Advertise on podcast: Stop Over-drinking and Start Living

Please enjoy this podcast REWIND- Frustration As Fuel This episode I dive into how you can channel your frustration to stop over-drinking to get you to take actions you haven't been willing to take. Frustration can be a great emotion to initiate permanent changes if you know how to identify which actions will move you forward or keep you stuck. Angela Mascenik, certified stop over-drinking coach, breaks what it really takes to create lasting change from the inside out with your relationship with alcohol, every week in the Stop Over-drinking and Start Living podcast. If you’re successful, responsible, and “high functioning” on the outside but privately exhausted from managing alcohol in your head, you'll resonate with the helpful tips in this episode to cut back or take a break from alcohol. Click the link to get more info about the Lisbon Magic House:https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

This week's podcast is a must listen if you have been making drink plans or zero drink plans and not following them.First, I'm sharing how I'm self-coaching myself through the final days before I welcome my first group to The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal! And you can apply this to any project or big event in your life that might be happening.Then, I share a tactic that will help you interrupt the automatica behavior of drinking off plan, even when you have the best intentions to stick to your plan in the morning.The idea is that we need to pro-actively check in with ourselves and Stop - Notice- Process BEFORE the urge or the chatter hits at the end of the day.SNP {Stop - Notice - Process} is my signature interruption technique to handle urges or interrupt behavior when we have strong feelings or desires to do drink or take unwanted actions. Don't miss this episode. Angela Mascenik, certified stop over-drinking coach, breaks what it really takes to create lasting change from the inside out with your relationship with alcohol, every week in the Stop Over-drinking and Start Living podcast. If you’re successful, responsible, and “high functioning” on the outside but privately exhausted from managing alcohol in your head, you'll resonate with the helpful tips in this episode to cut back or take a break from alcohol. Click the link to get more info about the Lisbon Magic House:https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

Please enjoy this podcast REWIND: I received a great question last week around the fears we have when we think about changing our drinking. Here it is: The biggest fear I have about not drinking is a potential loss of emotional connection with other people. My husband and I have a routine of drinking together, having one of our great, deep conversations. And with other people - I love to connect deeply with people and put them at their ease - and so many people use mutual drinking to do that! I met a friend of mine who’s going through a hard time. I didn’t drink, so she didn’t drink, but it felt like neither of us could quite relax and enjoy ourselves. And with new friends - so often people use mutual drinking with me to let their guards down and get to know each other. I know this is all just an unfortunate part of the drinking culture, but this, I feel, is the biggest barrier to me not socially drinking: the loss of apparent mutual intimacy. This is such a great question. This podcast episode addresses this common fear, how alcohol actually doesn't help build true intimacy, and some ideas on how to start building intimacy without drinking. Enrollment for Alive AF! is open until April 3!Join here → www.angelamascenik.com/aliveaf

[Alive AF! stop over-drinking membership is now open through April 3rd!] www.angelamascenik.com/aliveaf If you’ve been trying to drink less for years; making rules, starting over on Mondays, doing Dry January or “taking a break” and it keeps not working the way you hoped, this episode will help you understand why. For many high-functioning women, drinking didn’t begin as a habit. It began as a response. A response to stress, pressure, loneliness, overstimulation, reward, or simply the need to finally relax at the end of a long day. Over time, that response gets repeated enough that it starts to feel automatic. Like something you don’t fully choose anymore. Like a pattern your brain runs before you even have time to think. In this episode, Angela Mascenik, certified stop over-drinking coach, breaks down how drinking habits actually form, why behavior-based approaches often don’t last, and what it really takes to create lasting change from the inside out. If you’re successful, responsible, and “high functioning” on the outside but privately exhausted from managing alcohol in your head, this conversation will feel very familiar. What you’ll learn in this episode • Why drinking often starts as an emotional or nervous system response  • How the brain builds automatic drinking patterns over time  • The difference between conscious choice and conditioned habit  • Why rules, challenges, and behavior-only approaches don’t always stick  • What it means to work underneath the habit instead of just on top of it  • How learning to feel and process discomfort changes your relationship with alcohol  • What real, sustainable change can look like Ready for deeper support? Alive AF! is Angela’s monthly coaching membership for high-functioning women who want to change their relationship with alcohol in a thoughtful, sustainable, shame-free way. Inside you’ll get coaching, community, workshops, and real tools to help you interrupt old patterns and build new ones. Enrollment is open now through April 3.Join here → www.angelamascenik.com/aliveaf

