This Naked Mind Podcast

Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 949 Alcohol and emotional regulation. For a long time, they were basically the same thing for Gwen and Cynthia. Gwen can feel sure she doesn’t want to drink, then find herself wavering in a grocery store parking lot when her husband asks if she wants wine. Cynthia has spent decades on a farm she calls Never Done, 26 of them alone, pouring wine from a box because for much of her life, drinking was the only way she knew how to cry. Coaches Cole and Hayley help them start figuring out what alcohol has been doing for them, and what might work instead. Gwen discusses: Making it four or five days without alcohol, then hitting the weekend Why alcohol in the house is fine until her husband asks if she wants some Wine as permission to lower the walls she keeps up almost everywhere else The one boundary she realizes she needs to say out loud And more... Cynthia discusses: Why she calls alcohol an anesthetic Living alone on a farm called Never Done and when solitude started feeling like loneliness The losses she could not cry about for years What being told to “ignore it” as a little girl taught her to do with hard feelings Learning to ask for help after a lifetime of being fiercely independent And more... Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!  Cole Harvey is a Certified This Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/ Hayley Scherders is a Certified This Naked Mind Senior Coach with training from the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space where her clients can feel supported. Learn more about Coach Hayley: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/ Episode links: More on this episode:  Join The Path: nakedmindpath.com Related episodes: Feeling Your Emotions Without Alcohol | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E799 – https://thisnakedmind.com/understanding-the-urge-to-drink-e799/ Breaking Free From Secret Drinking and Emotional Disconnection | Kate's Naked Life | E806 – https://thisnakedmind.com/how-alcohol-keeps-you-from-feeling-emotions-e806/ Reader's Question – Healing Emotional Pain Without Alcohol | EP 706 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-706-readers-question-healing-emotional-pain-without-alcohol/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff  This episode is sponsored by Instant Hydration, Quince, AG1, and Hungryroot: Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠⁠⁠quince.com/naked⁠⁠⁠ Hungryroot: Save 40% on your first order PLUS a free item at ⁠⁠⁠hungryroot.com/mind⁠⁠ CODE: mind⁠ Instant Hydration: Save 40% on your first subscription order at instanthydration.com/nakedmind CODE: NAKEDMIND AG1: For a limited time get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order. DrinkAG1.com/NAKEDMIND

Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 947 Trigger Warning: This episode mentions a pregnancy loss and substance abuse. What if it’s not giving up the substance that you fear? Deb and Rosie are both finding success in their breaks from alcohol and THC, respectively. They don’t realize it until Coaches Cole and Hayley ask the right questions, but both women are now facing the fear of change. Are they ready for all the ways life might look different (and maybe even better) now that they are fully living it?   Deb discusses: ●   The moment Coach Cole names her fear of changing, and she agrees ●   What her “dopamine tiger” has to say once a calmer part of her takes the lead ●   The internal earthquake that told her something was already shifting ●   The one small, doable step she commits to for her Path group   Rosie discusses: ●   Why she picked the word rise, and what almost stopped her from living up to it ●   The belief that she doesn’t deserve good things, traced straight back to her parents ●   Two losses she’s never let herself grieve ●   Learning to hold a hard feeling instead of numbing it ●   And more…   Ready to take the next step on your journey? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!   Cole Harvey is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/   Hayley Scherders is a Certified This Naked Mind Senior Coach. Drawing from personal experience, Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, judgment-free space where clients feel supported. Learn more about Coach Hayley: http://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/   Episode links: More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/facing-the-fear-of-change-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-947/ Join The Path - nakedmindpath.com  Related Episodes: Trusting Yourself Again | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E760 – https://thisnakedmind.com/trusting-yourself-again-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e760/ Using Alcohol to Cope with Trauma | Naked Life Story | EP 723 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-723-naked-life-story-julie-c/ Why Is It So Hard to Become Alcohol-Free? | Reader Question | EP 646 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-646-readers-question-why-is-it-so-hard-to-become-alcohol-free/   Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff This episode is sponsored by Instant Hydration, Quince, AG1, and Hungryroot: Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠⁠⁠quince.com/naked⁠⁠⁠ Hungryroot: Save 40% on your first order PLUS a free item at ⁠⁠⁠hungryroot.com/mind⁠⁠ CODE: mind⁠ Instant Hydration: Save 40% on your first subscription order at instanthydration.com/nakedmind CODE: NAKEDMIND AG1: For a limited time get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order. DrinkAG1.com/NAKEDMIND

Five o'clock. It's like an internal alarm that goes off for Sandra. The day goes from manageable to get me the heck out of here as soon as the clock flips. For Lucy, it usually hits mid-afternoon: the realization that today won't be Day 1 alcohol-free after all. Drinking to check out is so normal that most people will tell you it isn't a problem at all, but that isn't for anyone else to decide. It's up to Sandra and Lucy to choose what role alcohol will have in their lives. Lucy discusses: The two voices in her head, arguing again Why she thinks she “deserves” a drink every night Her father's death, her husband's cancer, and the return to the Path What her relationship with wine has to do with her closeness to her brother Sandra discusses: Expectation: the thing she didn't know she was addicted to The kindergarten memory Coach Zoe keeps circling back to Golf, Mahjong, and why staying busy matters more than she thought Wise adult, adaptive child, wounded child: the three Sandras And more… Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Hayley Scherders is a Certified This Naked Mind Senior Coach. Drawing from personal experience, Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, judgment-free space where clients feel supported. Learn more about Coach Hayley: http://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/ Zoe Ewart is a Certified This Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol. Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/ Episode links: Join The Path - nakedmindpath.com More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/drinking-to-check-out-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-945/ Related episodes: How To Stop Drinking Without Calling Yourself An Alcoholic | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E819 – https://thisnakedmind.com/how-to-stop-drinking-without-calling-yourself-an-alcoholic-e819/ How I Stopped Using Alcohol For Stress Relief | Naked Life Story | EP 715 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-715-naked-life-story-allison-b/ Why Did I Start Drinking Again? | Reader Question | EP 360 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-360-reader-question-i-am-drinking-again-and-cant-stop/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff This episode is sponsored by Instant Hydration, Quince, Shopify, Primal Queen, and Hungryroot: Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠⁠quince.com/naked⁠⁠ Shopify: Sign up for free trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/mind⁠⁠ Hungryroot: Save 40% on your first order PLUS a free item at ⁠⁠hungryroot.com/mind⁠ CODE: mind Primal Queen: Get a free month of Primal Queen plus FOUR FREE GIFTS at PrimalQueen.com/⁠NAKEDMIND⁠ Instant Hydration: Save 40% on your first subscription order at instanthydration.com/nakedmind CODE: NAKEDMIND

Trigger Warning: This episode mentions death by suicide and death from alcohol use. Something is wrong with me. Five words, but they can resonate in your brain over and over again for decades. That's the reality Lisa and Michelle have been living with day in and day out. To the point where drowning that voice out with wine was the only way to find peace. Or so they thought. Coaches Cole and Zoe offer a new perspective and a pathway to healing. Lisa discusses: The list of 15 friends who disappeared from her life, and what she'd decided it meant about her The one letter her father ever wrote her, sent the year before he died of alcoholism Why "people just lose touch" was the hardest reframe she'd ever been asked to try on The difference between giving from love and giving to keep someone from leaving Michelle discusses: The exact age she started drinking, and what it gave her that nothing else did Why "turn that frown upside down" became the rule that shaped her whole childhood Becoming a people pleaser, and what it cost her to keep speaking up Learning to re-parent the little girl who never got to just be herself And more… Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/ Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol. Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/ Episode links: Join The Path - nakedmindpath.com More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/something-is-wrong-with-me-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-943/ Related episodes: You Are Not the Problem, Alcohol Is | Naked Life Story | EP 733 – https://thisnakedmind.com/you-are-not-the-problem-alcohol-is-naked-life-story-ep-733/  Living Judgement-Free | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E764 – https://thisnakedmind.com/living-judgement-free-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e764/  How Do You Deal With Feeling Ashamed or Embarrassed About Drinking? | Reader Question | EP 406 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-406-reader-question-how-do-you-deal-with-feeling-ashamed-or-embarrassed-about-drinking/  Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff This episode is sponsored by Instant Hydration, Quince, Shopify, Primal Queen, and Hungryroot: Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠⁠quince.com/naked⁠⁠ Shopify: Sign up for free trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/mind⁠⁠ Hungryroot: Save 40% on your first order PLUS a free item at ⁠⁠hungryroot.com/mind⁠ CODE: mind Primal Queen: Get a free month of Primal Queen plus FOUR FREE GIFTS at PrimalQueen.com/⁠NAKEDMIND⁠ Instant Hydration: Save 40% on your first subscription order at instanthydration.com/nakedmind CODE: NAKEDMIND

