I’ve been following Matthew Taub on sober social media for a while. Plus, we were recently on a Time Takes Time panel together, which is a monthly group put together by Sober Curator Lane Kennedy, made up of people in long-term recovery. Needless to say, I was excited to sit down with this gentle giant with 16 years of sobriety under his sober belt and talk to him about all the sober things.
Sober Spotlight Q&A with Matthew Taub
What’s your Sobriety Date?
December 21st, 2005. Fun fact! I didn’t start treatment until Valentine’s Day and also traveled to Jamaica one week sober.
Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage of Choice?
I may look tough, but I’m all about the bubbles. Ginger Ale, Sparkling Water, San Pellegrino, or Perrier.
What’s your favorite #QUITLIT Book?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I own multiple copies and frequently gift this book to my clients.
What advice do you have for someone new to recovery?
Get a big bag of sugar candies, Mike & Ike’s, hard candies, Hot Tamales for all those sugar cravings you are going to have. Don’t worry about health and weight at the beginning. Everything that you were avoiding before is going to show up. Candy helps. Yes, a lot of things happened and they will be there waiting for you to face them. You’ll still have to face them one day at a time, so don’t get overwhelmed. They aren’t going anywhere, but you are.
How does your recovery benefit your career?
I’m more focused and more clear. I was in the fitness industry when I got sober and I still am. Fitness 100% saved my life and gave me something to do. It wasn’t a transference of addiction either, When I quit smoking, I turned to puzzles. Finding things that I was good at, which were fitness, gym, and the treadmill, helped me focus on what I was doing and filling that empty time.
How has recovery impacted your family life?
I have a wife and three kids. My kids have never seen him drink. I have the same struggles all marriages go through. They just aren’t made worse by my addiction. I love being present for kids. When I show up more, they show up more. We all win.
Let’s talk selfie-care. What do you do to take time for yourself?
Working out and focusing on fitness is one of the best things I can do for myself. Fitness in recovery lights up the brain, gets you thinking differently, feeling positive. This is time well spent.
Going public with your recovery can be intimidating. What tips or benefits do you have to share?
Be yourself. Don’t overdo it. It’s a hard struggle and the stigma is still very much out there. Relapse happens, and it’s ok, life happens. Don’t make it bigger than it really is. Don’t be grandiose (Hello EGO). You don’t need to carry the moniker for the entire sober community. There is a lot of negative stigmas that still exist around addiction and mental illness, so proceed with caution and start small. Putting it on social media and throwing it out there to people who you don’t know (or trust) aren’t always your best support.
If you could go backwards and give your newly sober self some advice, what would it be?
Talk about it sooner. I waited a long time to talk about it. I would say it sooner because life gets easier after you do.
Is there a nonprofit you support?
CAMH Center for Addiction and Mental Health The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centers in its field. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.
SOBER POP Culture Lightning Round!
What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
My 80s collection of T-Shirts. Some of my favorites include Farah Fawcett, Golden Girls, Top Gun, Two Rubber Ducks and Goose, Breakfast Club, and 90210.
Favorite Sober Celeb or Sober Musician?
Miley Cyrus is my newest and Elton John because he’s a classic.
What’s on your podcast playlist right now?
Ed Mylett, David Nurse Pivot and Go, Our Fake History, and The 90s.
Favorite music?
Joanie Mitchell, David Crosby, Adam Lambert, and Queen.
Favorite Movie or TV Series that has addiction as part of the storyline?
Dopesick. Loved it! However, I don’t enjoy watching films or TV shows that are too close to what it was like before. I can’t watch Intervention. But I can and I do watch stories, like The Mötley Crüe movie, but only if I know how they make it in the end.
Ok, let’s get spiritual. What’s your practice?
Meditate daily 5 minutes to 30 minutes and then I do it again an hour before bed. I also create a to-do list for the next day, focusing on mindfulness, to separate from everything in the day and make it easy to go to bed.
Do you have a favorite place to travel or vacation sober?
California and Nashville, Tennesee
If you want to follow along with Matthew, you can find him on Instagram @matthewtaub or check out his linktr.ee/matthewtaub
Sober Curator Pro Tip: Work out with Matthew remotely!
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SOBER SPOTLIGHT: This section of our site highlights extraordinary people in recovery. Sober small business owners doin’ their thing gives us all the feels. Who is making a difference in your recovery community? If you know someone we should spotlight please connect with us at thesobercurator@gmail.com or DM us on social media.
TIME TAKES TIME: Fun fact! Matthew Taub was a guest on Sober Curator Lane Kennedy’s Connected Calm Life podcast, in her monthly Time Takes Time Feature, for February 2022. Read, listen, or watch it here.
Resources are available
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
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