If you’ve been trying to drink less for years, making rules, cutting back, starting over every Monday, and it still is not sticking, this episode will help you understand why.In this episode, certified stop over-drinking coach Angela Mascenik explains why high-functioning women stay stuck in the drinking cycle even when they are motivated, capable, and successful in other areas of life. You will learn why behavior-based strategies and willpower alone often fail, what is actually happening in your brain when you reach for a drink, and what creates real, lasting change from the inside out.This conversation is for sober curious women who feel mentally exhausted managing their drinking and want a different approach. Angela shares practical insight into how automatic patterns form, why moderation attempts can feel so draining, and how to begin changing your relationship with alcohol without shame, rigid labels, or the pressure to quit forever.If your life looks put together on the outside but you are privately frustrated by your drinking habits, this episode offers clarity, relief, and a new path forward.What we cover in this episode:•  Why willpower and discipline are not the real problem • How high-functioning women develop automatic drinking patterns • What your brain is doing when you reach for alcohol • The hidden mental load of trying to control drinking • Why behavior-only approaches often do not create lasting change • How to start shifting your relationship with alcohol from the inside out SAVE THE DATE, Alive AF! My monthly stop over-drinking online membership opens on March 27th! There are only three spots left for the May Magic House Retreat in Lisbon! Click the link to get more info:https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

Have you ever wanted to change your relationship with alcohol but kept waiting for it to feel less hard? In this episode, I get into why so many women know exactly what they want. Better sleep, clearer mornings, freedom from the daily mental negotiation. But still struggle to move forward. Understanding how your brain is wired is really important. We are designed to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure. So you aren't missing willpower or lacking motivation. Real change can't avoid discomfort. The real changes come from it. I talk about why the brain resists change, what the discomfort of early habit shifts actually means, and why sitting with an urge instead of giving in to it is not a sign that something is wrong. It's the process working exactly as it should. I also get into the emotional side of change. The anxiety that doesn't have a quick fix anymore. The boredom. The social awkwardness. The grief of letting something go. These are the things most people aren't prepared for, and why so many women stall out before they ever see results. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the brain treats discomfort as a stop sign and what it actually means Why cravings and emotional restlessness are signs your nervous system is recalibrating The difference between physical and emotional discomfort in early habit change Why waiting until it feels easy is keeping you stuck What it looks like to move through discomfort instead of around it How every woman who has made lasting change did it and what they all have in common If you've ever thought "I'll start when things calm down" or "I just need to find a way that doesn't feel this hard," this episode is for you. This episode is especially helpful for women who are sober curious, questioning their drinking, or ready to stop waiting for change to feel comfortable before they begin. If you’re curious about taking this work to a deeper level, you can book a Clarity Call to learn more about private coaching or the Magic House Retreat in Lisbon.Schedule your call here:https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycallAnd if the retreat experience is calling you, there are only three spots left for the May Magic House Retreat in Lisbon:https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

Have you noticed that alcohol can make you feel relaxed in the moment but more anxious, restless, or on edge the next day? Or maybe you haven’t made that connection yet, but you say you aren’t drinking in the morning and then by the evening, your mind is telling you you need something to take the edge off. In this episode, I break down the powerful loop that alcohol creates in the brain.  At first drinking can feel fun, help you relax or connect at parties or outings. But over time, alcohol begins changing the chemistry of your nervous system in ways most people never realize. Alcohol can actually train your brain to create the very stress it promises to fix. I explain how alcohol affects your nervous system, what rebound stress chemistry is, and why many people start drinking for one reason but eventually find themselves drinking for completely different reasons. You’ll also learn why the daily cycle of morning promises and evening negotiation happens and how understanding the brain science behind alcohol can remove shame and confusion around your drinking habits. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Why do I still want a drink when I know it doesn’t really make me feel better?” this episode will help you understand what’s actually happening. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why alcohol initially feels relaxing but can increase anxiety later • How rebound stress chemistry affects your nervous system • Why drinking shifts from pleasure to relief over time • The brain loop that keeps many people stuck in drinking habits • Why you may wake up determined not to drink and still feel the urge later • How your nervous system recalibrates when alcohol is removed Understanding this alcohol relief loop can change the way you think about drinking and help you stop blaming yourself for something that is actually a predictable biological response. This episode is especially helpful for women who are sober curious, questioning their drinking, or exploring what a different relationship with alcohol might look like. If you’re considering private coaching or an in-person retreat at The Magic House in Lisbon, you can book a Clarity Call here: https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycall or https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