Trigger warning: This episode mentions disordered eating and self-harm. “You either drink, or you don’t,” Kelly’s husband actually said to her. If only it were that simple, like there’s a switch you can just flick and the desire to drink evaporates. While that might be true for some people, most of us find the path to freedom much harder. Jules knows that, and she knows how hard being honest with the people you love about your drinking can be. When you’re stuck in the loop between blame, shame, and guilt, honesty seems hard to come by. Coaches Zoe and Cole help Kelly and Jules find peace with what was and hope for what’s to come. Kelly discusses: Realizing her drinking was a way to make an unsustainable marriage feel sustainable How her husband’s “black and white” view of quitting fed a cycle of shame and blame The one idea from The Path that reframed everything for her, and what changed once she stopped drinking alone in her bedroom Renaming herself from “Blackout Kelly” to “Clear Kelly,” and what created that shift Jules discusses: Fearing she’s already failed her kids as a mother because of her drinking A memory from a backyard badminton game with her daughter that she can’t shake Coach Cole’s reframe of shame and guilt What having the alcohol conversation with her kids might look like And more… Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol.  Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/ Cole Harvey is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning.  Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/ Episode links: Join The Path - nakedmindpath.com More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/being-honest-with-the-people-you-love-about-drinking-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-941/ Related episodes: Reclaim Your Life | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 762 – https://thisnakedmind.com/reclaim-your-life-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e762/ Healing Through Self-Love – Cole’s Naked Life | EP 737 – http://thisnakedmind.com/healing-through-self-love-coles-naked-life-e737/ How Do You Pull Yourself Out of the Guilt Around Drinking? | Reader Question | EP 42 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-42-reader-question-how-do-you-pull-yourself-out-of-the-guilt-around-drinking/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff This episode is sponsored by Instant Hydration, Quince, Shopify, Primal Queen, and Hungryroot: Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠⁠quince.com/naked⁠⁠ Shopify: Sign up for free trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/mind⁠⁠ Hungryroot: Save 40% on your first order PLUS a free item at ⁠⁠hungryroot.com/mind⁠ CODE: mind Primal Queen: Get a free month of Primal Queen plus FOUR FREE GIFTS at PrimalQueen.com/⁠NAKEDMIND⁠ Instant Hydration: Save 40% on your first subscription order at instanthydration.com/nakedmind CODE: NAKEDMIND

⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains references to domestic violence and a mental health crisis. Who am I without alcohol? Does that question sound eerily familiar? Steph and Nicole both find themselves grappling with that very idea and wondering what the answer will mean for them. Steph is 55, and alcohol has been by her side and has helped define her for most of her adult life.  Nicole looks to alcohol for the answers and to smooth the rough edges, and isn’t sure if she’s capable of being herself with a glass in her hand. Coaches Cole and Hayley help provide guidance and hope in this week’s episode. Steph discusses: Why "loss of identity" became the real subject of her coaching call, not just the drinking The belief that she'd failed herself and her friends, and how that belief kept her stuck Why chasing a "finished" identity by a deadline backfires The threshold metaphor, and why stepping into the unknown feels safer than staying somewhere familiar but unwanted Her plan to resign from teaching by May 1st, and what she's choosing to let go of first Nicole discusses: How alcohol became tangled with her identity before she ever turned 21 The seven-year relationship and the night that ended with her in a hospital for three days November 5, 2025: the day she sat in her car and decided something had to change Why grace and curiosity did more for her than willpower ever did What she calls her "2D glasses" moment, and what she sees now that alcohol's gone And more…  Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/ Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach with training from the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Hayley understands how tough change can be and provides a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space where her clients can feel supported. Learn more about Coach Hayley: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/ Episode links: More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/who-am-i-without-alcohol-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-929/Join The Path: nakedmindpath.com Related episodes: How To Uncouple Alcohol and Identity | Naked Life Story | EP 549 -https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-549-naked-life-story-andrew/Who Am I Without Wine?: Identity & Sophistication | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E801 - https://thisnakedmind.com/creating-a-new-identity-after-quitting-drinking-alcohol-freedom-freedom-coaching-e801/Why Do I Feel Detached When I’m Not Drinking? | Reader’s Question | EP 122 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-122-reader-question-feel-detached-im-not-drinking/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff This episode is sponsored by Quince, Hungryroot, and BetterHelp Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠⁠⁠quince.com/naked⁠⁠⁠ Hungryroot: Save 40% on your first order PLUS a free item at ⁠⁠⁠hungryroot.com/mind⁠⁠ CODE: mind BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp at ⁠⁠betterhelp.com/nakedmind⁠

⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains references to childhood abuse, parental alcoholism, and the death of a parent from alcohol-related illness. Most of us were never taught how to give ourselves grace about drinking, only how to judge ourselves for it. Kelly and Amber are proof that the shame and guilt show up no matter how different the situation looks. For Kelly, it shows up after a weekend of drinking that went further than she planned. For Amber, it shows up the moment someone she's dating asks why she's not drinking, and a much older fear takes over. Kelly discusses: Why her biggest data point yet, a full night out at a friend's timeshare, left her more unsettled than any smaller one had The real difference between "I've proven I can" drink moderately and "I've proven I can" have a great time without it Why Coach Hayley adds the word "yet" every time Kelly says she can't figure out why she drinks Admitting she's skipped a Path call because she didn't want to say out loud that she'd had a fun night of drinking Using the ACT technique on the belief "it's part of my culture," and what that opens up Amber discusses: Why she can turn down a drink at work without blinking but freezes the second a date asks why she doesn't drink The exact body sensation she calls "bracing for impact," and the part Coach Cole admits he carries too Asking the part of her that calls itself broken what it's actually trying to protect her from The Sharon Salzberg line about meditation that becomes her new mantra for catching herself mid-spiral The exact phrase Amber swaps in for "I'm broken," and why it changes how she shows up on a date And more… Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Coach Hayley Scherders is a certified TNM Coach trained through the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Association. Learn more about Coach Hayley: thisnakedmind.com/coach/hayley-scherders/ Coach Cole Harvey is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach and habit change and mindset coach. Learn more about Coach Cole: thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/ Episode links: More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/how-to-give-yourself-grace-about-drinking-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-927/ The Path: nakedmindpath.com Related Episodes: Alcohol Addiction and Shame - Hayley's Naked Life - EP 679 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-679-naked-life-story-hayley-s/ Healing Through Self-Love - Cole's Naked Life - EP 737 - https://thisnakedmind.com/healing-through-self-love-coles-naked-life-e737/ How Do I Get Over the Fear of Being Kind to Myself? - Reader Question - EP 552 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-552-reader-question-how-do-i-get-over-the-fear-of-being-kind-to-myself/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at ⁠betterhelp.com/nakedmind⁠ Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/naked⁠ Shopify: Sign up for free trial at ⁠shopify.com/mind⁠ Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at ⁠zazzle.com⁠ OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at ⁠OSEAMalibu.com⁠