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Health & Fitness

It’s Not About the Alcohol

Would you like to reduce your alcohol consumption by about 80 percent? Become the version of you who can just “take it or leave it” so that 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.

Colleen Freeland is a a mindful 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.

Latest Episodes:

EP257 Minisode: Adjusting Expectations For The Holidays (Part 2) Aug 30, 2025

Show notes

In this follow-up episode, Colleen shares a personal holiday stumble—an experience she originally recorded in late 2024, but one that still rings true as we look ahead to the upcoming season. She names it a "relapse," not because of how much she drank but because of the disconnect between what she wanted and what actually happened.

Instead of hiding it, she walks through the three-question framework from Part One, showing in real time how to turn what looks like failure into data, compassion, and next steps. Through honest reflection, she reframes her week of drinking with family as a learning lab: noticing where it could have been worse, expanding the timeline to see real improvement, and uncovering the lesson that unrealistic expectations set her up to struggle.

What emerges is a radically different take on relapse—not as proof you're broken, but as proof you're still learning. This isn't just a confession—it's a model of how to meet yourself in the mess, stay curious, and come back stronger.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Comparing a holiday week to your "best week" skews progress—zoom out to see real improvement.
Every story you tell yourself is "bullshit"—so choose the version that moves you forward.
Setting unrealistic expectations (like piling an elimination diet on top of holiday stress) undermines success.
Use the three-question framework every time:
1. How could this have been worse / where did I improve?
2. What did I learn?
3. What would I like to do differently next time?

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

EP256 Minisode: Adjusting Expectations For The Holidays (Part 1) Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

As the holiday season approaches, this episode—originally recorded after Thanksgiving 2024—offers perspective that's just as relevant now as it was then. Colleen pulls apart one of the biggest myths of change: that it's the behavior itself that's hard.

The truth? It's the act of change—the moment you take your brain off autopilot—that feels so uncomfortable.

From holiday chaos to daily overwhelm, she shows how perfectionism and constant performance keep you stuck, and why setbacks are not proof of failure but invitations to learn. She reframes relapse, stress, and "slip-ups" as tests—opportunities to gather information instead of self-destruct. She makes the case that baby habits can't yet compete with old, well-worn patterns in times of stress, and that setting realistic expectations is the most compassionate, powerful strategy for lasting growth.

This is more than a pep talk.

It's a playbook for walking through the holidays (and any high-pressure season) without letting setbacks steal your progress—or your self-trust.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Stressful seasons test your new habits; don't expect baby habits to out-muscle old ones every time.
Setbacks are tests, not failures—the lesson is in how you respond.
"Failure" is just a mismatch between expectations and reality.
Self-compassion is the fastest way to keep momentum alive.
Progress sticks when you give yourself credit for improvements already made.
Three anchors to use in setbacks: How could this have been worse? Where did I improve? What have I learned?

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

EP255: Why "tough love" doesn't work with substance use and how to set boundaries that actually help with Heather Ross Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

Our culture teaches that when someone is struggling with substance use, the correct response is tough love. It's better to let them hit rock bottom than to enable their behavior.

My guest today is Heather Ross, host of the Living While Loving Your Child Through Addiction podcast. She's also a dear personal friend. We're letting you eavesdrop on one of the many raw conversations we've had about the devastating impact the "tough love" mindset has on both the giver and the receiver. And why compassion is not the same as enabling.

You'll hear Heather's first-hand account of what happened when she shifted her goal from controlling the situation to connecting with her daughter. Her story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, because despite losing her daughter to a fentanyl overdose, she will never regret that she was a safe place for her daughter–and a source of unconditional love.

Buckle up, because this one's a tear jerker. But whether you're a parent, partner or just wondering how to show up for someone you love, you'll walk away with a clear understanding of how to release fear, find your ground and support your person without losing yourself.

Click here to get Heather's free guide: A New Perspective about "Enabling"--A guide for parents who want to help their kids but aren't sure how. Find Heather on social media @HeatherRossCoaching, and listen to her podcast Living While Loving Your Child Through Addiction.

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

EP254 Minisode: Tired Is A Feeling, Not A Fact Aug 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen unpacks one of the most common struggles in early sobriety and beyond: bone-deep exhaustion. She shares her own experience quitting alcohol (and much more) all at once, and how the "post-acute withdrawal syndrome" myth left her believing she'd be tired and unmotivated for years. What she eventually discovered is that tiredness isn't just physical—it's an emotional signal tied to how you're thinking, what you're carrying, and how you're responding to your body.

