Euphoric Alcohol-Free

So excited to have Norah Ginty, an alcohol-free lifestyle coach, joining us all the way from Galway, Ireland. Norah had an on-again off-again relationship with alcohol spanning fifteen years. She knew alcohol didn't make her feel her best and yet felt pressured to drink by the culture around her. Because she didn't identify as an alcoholic, she tried hard to make moderation work for her, only maki...

Danielle and Karolina sit down today with Angela Shanahan to talk about the sober bar pop-up they are organizing in San Diego, MindBar. MindBar is all about making connection with inspiring women without the inevitable hangover that follows a night out. A night for mocktails, discussion, and intention setting that leaves you feeling inspired instead of depleted.  Angela had the idea for MindBar an...

It hits you at 4 a.m. You wake up with a start, heart racing, pit in your stomach, and mental doom and gloom of knowing, you're here again because of the wine you had last night—it's so gross you can still taste it. Uhhh, not again. Danielle and I explore why alcohol ruins sleep so much, from the 4 a.m. wakeup calls to even the benign drink or two that ruins the quality of your sleep and leaves yo...

Sober living is a best kept secret and opens the doors to so much happiness, intentionality, and grace in your life. But with so much stigma and preconceived assumptions, not drinking alcohol in our society is rare and questionable. It can be hard to tell people about a positive life change without well-meaning individuals drilling into the negative. Today Danielle and Karolina explore their best...

Danielle and Karolina talk about all the things they are excited for during the summer--movies in the park, camping, trips, and pool days--and all the ways summer is so much better alcohol-free. Without a depressant in our systems, we feel young again and capture the same spirit of summer we used to feel as children. Forget everything the clever marketing ads want you to believe, that summer equal...

So what the heck is gray-area drinking and what does it mean to go alcohol-free today? More and more people are quitting not because they have a "drinking problem" but because they have a problem with drinking. Gray-area drinking is the space between the extremes, between a totally healthy and moderate relationship to alcohol (you know, like no more than one drink per day), and the rock-bottom han...

I am beyond thrilled to have this guest on the Euphoric podcast. Not only is Andy Ramage my hero, he was one of the key people who shifted how I viewed alcohol and allowed me to see how limitless life can be without it. Andy is the co-founder of One Year No Beer, a global movement to transform people's relationships with alcohol by taking a break from drinking and discovering how incredible life i...

Social media is THE place to find a community of sober folks—it's literally how Euphoric the Podcast was born and shared. But Danielle and Karolina suspect that constantly checking your phone for new updates is pretty similar to the same dopamine manipulation that goes on with drinking. It's not easy to sit with your thoughts and engage with the people around you, and we constantly want to reach f...

The age-old question: so what do we drink when we aren't drinking?! Karolina and Danielle dive into why maintaining the ritual of a "special drink" is so important (especially early on!), their favorite drinks to have at home, in a bar, restaurant, or at parties, and how traveling alcohol-free can be made even more exciting when you open your eyes to what fun beverages have been available the whol...

Today we talk about how much drinking can stifle creativity and what to expect once you stop. We mean creativity as so much more than the fine arts, but creating or building anything that did not exist before. We both find that it takes vulnerability and honesty to be creative but also tenacity and perseverance. (Something the drinking versions of us sorely lacked). Listen in on how to recover you...

Danielle sits down to talk recovery with fellow nurse, Tiffany Swedeen! Tiffany is a certified life and recovery coach, founder of Recover and Rise, author of her blog Scrubbed Clean RN as well as a registered nurse in recovery from opioids and alcohol. Her goal is to eradicate shame and empower women to live a life of radical self-love. Listen in as we discuss Tiffany's fascinating journey from C...

Danielle and Karolina segue from their morning routines in episode 12 to their must-do evening routines. Find out the top three things each of them do to balance out the day and give themselves space to decompress. You know that highly successful people have morning and evening routines, and no, they don't involve wine or binge watching TV. If you're newly sober and wondering what to do to fill in...

