This Naked Mind Podcast

Is not drinking really the best thing since sliced bread? Is it as amazing as people say? How can not drinking possibly be more fun than drinking? Annie Grace shares her own experience as well as some of the reasons why we feel we need alcohol for fun. If you asked me about the one thing that makes This Naked Mind so different from anything else, I would have to say emotion. It is the emotion when...

From a very young age, Rob assumed drinking would be a normal part of his life forever. He drank socially and on special occasions, and from time to time he drank way too much. But, he never felt alcohol was a problem. Then, about eight years ago, he let down his guard. The idea of drinking more was presented to him and, combined with his feelings of disappointment and some pain and fear that had...

Just because you get curious about your relationship with alcohol, does it mean you need to stop drinking for the rest of your life? How can you tell if you need to quit forever? In this episode, Annie Grace explores the concept of being 100 percent alcohol free - what the science tells us, the role of forgiveness and compassion when it comes to changing your drinking, and her personal experience...

On today’s episode, Annie Grace talks with Irene, a police officer, wife, and mum from England. Now more than a year into her life without alcohol, Irene talks about how her drinking went from nothing extreme as a teenager to a bad habit of big drinking sessions on her days off from work and, ultimately, progressed into a coping mechanism for dealing with sadness and grief after having a stillborn...

On today’s episode, Annie Grace answers a question from an alcohol free reader who recently found herself sipping sparkling water surrounded by people discussing and romanticizing the wine they were all drinking. How could she not feel uncomfortable and attacked? Is there any way to appreciate someone else’s passion when it doesn’t align with your own? Have you tried The Alcohol Experiment? Okay,...

A self-described “messy drinker” from the start, Julia grew up in the middle of nowhere on the England/Scotland border and had her first taste of alcohol around 14 years old. While she often worried about alcoholism and whether or not she was drinking too much, she easily calmed her fears and assured herself she was alright when she watched those around her drinking the same way she did. By the ti...

Today’s question comes from a reader who doesn’t want to drink but is worried about FOMO at an upcoming girls’ weekend. What do you do when you’re planning to attend the kind of event where alcohol has historically been a linchpin for celebration? Annie Grace offers four ways to manage your expectations and set yourself up for success - from holding onto your power to finding the magic in your tho...

It’s time for this month’s coaching questions with This Naked Mind head coach Scott Pinyard! In today’s episode, Scott talks about dealing with the temptation of drinking to celebrate as we emerge from quarantine, getting past the “brick wall” that keeps showing up at five days alcohol free, why some people are addicted to alcohol and others can control it, and whether or not the lessons we learn...

How do you deal with all the drinking that goes on when the weather gets nice and everyone’s enjoying the outdoors and drinking beer? What happens in your brain when you know you want to remain sober but the FOMO shows up and you feel triggered to drink? Can you make the trigger go away? Annie Grace explains. I'm so excited you guys, because we are just about to start another live alcohol experime...

Leah knew her life looked great on paper, but she just couldn’t understand why everything felt so awful. On today’s episode, she shares her story - from loving her first drink as a high school freshman to a college party girl who didn’t graduate to a married mother of three who believed everyone would be better off without her. Leah talks about her bipolar diagnosis, champagne in the hospital afte...

What can we say when we just want our drinking to be a non-issue? How do we turn down alcohol without making it a big deal for everyone around us? Can we use our tone of voice and facial expressions and body language to adjust the message we want to deliver? How can we tap into a powerful energy and shut down any further dialogue when we refuse a drink? Annie Grace answers. Did you miss This Naked...

A self-described “closet nondrinker,” Carolyn is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in working with people-pleasing perfectionists who struggle with anxiety. She uses brainspotting, a technique that leverages the close connection between our brains and our vision to bring relief from symptoms of anxiety, shame, overwhelm, trauma, and many other ways we, as humans, can feel emotional...

“Annie, are you sober,” asked a journalist. It was the first time Annie had been asked the question. The assumption is that Annie Grace is sober. Right? But, what does sober really mean? And, does Annie consider herself sober? Let me ask you a question. What is better than change? Lasting change, of course. If you've had trouble making change stick, either with alcohol or in any other area of your...