She reframes fatigue as a feeling, not a fixed fact. She lays out the calls to action—hydration, movement, thought work, environment shifts—that help you recharge in real time instead of waiting for some mythical "dopamine reset."

This episode will show you how to trust your body as the litmus test for truth and to respond in ways that restore energy, purpose, and hope.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is more myth than science; your dopamine recalibrates far faster than you think.
Tiredness is often emotional—driven by draining thought patterns—not just physical.
The litmus test is always your body: does this thought process feel open/energizing or heavy/depleting?
"Tired" is a feeling, not a fact—you can shift it by shifting how you respond.
Water, movement, sleep, and sunlight are the simplest energy fuels.
Mental preoccupations and negative self-talk drain more energy than work itself.
Change your environment and thought loops to spark curiosity and motivation.

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

EP253 Minisode: My Coach Just Fixed My Brain Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen gives an update on the behind-the-scenes of what happened after being suddenly cut from a program she'd once called home. At first, she carried the weight of unfairness and betrayal, convinced it would take a long time to heal. But what started as a sting that clung to her body and mind turned into something radically different: a live demonstration of releasing the story that was holding her hostage.

Through an unexpected NLP exercise with her coach, she revisits the childhood wound at the root of her pain and dismantles the old belief that others get to decide her worth. In real time, you'll hear how her body shifted, her brain rewired, and her story transformed from "I've been wronged" to "I'm free." What looked like rejection became a clean slate, a wider horizon, and a reminder that freedom comes when you reclaim the pen and rewrite your own narrative.

This isn't just an update—it's a case study in emotional sovereignty, showing how quickly you can drop a heavy story and walk away lighter.

🔑 Key Takeaways

It's not the event itself that hurts—it's the story you tell yourself about it.
Collective agreement ("this sucks, you were wronged") can reinforce pain instead of helping you heal.
Waiting for someone else to respond or explain is giving away your power.
Your body often signals when you're carrying emotional baggage.
Reframing old wounds allows you to rewrite new stories in real time.
A neutral event can become an opportunity if you choose to see it that way.

Freedom comes from owning that you are the source of both your suffering and your joy.

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

EP252: How to release self-criticism so you can actually lose weight with body love coach Sarah Haas Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

You know that sinking feeling of disappointment or even disgust you get when you're looking at yourself in the mirror and wishing you were thinner? That feeling is actually wrecking your metabolism.

My guest today is Sarah Haas, host of the Boss Body podcast. She's here to share her story of how, after years of being thin and fit and looking like she had it all together, she found herself as a single mother dealing not only with her young son's type 1 diabetes, but also breast cancer–which included radiation, chemo and a double mastectomy. She had to learn that loving your body is not about working harder to look better. It's about releasing the emotional heaviness that is figuratively and literally weighing you down.

In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Sarah Haas, host of the Boss Body podcast, shares how the stress of being a single mom and battling breast cancer–including radiation, chemo and a double mastectomy, taught her that loving your body is not loving how you look, it's releasing the emotional heaviness that is figuratively and literally weighing you down.

Highlights:

Why body love often feels impossible when you've let yourself go—and where to start instead
The toxic role of the inner critic (and how to change the voice in your head)
How midlife can become a catalyst for deeper self-worth and vibrant health
Practical steps to boost metabolism in perimenopause and beyond

Whether you're trying to lose weight or simply ready to feel more comfortable in your own skin—this conversation will give you the mindset shifts you need to begin.

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.

Click here to get Sarah's Rev Up Your Metabolism Guide.

Find her on social media: @sarahhaaswellness

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

EP251 Minisode: OMG! I Was Kicked From My Coaching Program Aug 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen pulls back the curtain on a personal "bitch slap from the universe" that arrived in the form of a sudden, unexplained expulsion from a coaching program she once considered family. What could have been a spiral into shame became something else entirely—a masterclass in emotional sovereignty. She walks you through the shock, the grief, and the moment she realized: this wasn't actually about her.

Instead of chasing fairness or demanding explanations, she chose action over rumination, redirecting her energy toward opportunities that actually align with her values. With candor, humor, and zero self-pity, Colleen models what it looks like to process hurt without handing away your power—and to see a painful ending as a door swinging wide to something better.

