In this episode, Colleen pulls the curtain back on overwhelm and names it for what it really is: a trauma response living in your nervous system, not a personal failing or lack of willpower. She walks through the five stages your body moves through when the demands on you exceed your capacity, and why trying to "push through" that wall only drives you deeper into shutdown. Instead of treating overwhelm as something to beat, Colleen shows you how to use it as a litmus test that tells you exactly when to stop, step back, and tend to your nervous system first. You'll learn a simple five-minute reset practice you can use anytime you feel yourself hit the wall, so you can move forward from compassion instead of self-criticism. 🔑 Key Takeaways Overwhelm isn't weakness or drama; it's a physiological trauma response in your nervous system The five stages of the body's trauma response: startle, stress activation, hitting the wall, freeze, and shutdown Why trying to "power through" overwhelm keeps you stuck and deepens shame, anxiety, and self-doubt How chronic internal narratives (people pleasing, perfectionism, fear, guilt) quietly drain your capacity long before the "last straw" A simple litmus test and five-minute pause practice to respond to overwhelm with compassion instead of pressure 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 Transcript
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EP295 Minisode: Where real motivation comes from
In this episode, Colleen gets brutally honest about something most "high-functioning" women never admit out loud: what happens when your old motivation system collapses. Divorce, sobriety, and building a business forced her to drop the over-functioning, over-exercising version of herself and face a hard truth: she'd been using fitness to run on stress, shame, and hangovers. She unpacks why, after quitting drinking, her drive completely disappeared, why post-acute withdrawal wasn't just about brain chemistry, and how dopamine is actually tied to the stories you tell yourself about reward and worth. From there, she walks through how she rebuilt movement from the inside out with tiny, sustainable habits that actually feel good instead of punitive. You'll hear how she went from daily marathons and hot yoga to "slug on a log" mode, and then into a realistic, sustainable routine that supports bone density, strength, and future adventures… without relying on self-hate, perfectionism, or external validation to get her moving. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why so many women lose their motivation after sobriety or big life changes (hint: your old rewards stop working, not your willpower) How dopamine is tied to your internal narrative about reward, identity, and what "counts" as success The difference between forcing yourself with willpower vs building habits that feel sustainable, kind, and matched to where you actually are Why you're never just building "one habit" (like working out) but a whole stack of upstream habits that make follow-through possible Red flags that your routine is fueled by shame and "shoulds" instead of genuine desire, and why that guarantees burnout instead of long-term change 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 Transcript
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EP294 Why you're mind won't stop spinning when you're triggered
You've done the therapy. Read the books. Listened to the podcasts. You understand your trauma responses intellectually. But when you get triggered, your mind still spins out of control—and you can't make it stop. Here's what you need to know: Your spinning mind isn't something to fix or control. It's communication from a wounded part of you that needs your attention. In this episode, we're talking about: Why trying to think your way out of emotional pain actually makes it worse The difference between being triggered BY a part vs. BECOMING that part (blending vs. unblending) Why your wounded inner child doesn't speak the language of logic—and what she actually needs from you How to drop out of your spinning mind and into your body where the real healing happens Why "I've done so much work, why am I still dealing with this?" is the wrong question The practice that changes everything: showing up for your pain without trying to fix it This is Internal Family Systems (IFS) meets emotional sobriety. This is how you stop abandoning yourself when your wounded parts show up asking for help. 🔑 Key Takeaway: Healing doesn't happen in your head. It happens in your nervous system when you learn to show up for your wounded parts with presence, patience, and unconditional love. 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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EP293 Minisode: What it means when you feel like you HAVE to do something
In this episode, Colleen shares a real-life story about her daughter's college move-in that reveals one of the most important skills in emotional sobriety: knowing the difference between a grounded choice and a nervous system hijack. What started as a harmless whiff of pot in the entryway spiraled into panic, urgency, and the impulse to move apartments immediately. But the real issue wasn't the apartment — it was a stress response scanning for danger. Colleen breaks down how fear narrows your perspective, why your brain searches for confirming evidence when you feel unsafe, and how to recognize the moment you stop choosing and start reacting. You'll learn how to evaluate your options from clarity instead of pressure, how to distinguish obligation from true desire, and how to pause long enough to reconnect to the version of you who can choose intentionally. 🔑 You'll Learn: • The difference between real choice and a nervous-system-driven reaction • How fight, flight, and freeze disguise themselves as "logic" • Why urgency is a sign to pause, not act • How resentment forms when you choose from fear instead of truth • A simple way to widen your perspective and see more than one angle • How emotional sobriety helps you make decisions you'll be proud of later This episode is a reminder that grounded choices feel like options — not obligations — and that clarity is something you create from the inside out. 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 Transcript
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EP292 Minisode: How to connect with your Higher Self
In this episode, Colleen breaks down one of the most foundational teachings of emotional sobriety: your higher self isn't a future version of you — she's a frequency you can access right now. Drawing from quantum physics, nervous system science, and the emotional practices at the core of this work, Colleen explains why clarity, intuition, creativity, and confidence aren't things you earn after healing enough trauma or doing everything "right." They emerge when you learn to quiet the noise of your subconscious programming, regulate your nervous system, and align your emotional state with the version of you who already knows what to do. You'll learn how distorted thinking jams your internal signal, why stress blocks intuition, and what it actually takes to receive insight instead of chasing it. This minisode is a practical guide to becoming coherent — mentally, emotionally, and energetically — so you can stop fighting with your thoughts and finally tune into the wisdom already within you. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Your higher self is a frequency, not a destination • Why intuition emerges when your brain and body are coherent • How nervous system regulation opens access to insight • The three components of alignment: breath, emotion, and intention • Why affirmations fail when they're fueled by fear • How to replace subconscious loops with new emotional signals • What it means to "broadcast" a new identity energetically This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't come from trying harder — it comes from tuning in. 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 Transcript
Would you like to reduce your alcohol consumption by 80 percent so you can enjoy drinking socially without relying on alcohol to manage your stress, anxiety, loneliness and boredom when you're by yourself?
Most high achieving women assume over-drinking is caused by a lack of willpower--or worse, the incurable disease of "alcoholism." So they beat themselves up and avoid asking for help because they feel ashamed and out of control.
Whether you're a daily drinker who can't break the habit, or you're still going to sobriety meetings even though you don't drink anymore, the real problem is that you don't trust yourself.
Which means it's not about the alcohol. It's about your relationship with yourself.
I'm an intuitive drinking coach helping professional women learn how drinking less (or not at all) is actually a superpower, even when the idea of giving up the only thing that helps them quiet their mind feels impossible.
The solution to alcohol use disorder is a FEELING. If you felt comfortable in your own skin and at ease in your life, you would drink like someone who is comfortable and at ease!
Join me each week for holistic, evidence-based strategies to fix your dopamine deficit, regulate your nervous system, cure imposter syndrome, manage sugar cravings, improve your sleep and reclaim your mental health so you no longer have the urge to escape your own body.
Get happy, not sober. Because happy people don't drink themselves into a stupor.
Brasil