Growing up in Australia, Melissa had no idea how powerful alcohol was. Drinking first popped onto her radar screen around age 17 and she began partying the same way all her friends did - blacking out, getting sick, being hungover. It was what they did and no one questioned their behavior. Melissa loved the fun and always found people who wanted to drink. At 35, she decided to try moderating her dr...

What can a wife to do support her husband who set a goal to stop drinking for a year, gave up alcohol for two months, and then she came home to find him drinking? Should she get angry? Give him tough love? Encourage him to keep trying? Leave him alone to wallow in his judgment and self-doubt?  Annie shares her thoughts on what exactly constitutes success and how we can take what we interpret as fa...

On today’s episode, This Naked Mind head coach Scott Pinyard dives into four terrific questions, some specific to not drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic - they are: The longer we stay home, the more intense my cravings become; what can I do to stray strong? I think I’m ready to quit drinking but with the pandemic am I just setting myself up to fail? I was 30 days alcohol free when we started qu...

We hear it all the time. It must suck not to drink. Life must be so boring. But, did you know there is definitive evidence that removing alcohol does not strip away our ability to have fun? Did you know that it’s actually alcohol that steals the brain’s ability to have fun? Annie Grace explains. Are you ready for a deep dive into truly lasting change? If so, you might consider my Intensive Program...

Andrew had his first sip of sherry at the age of three. He loved it. It wasn’t until he was nearing his forties in a job with a strong drinking culture where booze equaled camaraderie and a way to let off steam and ignore problems that Andrew began to question his drinking. He was a “happy drunk” but also found alcohol turning him into a person he didn’t like. Yet, he continued justifying his drin...

If alcohol is addictive, why doesn’t everyone become addicted to it? Who are these magical beings who can drink without becoming addicted? Or not drink at all? Is it genetic? Does it have something to do with their personality? Are some people just broken and others are not? And, what is the one thing we can point to when a relationship with alcohol pivots from being mostly in control to very much...

On today’s episode, coach, podcast host, and self-described life-long seeker Omar Pinto joins Annie Grace from Costa Rica. From his first drink at 16 years old, Omar felt magic in the way alcohol quieted the noise in his head and made the negative self-talk disappear. In constant search of control and freedom, Omar sought approval and validation and to feel significant. He thought alcohol gave him...

Can you easily refuse a drink or limit your alcohol consumption? Are you having a hard time understanding the way someone in your life is dealing with (or not dealing with) their drinking? If you are a partner, spouse, parent, child, sibling, or friend of someone who is changing their relationship with alcohol, today’s episode is for you. Listen as Annie Grace explores what is going on in that per...

After being introduced to alcohol by a babysitter before she was even a teenager, Meagan drank for more than 20 years. In college, she took pride in her ability to go out and drink all night while continuing to earn straight As, maintain scholarships, star in a play, and serve as a spokesperson for the Rain Forest Association. Meagan’s career took her from London to Paris and kept alcohol so big s...

Why, when we feel calm and relaxed and comfortable and completely at ease, do we desire alcohol? We know we’re not stressed or anxious or upset, yet somehow we still want a drink. It doesn’t make sense. How do the cravings show up when we already have the feeling we will get from drinking? And, what can we do to make it stop? Annie Grace explains. Let me ask you a question. What is better than cha...

Growing up, Amy wasn’t sure where she belonged. She questioned her sexuality but also wanted to be faithful to God, to do and be all the things she “should” do and be. Amy felt she was different but chose to look the other way, finding comfort in the sense of belonging alcohol gave her. Alcohol helped her feel normal and socialize. But there was always that feeling something wasn’t right. She was...

Where are you on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? And, have you filled your safety bucket? In today’s special bonus episode, Annie Grace shares her recent interview on the After the Crisis podcast with This Naked Mind coach in training Victoria English Martin. They talk about Annie’s journey with alcohol as well as all things quarantine, especially what can happen when we put ourselves on the hook for...