This is more than a story about rejection; it's a real-time demonstration of the freedom that comes from owning your emotional narrative and refusing to let someone else's decisions define you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Emotional pain often comes from the story you tell yourself, not the event itself.
Shock and shame can be processed without spiraling into self-blame.
You don't need all the answers to move forward—you just need your next step.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Choosing not to be bothered is a radical act of self-protection.
Redirects—especially the unexpected ones—can open doors to better fits and bigger futures.
Freedom comes from realizing you're the only one who can set you free.

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

EP250 Minisode: Fault vs. Responsibility Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen dismantles one of the most costly habits we carry through life: the obsession with figuring out whose fault it is. She makes a powerful distinction between fault—the cause of a problem—and responsibility—your power to choose how you respond. The moment you stop waiting for someone else to make things right, you stop handing them your power.

With humor, wordplay, and grounded examples, she shows how clinging to blame keeps you stuck, resentful, and drained—while letting go frees you to act from a place of choice, not victimhood. Whether it's waiting on an apology, reimbursement, or just "closure," the real cost is the energy you lose while holding someone else accountable for your own next move.

Colleen invites you to reclaim your response-ability, stop making other people's actions the condition for your own happiness, and give situations "all the attention they deserve—none." Because when you drop the weight of fault, you gain the freedom to create the life you actually want.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Fault is about causation; responsibility is about choice.
You are always 100% responsible for how you respond—no matter who caused the situation.
Waiting for someone to "make it right" keeps you stuck in powerlessness.
The idea that someone owes you something is often just a brain block.
Letting go of fault reclaims the energy you need for your actual goals.
Response-ability means owning your power to act, even when you choose to wait.
Not every problem is worth solving—sometimes the best response is no response at all.

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

EP249: What it means to recover from sobriety–with Michele Hobin Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

When my client, Michele, told me she was going to reintroduce alcohol. I'll be honest — I was nervous. Actually, that's bullshit. I felt like a failure. She'd been sober for 10 months.

I was her sobriety coach. And at that time, I was still operating on the mindset that once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Because everybody knows you can't unpickle a cucumber.

But as we learn in coaching school, the client is the expert on their own lives. Telling people what they should and shouldn't do is condescending, not coaching. So I checked my own fear and anxiety and held space for her.

Michele is the first client I coached with a truly open mind — where there is no "right" way to drink, no moral high ground for whoever has the most sober days, and no starting over after you have a drink. Alcohol is neutral–it's not good or bad or right or wrong. It's not the problem and it's not the solution.

Working with Michele completely changed the way I think about recovery from alcohol use disorder. She is my patient zero, if you will. This experience laid the foundation for the work I do now as a mindful drinking coach.

And she's here today to share her story and talk about what it's really like to learn how to trust yourself again…to heal your relationship with yourself so you don't have to worry about your relationship with alcohol. It's raw. It's honest. It's messy. And for me, it's personal — because this opened my eyes, my mind and my heart to see what's really possible when you stop using the past to predict the future.

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

EP248 Minisode: When You Feel Like You Did Something Wrong Aug 09, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen shares a raw, behind-the-scenes moment from her own emotional funk and breaks down exactly how she worked through it—thought by thought, feeling by feeling. From vacation wine to love-bombing exes to that post-holiday productivity pressure, she shows how even seemingly minor emotional clutter can trigger deep, subconscious beliefs that hijack your nervous system.

Instead of bypassing or blaming her mood, Colleen slows down and listens—uncovering the core belief underneath it all: I've done something wrong. What follows is a masterclass in emotional self-leadership. You'll hear how she clears the subconscious "rock in her shoe," replaces it with a more empowering truth, and reclaims her mental space, energy, and creative flow.

This isn't emotional perfectionism. This is radical presence—and it's how you clear the emotional backlog that's actually running your life.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Your emotions aren't problems—they're portals into your subconscious beliefs.
Trying to fix, perfect, or overachieve your way out of a feeling only buries it deeper.
The belief that you've done something wrong is often a default program, not the truth.
Emotional "funk" is your body's way of saying, "Hey, it's time to slow down and listen."
You can't create, lead, or love from a dysregulated state. Regulate first. Always.
True power comes when you're no longer afraid of your own feelings—and instead welcome them as guides.

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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