Why insight alone doesn’t change your drinking You already understand your drinking. You’ve read the books. You’ve listened to the podcasts. You’ve promised yourself, “Tonight will be different.” And yet… you still find yourself pouring the drink. If you’ve ever thought, “I know what to do, I’m just not doing it,” this episode will help you finally understand why. In this episode, I explain the real reason awareness and insight don’t automatically lead to behavior change and why nothing is wrong with you if you keep repeating patterns you fully understand. You’ll learn how drinking habits live in a different part of the brain than insight, why stress shuts down your ability to follow through on decisions, and how emotional avoidance and nervous system patterns drive behavior far more than knowledge does. I also walk you through my Stop - Notice - Process (SNP) a simple, science-backed way to interrupt automatic drinking patterns and create change in real time. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why knowing better doesn’t mean doing better The brain science behind habits and alcohol cravings How stress and emotions override logical decisions Why podcasts and self-awareness alone aren’t enough How to use the Stop Notice Process to pause before drinking If you’re sober curious, questioning your drinking, or tired of negotiating with yourself every night, this conversation will help you understand what’s actually happening and what to do next. Listen in and learn how small pauses can create real change If you’re ready to explore private coaching or attending a Magic House Retreat in Lisbon to transform your relationship with alcohol at a deeper level, you can book a Clarity Call here:  https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycallAnd check out the last 3 spots in the May Magic House Retreat in Lisbon!https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

How many times have you tried to “just drink less”… only to end up right back where you started? In this episode, I’m talking about the hard but freeing truth behind repeated failed attempts at moderation — and the thinking patterns that keep high-achieving women stuck in the cycle of overdrinking. If you’ve ever told yourself:  • “I’ll only drink on weekends.” • “I’ll switch to wine.” • “I just need better rules.” • “This time will be different.”     …this episode is for you. We’re diving into the disordered thinking that protects alcohol instead of protecting you — including moving goalposts, alcohol amnesia, the “just one more try” loop, and the illusion of control that keeps you negotiating instead of deciding. No shame here, just clarity. You’ll learn:  • How to recognize when moderation isn’t working for you • Why your brain keeps convincing you to try again • The difference between perseverance and avoidance • When it might be time to stop managing your drinking and make a clear decision If you’re tired of thinking about alcohol all the time…tired of starting over…tired of proving you “should” be able to control it… This Stop Over-drinking and Start Living Podcast episode is a conversation is for women who are sober curious, cutting back on alcohol, taking a break, or exploring a healthier relationship with drinking and with themselves. If you’re ready to explore private coaching or attending a Magic House Retreat in Lisbon to transform your relationship with alcohol at a deeper level, you can book a Clarity Call here: https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycallAnd check out the last 3 spots in the May Magic House Retreat in Lisbon!https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

Are you exhausted from thinking about your drinking all the time? Tired of analyzing, planning, negotiating, starting over, and wondering why it still feels so hard? In this episode of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living, I break down a phase of change that almost no one talks about—the moment when you’re not motivated anymore, you’re not excited, and you just want a break from thinking about alcohol altogether. You’ll learn: Why feeling “over it,” unmotivated, or numb is a normal stage of emotional change What these thoughts really mean (and why they’re not a sign you’re failing) How to move through this phase without white-knuckling, quitting on yourself, or numbing out How support and self-trust matter most after the initial motivation fades This episode is for women who are sober curious, cutting back, taking alcohol-free breaks, or trying to change their relationship with alcohol especially if you’re tired of thinking about it and want relief, clarity, and a more sustainable way forward.No shame, labels or muscle through advice here. Just honest insight into what’s happening emotionally and how to keep moving forward with compassion and support. If you’re ready to stop over-drinking and start living with more ease, this conversation will help you understand exactly where you are and what comes next. Now is the best time to have your support team on lock. Consider working with me privately or signing up for a retreat go here and see if talking to me directly would help. https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycall

In this episode of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living, I break down the 3 emotional phases of change that almost everyone experiences when trying to change their relationship with alcohol and why most women think they’re failing when they’re actually right on track. You’ll learn why motivation and excitement don’t last, why the middle phase of resistance and fatigue is where most people give up, and how real, lasting change happens through integration and identity shift, not willpower. This episode will help you: Understand why Dry January (or any break from alcohol) often feels harder toward the end Recognize whether you’re in motivation, resistance, or integration right now Stop judging yourself for feeling tired, bored, or frustrated Learn why white-knuckling doesn’t work and what actually does Build self-trust and emotional resilience without labels, shame, or rigid rules If you’ve ever thought “I can’t wait for this to be over,” “Why is this suddenly so hard?” or “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this,” this episode will help you see what’s really happening and why it matters. This conversation is for women who are sober curious, cutting back on alcohol, taking a break, or exploring a healthier relationship with drinking and with themselves. Ready for deeper support? If you’re considering private coaching or an in-person retreat at The Magic House in Lisbon, you can book a Clarity Call here:https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycall

