This Naked Mind Podcast

Diet tonic water, seltzer with a twist of lime, diet cola, ginger ale.….to name just a few. If you’re living a sober life, these drinks might sound familiar (and honestly, kind of boring). Annie’s guest, Laura from Mingle Sparkling Mocktails is on a mission to change your drink options from boring and tasteless to exciting and delicious!  Thanks to Laura and Mingle Mocktails, you can feel like you’re part of the party again! With Christmas right around the corner, the timing is perfect to discover what Laura has to offer - from blackberry hibiscus bellini to cranberry cosmopolitan - say hello to the wave of the future in social drinking! Episode Links: Mingle Sparkling Mocktails  Dry Drinker Alcohol Free Drinks  Seedlip Drinks  Sans Bar - Chris Marshall (owner) Sober Lifestyle.com - ??

What do we do about the loneliness we feel when we’ve given up drinking? Alcohol was what used to fill that void, but now there’s longer alcohol to fill that space. Annie shares some great ideas of how to overcome this issue of loneliness – and this comes from her personal experience with loneliness. Find out how rewarding some of these options can be.

From leaving the car running after a drunk drive home to threatening divorce while under the influence, today’s guest sits down with Annie to share about her journey to a naked life.  Erika worked hard to surround herself with people who were like-minded drinkers and had her drinking habits down to a science. Things have changed. If you’ve struggled with drinking, you might find Erika’s story surprisingly relatable to your own.

What’s the deal with triggers? And how do I deal with them?  Annie delivers an answer for this common question, that will help us connect the dots and understand why triggers and cravings are so problematic, including the role dopamine plays in this issue.  Annie takes it one step further and gives us hope, by explaining that YES…triggers can eventually be a non-issue if we use our conscious mind to change the structure of our brain.

Today, Annie welcomes Heather, a 34-year-old writer from California, to today’s podcast. Heather shares the story of her 3-phase drinking career and how she broke free!  Heather talks about the importance of granting ourselves permission to question our relationship with drinking and the freedom that comes with being sober. She no longer feels exhausted from the mental toll that alcohol required and find out why Heather refers to this as ‘mental gymnastics’.

Is giving up alcohol really worth feeling like my life is consumed with quitting drinking?  Annie gives us reassurance and presents the question….if your house was burning down, wouldn’t you want to get out?  It’s easy to lose sight of why we quit in the first place, but today’s podcast will bring you back to not wondering, but KNOWING that YES! It’s worth it!

Have you ever done something so embarrassing while you were drunk that you wanted to crawl in a hole the next day?  Annie welcomes Mike to the podcast, who shares his ‘David Hasselhoff’ drinking moment and how this was a turning point for quitting.  From blackout nights and weekend warrior binge drinking, Mike has traded his ‘badge of honor’ for a sober life – a life free from embarrassing blackout moments.

Should it bother us if we’ve quit drinking but our spouse hasn’t? And should we force our newfound lifestyle on others?  Annie Grace calls on a friend and early reader to help shed some light on this question. Find out what their thoughts are and also learn what a ‘switch flipper’ is and how we can still enjoy cocktail time with our special someone while maintaining a sober life! Episode Links: Heidi Mayo’s Blog

Annie welcomes Sara to today’s episode of This Naked Mind.  Sara delivers an honest, emotional interview about her path to freedom and the reasons she gave up drinking. Annie and Sara discuss the ‘mommy wine culture’, the emotional pain of miscarriage, and the benefits of living a naked life.  Both Sara and Annie give some creative, fun tips on how to offer alternatives when hosting a holiday gathering and how to handle an alcohol-free mom’s night out!

Let’s face it…..when we are the only ones not drinking, it can leave us feeling detached, separated, and awkward.  How do we deal with this and put a positive spin on these types of scenarios? Annie gives us reassuring tips on how to approach this and ways we can change our thinking so that we don’t feel detached and isolated. Episode Links: National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism