking or taking drugs anymore. This is me speaking for me. And instead, I'm having a massage every week, maybe every two weeks. I haven't had a massage for a couple of weeks and I'm feeling it. And that is the most, and I, that's how I, like you, chill out. And I really look forward to it. And that's like, that's my treat. You know how we talked about alcohol being a reward?

I think when you remove alcohol, you still need to have the rewards. Yeah. So it might be like having a lovely bath with some essential oils and some music, just something that... That does not cut it for me. But I have like little rewards that I like. It might be like putting a bit of cream in my coffee. Yeah, that could work.

It just feels like a bit of a treat. It might be like having, you know, your absolute favorite slice of cake as a treat on a Tuesday afternoon because you feel like it. All of these little things, I think are helpful. A massage is like my gold standard. Yeah. That's a treat. I think massage and then a cake.

Cake, then massage. Cake or massage then cake than cake. Maybe and then, because you're going to be feeling a little bit sleepy afterwards you could have cream in your coffee. Can it be clotted cream? Could it be like Cornish clotted cream? Yes. Well, on that note, Millie, I'm.

I think I'm going to go off and treat myself to, if not a massage, a scorn with clothed cream. Please do. Okay, I want to know how you all thrive at Christmas without booze. Why not message me on Instagram at Life of Briny Pod and let me know. And if that doesn't appeal, you could just leave us a review and give us a follow. Most importantly, look after yourself and I'll see you. on Monday.