It's Not About the Alcohol

In this episode, Colleen shares a simple moment from her morning — a single unexpected email — that shows exactly how the nervous system can hijack your day before you even know what happened. What could've turned into urgency, frustration, and spiraling worst-case scenarios instead became a real-time example of emotional sobriety: noticing the startle, interrupting the stress response, and choosing from capacity instead of panic. She breaks down the subtle physiological chain reaction that happens long before overwhelm hits — the jolt, the mental spin, the internal "wall," the freeze — and shows how quickly your brain starts catastrophizing when your capacity is low. Colleen also explains why even tiny stressors feel massive when you're depleted, and how honoring your body's limits (instead of bulldozing through them) changes everything about how you show up. 🔑 Key Takeaways • The five stages of the trauma response and how to spot them as they unfold • Why capacity changes daily — and why ignoring that reality leads straight to overwhelm • How your brain hijacks your perspective when you're tired, stressed, or depleted • Why completing the stress response is non-negotiable if you want to stay effective • How to shift from "fix it now" urgency to grounded, strategic problem-solving • A simple litmus test to know whether something expands your capacity or drains it • How emotional sobriety turns small moments into opportunities to build resilience This is a reminder that your power isn't in outrunning stress — it's in noticing it sooner, responding with compassion, and restoring your capacity before you take action. That is what makes you truly unstoppable. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

As middle aged women, we all know what it's like to be exhausted. Not the kind of exhausted where you need a nap—the kind where you've been running on fumes for so long you forgot what actual energy feels like. You're already doing everything you can to eat well, exercise, get better sleep and cut back on the wine. You've probably got rows of supplements lined up on your counter like little soldiers. You do lots of research and see  holistic practitioners because your health is important to you. And it's not so much that something is wrong–it's that something isn't right. Here's what you're missing: you can't expect your symptoms to improve if you haven't corrected the root cause–which is energetic. It's the patriarchal programming that makes you feel like your self-worth is tied to your productivity. It's the part of you that doesn't know how to relax because relaxing literally doesn't feel safe. My guest today is Hope Pedraza. She's a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner who uses human design as a diagnostic tool—and before you roll your eyes, stay with me. She combines the labs, the data, the science, with your energetic blueprint to show you exactly where the disconnect is. How you're designed to operate versus how you're actually living.  In this episode, you'll learn: → What human design actually is (and the science behind it—yes, there's science) → The connection between your energy centers and specific organs—and how emotional patterns literally show up on your labs → Why it's physiologically impossible to change your habits when you're in survival mode → The two-step process to start repatterning your operating system   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc Connect with Hope Pedraza: Podcast: Hopeful and Wholesome Website: hopefulandwholesome.com Instagram: @thehopepedraza Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen pulls the curtain back on overwhelm and names it for what it really is: a trauma response living in your nervous system, not a personal failing or lack of willpower. She walks through the five stages your body moves through when the demands on you exceed your capacity, and why trying to "push through" that wall only drives you deeper into shutdown. Instead of treating overwhelm as something to beat, Colleen shows you how to use it as a litmus test that tells you exactly when to stop, step back, and tend to your nervous system first. You'll learn a simple five-minute reset practice you can use anytime you feel yourself hit the wall, so you can move forward from compassion instead of self-criticism.   🔑 Key Takeaways Overwhelm isn't weakness or drama; it's a physiological trauma response in your nervous system The five stages of the body's trauma response: startle, stress activation, hitting the wall, freeze, and shutdown Why trying to "power through" overwhelm keeps you stuck and deepens shame, anxiety, and self-doubt How chronic internal narratives (people pleasing, perfectionism, fear, guilt) quietly drain your capacity long before the "last straw" A simple litmus test and five-minute pause practice to respond to overwhelm with compassion instead of pressure If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

In this episode, Colleen gets brutally honest about something most "high-functioning" women never admit out loud: what happens when your old motivation system collapses. Divorce, sobriety, and building a business forced her to drop the over-functioning, over-exercising version of herself and face a hard truth: she'd been using fitness to run on stress, shame, and hangovers. She unpacks why, after quitting drinking, her drive completely disappeared, why post-acute withdrawal wasn't just about brain chemistry, and how dopamine is actually tied to the stories you tell yourself about reward and worth. From there, she walks through how she rebuilt movement from the inside out with tiny, sustainable habits that actually feel good instead of punitive. You'll hear how she went from daily marathons and hot yoga to "slug on a log" mode, and then into a realistic, sustainable routine that supports bone density, strength, and future adventures… without relying on self-hate, perfectionism, or external validation to get her moving. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why so many women lose their motivation after sobriety or big life changes (hint: your old rewards stop working, not your willpower) How dopamine is tied to your internal narrative about reward, identity, and what "counts" as success The difference between forcing yourself with willpower vs building habits that feel sustainable, kind, and matched to where you actually are Why you're never just building "one habit" (like working out) but a whole stack of upstream habits that make follow-through possible Red flags that your routine is fueled by shame and "shoulds" instead of genuine desire, and why that guarantees burnout instead of long-term change   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

You've done the therapy. Read the books. Listened to the podcasts. You understand your trauma responses intellectually. But when you get triggered, your mind still spins out of control—and you can't make it stop. Here's what you need to know: Your spinning mind isn't something to fix or control. It's communication from a wounded part of you that needs your attention.   In this episode, we're talking about: Why trying to think your way out of emotional pain actually makes it worse The difference between being triggered BY a part vs. BECOMING that part (blending vs. unblending) Why your wounded inner child doesn't speak the language of logic—and what she actually needs from you How to drop out of your spinning mind and into your body where the real healing happens Why "I've done so much work, why am I still dealing with this?" is the wrong question The practice that changes everything: showing up for your pain without trying to fix it   This is Internal Family Systems (IFS) meets emotional sobriety. This is how you stop abandoning yourself when your wounded parts show up asking for help.   🔑 Key Takeaway:  Healing doesn't happen in your head. It happens in your nervous system when you learn to show up for your wounded parts with presence, patience, and unconditional love. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen shares a real-life story about her daughter's college move-in that reveals one of the most important skills in emotional sobriety: knowing the difference between a grounded choice and a nervous system hijack. What started as a harmless whiff of pot in the entryway spiraled into panic, urgency, and the impulse to move apartments immediately. But the real issue wasn't the apartment — it was a stress response scanning for danger. Colleen breaks down how fear narrows your perspective, why your brain searches for confirming evidence when you feel unsafe, and how to recognize the moment you stop choosing and start reacting. You'll learn how to evaluate your options from clarity instead of pressure, how to distinguish obligation from true desire, and how to pause long enough to reconnect to the version of you who can choose intentionally. 🔑 You'll Learn: • The difference between real choice and a nervous-system-driven reaction • How fight, flight, and freeze disguise themselves as "logic" • Why urgency is a sign to pause, not act • How resentment forms when you choose from fear instead of truth • A simple way to widen your perspective and see more than one angle • How emotional sobriety helps you make decisions you'll be proud of later This episode is a reminder that grounded choices feel like options — not obligations — and that clarity is something you create from the inside out. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen breaks down one of the most foundational teachings of emotional sobriety: your higher self isn't a future version of you — she's a frequency you can access right now. Drawing from quantum physics, nervous system science, and the emotional practices at the core of this work, Colleen explains why clarity, intuition, creativity, and confidence aren't things you earn after healing enough trauma or doing everything "right." They emerge when you learn to quiet the noise of your subconscious programming, regulate your nervous system, and align your emotional state with the version of you who already knows what to do. You'll learn how distorted thinking jams your internal signal, why stress blocks intuition, and what it actually takes to receive insight instead of chasing it. This minisode is a practical guide to becoming coherent — mentally, emotionally, and energetically — so you can stop fighting with your thoughts and finally tune into the wisdom already within you.   🔑 Key Takeaways • Your higher self is a frequency, not a destination • Why intuition emerges when your brain and body are coherent • How nervous system regulation opens access to insight • The three components of alignment: breath, emotion, and intention • Why affirmations fail when they're fueled by fear • How to replace subconscious loops with new emotional signals • What it means to "broadcast" a new identity energetically This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't come from trying harder — it comes from tuning in. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

What if the reason you're still drinking too much when you're alone has nothing to do with willpower—and everything to do with how you think about being alone? You've made so much progress. You're no longer drinking every day. You can go to social events and drink like a normal person without going overboard. You're doing the work, listening to podcasts, journaling, showing up for yourself. But there's still that one context where you get tripped up. Sunday afternoons. Tuesday evenings when you're home alone. You pour one glass and somehow end up drinking the entire bottle. And you're starting to wonder: Is something wrong with me? Why can't I figure this out? Will this ever change? Here's the truth: Your drinking habit isn't one habit. It's a hundred habits. And most of them have nothing to do with alcohol. In this episode, you'll discover: 🔥 Why you can control your drinking in some contexts but not others (and what that actually means about your progress) 🔥 The real reason "just staying busy" doesn't solve the problem when you're home alone 🔥 How to upgrade from shame to disappointment to curiosity—and why that progression is critical for lasting change 🔥 Why your language patterns are creating your reality ("I've always struggled when I'm alone" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy) 🔥 The one question your brain can't answer (hint: it's not "how do I stop drinking too much?") 🔥 What "abracadabra" teaches us about the power of expectation—and how to use it in your favor 🔥 How to create a vision for what you DO want instead of just wishing for the absence of unwanted behavior 🔥 Why seeing your slip-ups as "neutral data" instead of failure changes everything 🔥 The truth about being "halfway there"—and how to get all the way there without beating yourself up Here's what you need to understand: Alcohol use disorder is the disease of perceived failure. You drank more than you think you should have, and you're seeing it as failure. But the work isn't to stop failing. The work is to change your perception of what failure even means. When you're alone on a Sunday or Tuesday evening, you're not failing. You're learning. And there's a huge difference. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen walks us through a coaching moment that captures what emotional sobriety really means: shifting from self-criticism and control into vision and alignment. When one client arrived overwhelmed and focused on what her partner wasn't doing, the breakthrough came when she identified who she wanted to be — positive and powerful. From there, everything changed. Colleen unpacks how to train the brain to serve your vision instead of your fear, why alignment between mind and body is the true foundation of change, and how to stop letting your thoughts drain your energy. You'll learn what it means to "stop, drop, and feel," and how this simple practice brings you back to your power when you're spiraling in stress or self-doubt.   🔑 Key Takeaways How to use coaching to shift perspective from blame to personal power Why your emotions are litmus tests for your mindset The difference between primal (fear) and powerful (freedom) states Practices to regulate your nervous system and realign your energy How clarity of vision makes your brain your ally, not your enemy This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't start with action — it starts with who you decide to be. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this deeply personal reflection, Colleen opens up about her own history with bulimia and the years she spent trying to control her body to manage her emotions. Inspired by Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, she explores how disordered eating, drinking, and perfectionism all share the same root: unprocessed emotion and the desperate need to feel safe, seen, and in control. Through her story — and Jennette's — Colleen reframes recovery as a compassionate, iterative process. True healing isn't about getting it right; it's about breaking the shame cycle that turns a slip into a slide. She reminds us that slips are part of rewiring the brain, not proof of failure. Shame is what cements the pattern — compassion is what breaks it. This episode invites listeners to soften around their own humanity, to stop waiting for perfection, and to practice self-acceptance as the foundation for lasting change. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why perfectionism fuels relapse and self-sabotage The "slip vs. slide" mindset and why it's essential for sustainable healing How shame disguises itself as self-control What emotional sobriety looks like beyond alcohol — in food, body, and identity Why healing happens one processed emotion, one honest moment at a time The goal isn't flawless behavior — it's emotional freedom. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

You know that feeling when you're thinking about drinking later and your stomach drops because you're already worried about overdoing it? Or when you come home from vacation and you're genuinely afraid you won't be able to stop with the daily drinking? That's reentry syndrome. And it's not what you think it is. Most people think if they could just be stronger, more disciplined, or finally "get it together," they wouldn't feel this way. But what if I told you that reentry syndrome is a straight up trauma response? The reason you feel out of control is because you're overwhelmed? In this episode, you'll discover: 🔥 The hidden reason you think about drinking even when you're not drinking (hint: it's not because you're obsessed with alcohol) 🔥 What your nervous system is really trying to tell you when anxiety about your drinking shows up on a random Thursday afternoon 🔥 The exact thought pattern that keeps you stuck in the "I can't stop" loop—and how to interrupt it 🔥 A powerful 5-minute exercise to rewrite the toxic beliefs that are running your life (you'll want to grab a pen for this one) 🔥 Why taking a break from drinking doesn't cure reentry syndrome (and what does) 🔥 Specific somatic practices you can use the moment anxiety hits to calm your nervous system and get out of the spiral Here's the truth: Your drinking habits aren't the problem. They're the symptom. And once you understand what's really driving your behavior, you'll have the power to change it. If you're tired of living in fear of yourself, this episode will show you a completely different way forward. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc    

In this reflective episode, Colleen shares how a single morning meditation changed the trajectory of her entire day — and became a living practice for emotional sobriety. Waking early with her mind already spinning, she found herself caught in the familiar loop of pressure, striving, and self-imposed urgency. Instead of chasing a better plan, she chose presence. The phrase "I'm available to be here now" became a reset — a nervous-system gear shift that moved her from fight-and-fix into calm and clarity. From treadmill runs to team decisions, Colleen explores how availability opens the door to peace, creativity, and intuition. When we stop trying to escape discomfort and allow ourselves to be with it, we reclaim our power to respond differently — to build a business, a body, and a life that feels aligned instead of forced.   🔑 Key Takeaways You can't think your way out of feelings — you have to feel your way back to thinking clearly. When you let go of the grind, you make room for grace. The goal isn't to rush to "better." It's to be available for what's real, right now. This is emotional sobriety in practice — the art of pausing, feeling, and choosing again. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript    

In this reflective episode, Colleen shares a deeply personal moment—learning she couldn't qualify to assume the mortgage on her own home—and how that realization became a masterclass in emotional sobriety, choice, and self-trust. What begins as a financial obstacle unfolds into a powerful teaching on energetic alignment and cognitive reframing. When life tells you "you can't," your mind begins to collapse into fear, scarcity, and victimhood. But when you pause to challenge that narrative, you remember: you always have a choice. She walks through the process of shifting from agitation to awareness—examining her story line by line, regulating her emotions, and reclaiming her sense of agency. Through this lens, even discomfort becomes data, showing where your thinking needs to evolve. She shares how: Victim and survivor often face the same reality—the difference is in the response. Feeling "stuck" is always a story, not a sentence. Manifestation isn't magic; it's energetic coherence between thought, feeling, and choice. Power begins when you care more about how you feel now than what you think should happen next. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to practice self-leadership—to stop, drop, and feel what's true before reacting, and then rewrite the story from a place of grounded power.  🔑 Key Takeaways The absence of fear isn't confidence—it's clarity. Emotional sobriety means managing your energy before managing your circumstances. You can't be a victim and a creator at the same time. Awareness and reframing are how you reclaim choice. The story you tell yourself becomes the life you live. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.  Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript    

What if the biggest problem in your high-conflict relationship isn't your ex—it's that you keep handing them your power? In this conversation, Amy Armstrong breaks down why conflict is a skill deficit, not a character flaw, and how focusing on what you're willing to do (instead of what the other person is doing wrong) changes everything. In this episode, we cover: → The critical difference between boundaries and requests (and why most people are just begging for change) → Why it only takes ONE person to end a conflict—and how to be that person without becoming a doormat → The uncomfortable truth about drama addiction and stress hormones (are you actually attached to the chaos?) → How to stop reading those texts that ruin your entire day (and why you keep opening them anyway) → The "of course" method for instant self-compassion when you're triggered → Why saying "no" keeps you stuck in resentment—and what to focus on instead   This episode is for you if: You're co-parenting with someone who pushes every button you have You feel like you're constantly defending yourself and still losing You're exhausted from trying to change someone who refuses to change You want your power back but don't know where to start You're ready to stop being a victim to someone else's bad behavior   Amy's approach: Practical, no-BS skills for handling high-conflict relationships without losing yourself in the process. Want to Learn More About Coaching in The "High Octane Moments"  Click Here for A Free Guide that includes 3 Self-Mastery Tools to help you show up fully, care deeply and stay grounded when working with clients, even in the most explosive situations and toughest rooms. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.  Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!  Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen revisits a recording in which she introduces a powerful tool that continues to help women interrupt autopilot and reconnect with their bodies — The Full Body Reset. She originally shared it on a morning when she didn't use it — a reminder that growth isn't about perfection, it's about awareness, compassion, and reconnection. When we're tired, stressed, or overstimulated, the brain will always reach for what's easy. The Full Body Reset helps you pause, remember what's true, and let your body cast a vote for what you really need. Through this story, she normalizes what it means to be human — to miss cues, to wish you'd chosen differently, and to repair with yourself instead of spiraling into shame. It's a simple, embodied practice that anchors emotional sobriety: building trust, honoring truth, and returning to yourself one pause at a time.   🔑 Key Takeaways The absence of alcohol use disorder isn't perfect behavior — it's the absence of shame when you stumble. Your body always knows what you need — you just have to pause long enough to listen. A Full Body Reset interrupts autopilot and reestablishes self-trust. Repairing with yourself builds the emotional maturity needed for long-term change. True power is being "Team You" — even when you don't get it right.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

The truth is, you can't out-think a thinking problem. And yet, that's what so many women try to do—reading, journaling, "working on themselves"—all while staying quietly trapped inside their own minds. In this episode, Colleen reveals why the real work of emotional sobriety doesn't happen in isolation. It happens in connection. Through years of observation, data, and lived experience, she's found that the single most powerful predictor of lasting success inside The Next Chapter isn't perfection or willpower—it's participation. When women join accountability groups and actually show up, something profound shifts. They start learning faster, healing deeper, and rebuilding trust in themselves through the simple act of reflection. That's not luck—it's neuroscience and emotional regulation working together in real time. If you've been trying to "figure it out" alone, this episode will help you see why connection is not a luxury in recovery—it's the catalyst. You'll understand how community accelerates self-trust, quiets shame, and helps you live from power instead of performance. Because emotional sobriety isn't about never falling down—it's about finally having the support, skills, and structure to rise in a different way. 🔑 Key Takeaways True change happens through reflection and relationship, not isolation. Emotional sobriety deepens when you feel seen, heard, and safe to be honest. Shame dissolves in connection—the accountability group is where courage grows roots. You don't need to "do more." You need to belong more. Healing happens faster when you stop performing and start participating.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript    

