It's Not About the Alcohol

What if the secret to drinking less has nothing to do with willpower?   If you've noticed that you tend to boomerang back into old habits after a successful period of sobriety or moderation, you're not crazy.   But the problem is not the return of an old habit or unwanted behavior. It's how you respond to yourself when you make a mistake.    The change you need to make is to start learning from yo...

In today's episode, Colleen explores a common challenge: the struggle to maintain consistent effort in self-care and personal growth. She uncovers the hidden beliefs that might be driving resistance and shares how shifting your motivation—from fixing yourself to gifting yourself—can transform your relationship with self-care. Learn how to reconnect with your future self, reframe your mindset, and...

In today's episode, Colleen reveals a powerful strategy for creating lasting change by shifting your identity instead of relying on willpower or discipline. Discover how embracing the mindset of "I'm the type of person who…" can naturally align your behaviors with your goals, without the exhausting cycle of self-criticism or perfectionism. Colleen shares practical steps to practice being the versi...

If the reason you want to drink less is because you're afraid of future health problems, you'll likely find it hard to change your habits.   Thinking you "should be" drinking less is what makes alcohol use disorder a thinking problem, not a drinking problem.   Because if it's true that you "should be" drinking less, and yet you're still drinking too much, then something must be wrong. And the more...

In today's episode, Colleen introduces a transformative exercise to uncover the deeply rooted beliefs that might be holding you back from achieving your goals around alcohol. Learn how to identify these limiting thoughts, challenge their validity, and replace them with empowering beliefs that align with the identity you want to build. This episode is a must-listen for high-achieving women who are...

In today's episode, Colleen challenges you to radically shift how you dialogue with yourself by treating yourself as a trusted friend and cherished companion. Discover how identity-based change starts with the way you talk to yourself and how this simple practice can crowd out negative self-talk, foster self-respect, and lead to lasting transformation. Key Takeaways: Thoughts and Identity: Your th...

Does your all-or-nothing attitude towards alcohol make you feel like you have multiple personality disorder?    Thinking you have to choose between partying like a rockstar and staying completely sober triggers a battle between your inner rebel and inner responsible grown up.    You're stuck in hostage negotiations listening to your inner lawyers debate topics like, "is my drinking really that bad...

In this episode, Colleen shares how our habitual thoughts are often attempts to solve emotional problems and regulate our nervous systems. She dives into her own experience of stress-induced burnout, driven by hyper-focus on business analytics, and the creative stagnation it caused. By recognizing these patterns, Colleen highlights how to reset with small, intentional habits that prioritize self-c...

In this episode, Colleen shares a powerful mindset shift inspired by James Clear's philosophy: meaningful change doesn't require radical transformation. Instead, it's about embracing a process of incremental improvement, rooted in changing your identity and self-perception. Colleen explains why the first step to sustainable change is redefining how you think about yourself and the process of chang...

Have you noticed that the more you try to control your drinking, the harder it feels to control?   It's assumed that the only way to prevent over-drinking is no-drinking. If you can't stop once you start, don't start.    But science shows that people who identify as "sober alcoholics" are much more likely to relapse into binge drinking. Because they identify as diseased or damaged all-or-nothing p...

In today's episode, Colleen dives into the importance of setting realistic and achievable goals when it comes to detoxing or taking a break from alcohol. She shares insights on why habits feel hard to break, the role of internal programming, and the importance of creating an environment that supports your goals. If you've ever struggled with sticking to a goal or felt overwhelmed by the idea of ch...

In today's episode, Colleen unpacks a profound quote from Mark Manson and explores how the pursuit of positive experiences often leads to stress and dissatisfaction. She explains how accepting negative experiences can actually transform your emotional state and offers practical steps to break free from the cycle of overthinking and stress. If you've ever felt stuck in your head, driven by the need...

Do you think it's wrong to drink every day even if it's not causing problems and you truly enjoy it?   Alcohol use disorder is not defined by how much or how often you drink. It's when you want to drink less than you do and have a hard time sticking to your goals.    Twenty years ago, we were told a glass of wine every evening is good for heart health. While the Canadian government recently update...

In this episode, Colleen dives deep into how shifting your focus from what you don't want to what you truly desire can transform your mindset and your relationship with alcohol—and beyond. She explains why the brain's operating system doesn't understand "don't" and "shouldn't" and how these error codes keep us stuck in overthinking and emotional inflammation. Colleen offers practical strategies to...

In today's episode, Colleen shares a personal story about navigating a tense encounter with a neighbor who demanded drastic action after a minor incident involving her dog. Using this real-life situation, she demonstrates how to clear an emotional reaction in real time by properly diagnosing the problem, managing feelings, and resetting the nervous system. This episode highlights the importance of...

NEW! Colleen's doing Q&A episodes! Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    At this point, you know better than to beat yourself up. But how do you stay positive and focus on the wins when you keep waking up hungover?   It's a mistake to think that drinking less requires more willpower. Bec...

Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL . If you're ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking),You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.   —Want daily updates from me? Find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhi...

Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL . If you're ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking),You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.   —Want daily updates from me? Find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhi...

Are you a disciplined, ambitious grown-ass woman who still battles self-sabotaging urges?   That's normal if you're living in survival mode. When you consistently push yourself to the brink of burnout, your subconscious pushes back. Which is why it gets harder and harder to resist your favorite unhealthy coping mechanisms.   But feeling embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed in ourselves, and wo...

Do you feel like it's impossible to get ahead financially because life always seems to cost more than you actually have?   If you're living in survival mode–buy now and worry later, you already know that overspending is a slippery slope that traps you in a cycle of debt and makes you feel guilty about everything you buy.        It's a mistake to assume that living on a budget is restrictive and th...

Do you dismiss your heart-felt ambitions because going after what you really want feels impossible?   It's easy to go for broke when you have nothing to lose. But when you've worked your ass off to get where you are, the idea of taking a risk can seem childish and unrealistic.   Which is why so many of us end up drinking too much despite having enviable lives. We become stagnant, uninspired and tr...

Are you constantly doing "the work" to improve yourself and wondering when you'll go from being "almost there" to feeling like you've actually arrived?   We're taught that success comes in pretty, perfect packages and demands extraordinary amounts of effort. And so we vacillate between feeling frustrated and exhausted and trying to stay positive with affirmations, vision boards and goal setting.  ...

How much time, energy and money have you spent on talk-therapy and medications trying to deal with your anxiety?   Most people (doctors included) think anxiety is caused by a combination of genetics and stressful or traumatic events. It's a thinking problem that must be understood before it can be solved. So we spend countless hours combing through childhood traumas, assessing attachment styles an...

Do you ever feel like you know exactly what you should be doing but you just can't get yourself to do it?   Most of us have learned to get what we want by setting clear and specific goals and then using metrics to judge our success. We focus on changing the numbers–obsessing over how much we weigh, how much we drink or how much money we have in the bank.    But even when we achieve the goal, our m...

Are you curious to know if plant medicines like psilocybin and pharmaceuticals like naltrexone can reduce your cravings for alcohol?   For women who live and work in mainstream America, the fear of flying to Costa Rica for a psychedelic ceremony ranks right below the fear of telling your doctor how much you really drink.    And so we hide. Because the truth could cost us our career or our kids, fo...