In this rewind episode of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living, I talk about how to steady yourself when the world feels uncertain, overwhelming, or emotionally charged — whether it’s political news, personal stress, or any unexpected life event. You’ll learn how to: • Allow your feelings without judging or suppressing them • Choose how you want to show up for yourself, even when you’re unsettled • Remember that no one gets to dictate your thoughts, emotions, or inner peace • Focus on what’s actually in front of you today instead of spiraling into fear • Use nature as a powerful grounding tool when your nervous system needs calm This episode is for women who tend to cope by numbing, overthinking, or reaching for alcohol when life feels out of control — and want to learn how to stay present, grounded, and emotionally steady instead. If listening brings up the sense that you’re ready for deeper support — to feel calmer, clearer, and more in control of your relationship with alcohol and your emotions — you can book a Clarity Call with me to explore private coaching or a Magic House Retreat:CLARITY CALL LINK >>> https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycall You don’t have to navigate hard seasons alone.

In this episode of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living, I sit down with former client, Megan, to talk about the year it finally clicked. She first worked with me in a 6-month group container, and later committed to a full year of private coaching — the year she became alcohol-free and stayed that way. What makes her story so powerful is that the year before, she had the same goal: to go an entire year without drinking. And she didn’t make it. It wasn't until she tried again the following year that it all clicked. She shares 3 things that helped her not get overwhelmed by the big goal of going alcohol-free for so long. #1 will surprise you! And 3 things that she does in the moments she has thoughts about a drink. She also shares a story of how she coped with the stress of a long day of intense interviews.. and it's not what you would think! Megan really is an example of what is possible, with dedication, never giving up despite lots of 'failures,' and consistent support! This conversation is for women who are sober curious, want to drink less, or are exploring a healthier relationship with alcohol without shame, labels, or rigid rules. If you want this type of support I'm excited to open up 3 spots to work with me privately that include a retreat at The Magic House in Lisbon, Portugal. If you are interested, book a call with me here: https://www.angelamascenik.com/claritycall 

  In this episode of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living, I explore why kindness, not willpower, is what actually creates lasting change in your relationship with alcohol. So many women try to stop over-drinking by being harder on themselves — using pressure, rules, and self-criticism — only to find themselves stuck in the same cycle. But inside the Dry January community, something different is happening. When women feel emotionally safe, supported, and free from judgment, honesty increases, shame softens, and real clarity begins to emerge. We talk about: Why being gentle with yourself is not the same as being passive How nervous system safety allows awareness and choice Why trying to “white-knuckle” drinking habits often backfires How compassion creates more sustainable change than discipline What it really means to change your relationship with alcohol in a kind, supportive way If you’ve ever wondered why cutting back or taking a break from drinking feels so hard — even when you’re motivated — this episode will help you understand what might be missing: safety, support, and self-trust. This conversation is for women who are sober curious, want to drink less, or are exploring a healthier relationship with alcohol without shame, labels, or rigid rules. And if you want to deepen this work with me in a powerful, immersive way, there are a few remaining spots at The Magic House Retreat Center, my international retreat center for women ready to get alcohol out of the way and come back to themselves. Learn more here:https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

Ep 365 You Didn't Fail - You Returned (Changing Your Relationship with Alcohol) In this episode of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living, I share a simple question my yoga teacher asked us before practice: “Why did you return?” Not why you stayed consistent. Not why you did it perfectly. But why you came back. This episode is about why returning to work on your relationship with alcohol — whether you want to cut back, take a break, or stop over-drinking — is not failure. It’s commitment. If you’ve taken time away from this work… If you’ve disengaged, started again, stopped again… If you’re here listening after some time away… This conversation is for you. We explore: Why commitment isn’t about perfection or never slipping How returning is often the real work Why time away doesn’t erase what you’ve learned How to come back to changing your drinking without shame Why choosing again can be an act of self-trust and care You don’t have to start over. You don’t have to explain yourself. And you don’t have to do this perfectly. If you’re sober curious, thinking about drinking less, or want a healthier relationship with alcohol without AA or rigid rules — you’re in the right place. And if you want to deepen this work with me in a powerful, immersive way, there are a few remaining spots at The Magic House Retreat Center, my international retreat center for women ready to get alcohol out of the way and come back to themselves. 👉 Learn more here: https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle