In this episode, Colleen unpacks one of the most common struggles in early sobriety and beyond: bone-deep exhaustion. She shares her own experience quitting alcohol (and much more) all at once, and how the “post-acute withdrawal syndrome” myth left her believing she’d be tired and unmotivated for years. What she eventually discovered is that tiredness isn’t just physical—it’s an emotional signal tied to how you’re thinking, what you’re carrying, and how you’re responding to your body.

She reframes fatigue as a feeling, not a fixed fact. She lays out the calls to action—hydration, movement, thought work, environment shifts—that help you recharge in real time instead of waiting for some mythical “dopamine reset.”

This episode will show you how to trust your body as the litmus test for truth and to respond in ways that restore energy, purpose, and hope.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is more myth than science; your dopamine recalibrates far faster than you think.
  
  

• Tiredness is often emotional—driven by draining thought patterns—not just physical.
  
  

• The litmus test is always your body: does this thought process feel open/energizing or heavy/depleting?
  
  

• “Tired” is a feeling, not a fact—you can shift it by shifting how you respond.
  
  

• Water, movement, sleep, and sunlight are the simplest energy fuels.
  
  

• Mental preoccupations and negative self-talk drain more energy than work itself.
  
  

• Change your environment and thought loops to spark curiosity and motivation.

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

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