Danielle and Karolina are just getting back from a St. Patty's Day Mimosa-Free brunch and are brimming with inspiration and giggles! Listen as they discuss their top three, must-do routines every morning--and how they couldn't be more different! Although they both meditate, they found out they do very different styles. Find out why Karolina writes *first thing* in the morning, and how taking the t...

This episode is a whodunnit - who made me gain all this weight?! Here's a clue: it was alcohol, in the kitchen, with the wine glass. Danielle and Karolina delve a little deeper into body image, weight loss/gain journeys, dieting and all the other fun things that float to the surface when you take alcohol out of the equation. Listen in as Karolina talks about going from "ballerina" to "bloated walr...

Danielle and I talk about the role of exercise in our alcohol-free lives. In the past, working out was something we felt we "should" do and a way we subconsciously offset our drinking. Now instead of "shoulding" ourselves, we gravitate towards exercise because it brings mental clarity and helps build our confidence in reaching other goals. Listening to our bodies and doing what feels natural surpr...

Danielle and I know some incredible inspiring women who have deciding to stop settling for hangovers and discover their best life, but what about the guys? Today I sit down with Bowen Dwelle to hear his perspective on ditching alcohol over a year ago. He's an avid adventurer, think kite surfing, paragliding, trail running, and a serial entrepreneur. Isn't that the dream? We talk about flow and lis...

This week, we are thrilled to have Taryn Strong on the podcast! Taryn is co-founder of She Recovers, an international movement which has its roots as an online-based safe space for women in all phases and types of recovery. She Recovers has also evolved into real-life events such as retreats and conferences (supported by Taryn's Yoga for Recovery program!), recovery coaching and sharing circles ar...

What's it like to celebrate your one-year soberversary? Danielle kicks off this episode with her reflections on turning one and intentions for the year ahead, with Karolina's soberversary quickly approaching. Instead of avoiding things that are hard, we embrace the challenge. When your mind isn't trained to look for instant gratification and short-lived rewards (booze), it actually reaches for hig...

Karolina and Danielle are so excited to have Dawn Comolly on the podcast this week. Dawn is the creator of Sober Fish, a site that empowers people towards an alcohol-free lifestyle with incredible stories of transformation. Dawn started her journey when she realized her party lifestyle was making her sick, tired, and miserable. She embarked on a one-year experiment to quit booze and cigarettes and...

Danielle and Karolina discuss the "a" word and why labels can be so problematic. Trying to figure out if their drinking was normal or a serious problem kept both of them stuck. Fear of being labeled distanced their desire to change, afraid that quitting would mark them forever. Everyone should be allowed to make healthy lifestyle choices without fear. Likewise everyone should get the freedom to de...

Karolina and Danielle discuss the books and resources they used to shift their mindset around drinking, going from a routine habit to seeing absolutely no benefit in alcohol. If alcohol doesn't make you ultimately happy, you don't have to drink. Quitting alcohol, or taking a break, doesn't signal to society that you are defect or have a problem or have to label yourself an alcoholic. You don't eve...

One of the harder myths around alcohol to debunk is that it's vital to a fun vacation or lively wedding. How often did we say we couldn't take a break, because of this upcoming trip or birthday party? Danielle and Karolina share their paradigm shifts on their first alcohol-free vacations: full of magic, wonder and appreciation that alcohol would have just numbed and dulled.   Show Links: My Mornin...

Returning from a group brunch, Danielle and Karolina are abuzz after connecting with other women over their alcohol-free journeys. Danielle created a meetup for women who are doing the whole sober thing and wanted a space to meet new friends and connect deeply without the typically mimosa-laden brunch. Community inspires both Danielle and Karolina to reach higher than their self-limiting beliefs a...

Between simultaneous uncontrollable laughter and first-time nerves, we were able to finally put together our very. first. episode! And Danielle only swears once! (Karolina has a strict 1 f-bomb per episode rule.) Karolina and Danielle discuss their previous drinking patterns, the ways in which they tried to moderate and mitigate their drinking and finally, what flipped the switch for them into alc...