The Wine O'Clock Woman

Retirement is something most of us plan for financially, but very few of us prepare for emotionally. In this conversation, Jo Hands and I explore what happens when the career you've worked so hard to build comes to an end, and why so many women find themselves asking, "What now?" We talk about identity, purpose and ambition in the next chapter of life, and why retirement doesn't have to mean slowi...

If you've stopped drinking before... only to find yourself back where you started a few days or weeks later, this episode is for you. Most women think going back means they've failed. I don't. The truth is, if you take alcohol away without understanding why it became important in the first place, you'll almost always end up back there. The pressure still builds. The stress is still there. The habi...

You promise yourself you'll only have one... but somehow the second (and sometimes third) follows without you really deciding. In this episode, I explain why this happens, why it isn't about willpower, and what's really going on in your brain after that first drink. If you've ever wondered why you can't seem to stop at one, this episode will help you understand the cycle—and how to start breaking...

What happens when you finally stop negotiating with yourself? In this episode, Gilly Baker shares the moment she knew she had to stop drinking, what finally helped her make lasting change, and how her life has transformed since. We talk about the anxiety, the constant mental battle around alcohol, and the unexpected benefits of living alcohol-free, including rebuilding her marriage, rediscovering...

If you've ever told yourself you drink because you like the taste, this episode is for you. Let's talk about why one glass so often turns into two or three, what we're really chasing when we pour that first drink, and the question that changed how I thought about my own drinking. If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each month I run...

A gentle 7-minute guided relaxation to help you release tension, quiet a busy mind, and leave the day behind. The perfect pause before your evening begins. If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each month I run a FREE live Zoom workshop for women who are beginning to recognise the emotional patterns, people-pleasing, overthinking, exh...

Does alcohol really make you more confident—or does it simply stop you from learning how confident you can be without it? In this episode, I'm joined by Annette Williams to explore the idea of "borrowed confidence" and why relying on alcohol in social situations can keep us stuck in a cycle of self-doubt. We discuss the hidden ways alcohol can undermine genuine confidence, why confidence is more l...

Why can you be absolutely certain you won't drink tonight... ...and then find yourself pouring a glass a few hours later? In this episode, I explore what happens between those two moments, why so many women feel they've lost trust in themselves around alcohol, and why the thing you're fighting may not be the thing that's actually causing the problem. If this episode resonated with you, it may be a...

We spend a lot of time talking about the harms of alcohol—but what about the benefits? Because if alcohol didn't give us something, none of us would drink it. In this episode, we're taking an honest look at the role alcohol plays in our lives. Whether it's helping you relax, switch off, cope with stress, quiet a busy mind, or feel more confident, alcohol often becomes a solution to needs that aren...

The stories we repeat become the lives we live. What’s the current story you’re telling yourself, about your drinking, your relationships, your worth, or who you are? In this episode, I explore the powerful question inspired by Brené Brown that can expose the hidden narratives shaping your choices, behaviours, and patterns without you even realising it. Once you become aware of the story, you can...

In this episode, I’m joined by Jody Ruston for an honest conversation about the realities of parenting children with additional needs. We explore the emotional and mental load many mothers carry,  and why so many women quietly end up at the bottom of their own priority list. We also talk about coping mechanisms, overwhelm, identity, and the importance of support, self-care, and recognising your ow...

So many women don’t hit rock bottom. They just slowly disappear from themselves while keeping everything else going. In this episode, we talk about the quiet patterns that become normal over time — emotional exhaustion, over-functioning, resentment, nightly drinking, people-pleasing, chronic stress, and the moment you finally ask yourself: “Do I actually want this to still be my life in ten years?...

There’s a side of drinking women rarely talk about openly: the constant mental noise around it. The negotiating. The rules. The promises to stop. The guilt when those promises get broken again. In this episode, I’m talking about what really changes when alcohol stops running constantly in the background, and why the real transformation is often far deeper than just drinking less. For many women, i...

Burnout rarely happens overnight. In this guest conversation, grief and bereavement specialist Sharon Buckley joins me to talk about the early signs of burnout so many women ignore, normalise, or push through. We discuss emotional exhaustion, overwhelm, nervous system overload, people-pleasing, grief, and the hidden pressure of always holding everything together. If you’ve been feeling constantly...

If you’ve ever had a day where everything went well… and still found yourself pouring a drink that evening… this episode will explain why. It’s not random, and it’s not a lack of discipline. There’s a pattern underneath it. A day of being “on it” has a cost—mentally, emotionally, and physically. By the time the evening arrives, something in you is looking for relief. In this episode, we look at wh...

There’s a phase in sobriety we don't talk about enough. The chaos has gone… but nothing feels particularly better either. Just flat. In this episode, we unpack why that happens, and why it doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong decision. We explore the gap between expectation and reality, the loss of the “reward” alcohol once gave, and why what feels like underwhelm is often your system finally regula...

Grief isn’t always about death. Sometimes it’s the life you thought you’d have. The version of you that’s changed. A relationship that doesn’t feel the same anymore. In this conversation with Dipti Tait, we explore the quieter forms of loss many women don’t recognise—and why alcohol often becomes the way to cope with what hasn’t been named. Because when something feels off, heavy, or unresolved… i...

Why does something that’s clearly good for you… suddenly feel selfish the moment other people are involved? In this episode, we unpack the real reason taking a break from alcohol can feel uncomfortable, why it has very little to do with willpower.  For some women drinking is a part of how they connect, unwind, maintain ease in their relationships. So when that changes, even quietly, it can feel li...

Some drinking habits don’t come from stress or chaos. They come from evenings that feel empty, repetitive and hard to sit in. Nothing’s wrong. But nothing feels good either. So the drink, whether it’s wine or something else, becomes the marker that the day is over. Something to look forward to. Something that stops you having to sit in the space. And that’s the part no one talks about. I see this...

There’s a stage of life no one really prepares you for. The kids leave. Everything changes. It’s quieter, and something feels off. This is often where drinking starts to creep in. Not dramatically. Just more often than you’d like. In this conversation with Anita McKenna, we talk about the empty nest and what’s really going on underneath it. The identity shift. The loss of role. Why so many women f...

You don’t have a binge drinking problem you have a decision you haven’t made. Until that’s clear, the cycle will keep repeating no matter how many times you promise yourself it’ll be different. In this episode, I break down what’s really driving the pattern and why willpower isn’t the issue. If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each...

Choosing sobriety when everyone around you still drinks isn’t easy. Elizabeth shares her personal journey of choosing sobriety and the emotional and social challenges that came with it. We explore wine o’clock culture, the pressure to fit in, and why stepping away from alcohol can feel uncomfortable even when it’s the right decision for you. If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with alcohol...

Daytime you holds it all together Evening you can finally breathe Somewhere along the line, alcohol became the bridge between the two. For a lot of women, it is what helps you move from one version of yourself to the next without even realising it. This episode explores what's going on in the switch from daytime you to evening you.  If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve...

In this episode, Jayne shares her story of grief, loss, and how alcohol became part of how she coped, until it started to take more than it gave. What starts as coping can quietly become a pattern that’s hard to break. We talk about why it’s so easy to fall into, and what life looks like on the other side. Jayne Clayton is the founder of Menopause Well, supporting women and organisations through m...

By the time you’re standing in the kitchen with a glass in your hand, it’s already been decided. It just feels like you’re making the decision. Most women think the problem is that moment. But it started earlier. The first thought. “I could have a drink later.” The back and forth. “I won’t.” “Maybe I will.” The point where it quietly becomes a yes. The real exhaustion isn’t the drink. It’s how muc...