Here's what nobody tells you when you're trying to change your drinking: Your alcohol cravings at happy hour are not just about needing a break after a hard day. And they're definitely not about  how much you "just love wine." In reality, you haven't eaten since noon and your blood sugar is in the basement. This is about what you ate for lunch–or more accurately, what you didn't eat. What I've learned doing this work—and what my guest today is going to blow your mind with—is that you can't white-knuckle your way through a nutritional deficiency. You cannot mindset your way around a physiology problem. And yet most of us try to do exactly that, and then beat ourselves up when it doesn't work. Today I'm sitting down with Dr. Brooke Scheller, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and author of "How to Eat to Change How You Drink." And she's going to explain why your evening drinking habits are not a sign that you lack willpower. You lack protein, vitamins and minerals. This conversation will give you easy, simple ideas for how to bridge the gap between where you're at and where you want to be.  Spoiler: You don't need to try harder. You need to eat breakfast. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc Connect with Dr. Brooke Scheller: Website: Brooke Scheller Instagram: @drbrookescheller Substack: @drbrookescheller Book: "How to Eat to Change How You Drink" (Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Audible)

In this minisode, Colleen distills emotional sobriety into its simplest form: learning to recognize when you're operating from your primal state versus your power state. Most of us spend our lives reacting to the world from old programming—patterns shaped by fear, pain, or the need for control—without realizing that we can pause, interrupt, and return to presence. She explains how to move from being controlled by your mind to consciously using it as a tool, how emotional energy drives every "problem," and how the act of letting go—physically and mentally—is the real path to peace. This is more than nervous system regulation; it's a full reclamation of agency over your inner world.   🔑 Key Takeaways You live in one of two states: primal (reactive) or power (conscious). Every problem is emotional—it begins with the meaning your mind assigns. Letting go is a physical skill that quiets the mind by releasing tension in the body. You can't think your way out of stress; you have to feel your way back to calm. Power isn't something you find—it's the moment you remember you already have it.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this minisode, Colleen unpacks the hidden link between insecurity and control — and how most of us try to manage our anxiety by managing other people's opinions. Through a grounded, body-based perspective, she reframes confidence not as something you "earn," but as something you practice by returning to yourself again and again. She challenges the myth that insecurity means something is "wrong" with you. Instead, she explains that it's a call to turn inward — to redirect your energy from controlling perception to cultivating presence. The goal isn't to eliminate self-consciousness, but to move the needle toward self-possession, one thought, one feeling, and one moment at a time.   🔑 Key Takeaways   Anxiety is a signal to focus inward, not manage others' opinions. Your thoughts about what others think are still your thoughts — and you can change them. Confidence is a feeling created by intentional thinking, not external validation. The "confident you" is built through repetition — one conscious moment at a time. True growth is reaching the tipping point where self-trust becomes your default state. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

When I was in my 30s and 40s, I thought health was something you earned with discipline. I ate clean, drank tons of water, ran marathons and swallowed whatever supplements were trending. And even though I appeared to be doing everything right, my stress was through the roof and my body constantly ached. I was always looking for the next thing to fix. But here's what I didn't realize:  I wasn't broken, or even unhealthy. I just wasn't listening to my body. I cared more about how things looked than how they felt.  I thought I had to prove that I was healthy by doing hard shit–taking on more than I could actually handle. I didn't understand that relaxation isn't something you earn after you check all the boxes. It's an essential ingredient to success.  In today's episode, I'm talking with Courtney Townley, host of Grace & Grit and author of The Consistency Code. Courtney helps women navigate the health maze of midlife—when your resilience to stress is naturally lower, and the load you're carrying has never been heavier, and the old strategies you've used to just keep going are no longer working. In this episode, you'll learn: Why doing more often makes you less healthy—and how your definition of self-care needs to change How to identify "integrity pain," the tension between who you are and how you're living What to do when your motivation disappears and you literally don't have the energy to keep up with your damn self Being healthy isn't about external metrics…it's when you learn how to experience unconditional love for your body. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    You can find Courtney at Grace & Grit ---> Grab Her NEW Book, The Consistency Code, launching November 5th!   Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc