DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

In this short bonus episode of Sobriety… Now What?, Stuart Cline guides you through a simple, calming kindness practice you can use anytime to help calm your mind, reduce stress, and reset your mood.

This guided practice is inspired by the long-standing tradition of loving-kindness (also known as metta), adapted into a practical, real-life tool you can use while driving, walking, or taking a moment to pause during your day.

You’ll be guided through a series of gentle phrases to help you:

• calm your thoughts
• reduce stress and emotional reactivity
• practice kindness toward yourself and others
• create a small but meaningful shift in your state of mind

This episode builds on Episode 37 and gives you something simple you can actually do—not just think about.

Use this practice in the morning, at night, or anytime you feel overwhelmed.

Even a small reset can make a big difference.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer check out the links below.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

You’re sober… but still feeling stressed?

The to-do list doesn’t stop. Life feels heavy. And some days, just getting through feels like enough.

In this episode, I sit down with returning guest Francesca Donlan — my most downloaded guest — to explore a simple, powerful tool that can shift your mood, calm your mind, and improve your day without substances.

Francesca spent the entire year of 2025 doing one intentional act each day to improve connection and well-being — and what she discovered, backed by research, might surprise you.

We talk about a simple way to reduce stress and feel better fast, how small daily actions can improve mood and mental health, the “helper’s high” and why it works, how to reset your mindset when life feels overwhelming, practical ways to feel more connected in sobriety, and why self-compassion is a key part of lasting recovery.

This episode isn’t about being perfect. It’s about having a tool you can use on real days, in real life.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just off lately, this conversation can help you reset and move forward.

About My Guest
Francesca Donlan is a university educator and researcher focused on human connection and well-being. She has taught the science behind positive social behavior and is the organizer of the K20 Global Kindness Summit, bringing together leaders from around the world to explore how small actions can create meaningful change.

Key Takeaway
You don’t need to change everything to feel better. Sometimes one small action can shift your entire day.

Connect + Learn More
Learn more about the K20 Global Kindness Summit:
https://k20kindness.com

If This Helped You
Follow the podcast and share this episode with someone who could use a reset today.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Ep 36: He Trained His Brain to Reject Alcohol—Then Had to Rebuild His Life

In this episode of Sobriety Now What?, Stuart sits down with Ian Fee to explore what recovery really looks like beyond just quitting drinking.

After decades of alcohol use, Ian shares the moment he could no longer lie to himself—and how that became the turning point in his life. He opens up about his unique experience with aversion therapy, a rarely discussed approach that helped change his relationship with alcohol.

But this conversation goes deeper than how he stopped.

It’s about what happens next.

You’ll hear what early recovery really feels like, how to face the emotions that come up, and what it takes to rebuild your life with honesty, accountability, and support.

This episode will help you:

• Understand the difference between stopping drinking and real recovery
• Feel less alone in the emotional challenges of early sobriety
• Learn how accountability and support can change everything
• Begin thinking about how to build a better life in sobriety

If you’re in early recovery—or starting to question your relationship with alcohol—this episode offers a new perspective and real hope.

To learn more about:

• Ian Fee: Ianfee.com

Stuart Cline:

• Coaching: EvolvingFully.com, stuartcline.podia.com
• Counseling: nmcounseling.com
• Podcast: www.sobrietynowwhat.com

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Ep 35 Getting Sober and Thriving: How David Hanley Wrote His Way Through Recovery

Getting Sober and Thriving: How David Hanley Wrote His Way Through Recovery

What did it take for David Hanley to finally stop drinking? The answer includes years of alcohol dependency, pacing outside a liquor store at 6:45 in the morning, multiple ICU visits, a wheelchair on a runway, and a rehabilitation center he'd never heard of in a town he'd never been to. But what happened next is what makes David's story unlike anything you've heard before — six weeks sober, raw and uncertain, he picked up a pen and started writing.

In this episode David shares the journey that led to his memoir The Streetlight Chronicles — written in real time during his own recovery in a raw, unfiltered style called Gonzo journalism, think Anthony Bourdain telling the truth about addiction with zero fluff and zero filter. You'll hear how David translated the 12 steps into street-level language that finally made sense to him, guided by a character he created called the Barstool Prophet. Host Stuart Cline reads powerful passages from the book aloud, and together they explore one of the most compelling concepts in the book — the idea that you don't need a yes and you don't need a no to start your recovery. You just need a maybe.

Whether you're newly sober or years into your journey, this conversation will remind you of something worth holding onto — how far you've already come, and how much is still possible.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How COVID on the island of Maui took David's drinking from social to life threatening
• What finally made recovery click after multiple attempts
• The story behind the Barstool Prophet and what he represents
• How writing in the moment of vulnerability changed everything
• The power of approaching recovery with maybe instead of certainty

Resources mentioned:

• The Streetlight Chronicles by David Hanley — available on Amazon
• Amazon- Streetlight Chronicles
• www.streettalk.live

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Ep 34: Why People Still Don’t Trust You in Early Sobriety (And How to Rebuild It)

Why People Still Don’t Trust You in Early Sobriety (And How to Rebuild It)

You’re sober.
You’re trying.
So why does trust still feel shaky?

In this honest and practical episode of Sobriety Now What, Stuart Cline explores one of the most frustrating experiences in recovery: doing the work… yet still feeling like people are watching and waiting.

Through a relatable real-life story, Stuart breaks down:

• Why trust often lags behind sobriety
• The hidden habit that quietly damages credibility
• The difference between discomfort and self-betrayal
• How small promises shape big perceptions
• A simple phrase that can begin rebuilding trust immediately

You’ll learn why rebuilding trust isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being consistent, clear, and honest with both yourself and others.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Why don’t they believe me yet?”
• “Why do I still feel pressure to prove myself?”
• “How do I actually rebuild trust step by step?”

…this episode will give you a grounded path forward.

Key takeaway:
Be honest because it builds trust — with yourself and with others.

And remember the phrase to carry with you:

Say it. Then do it.

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more people thrive in their sobriety.

Website: www.sobrietynowwhat.com

Email: sobrietynowwhat111@gmail.com

website for counseling: www.nmcounseling.com

Website for coaching: Evolvingfully.com

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

What would you do if you were told you needed a new liver to survive?

In this episode of Sobriety Now What?, Stuart Cline talks with Tia about her journey through cirrhosis, alcohol addiction, sobriety, and a life-saving liver transplant. Tia shares what it was like to stop drinking when her life depended on it, endure the long wait on the transplant list, and rebuild her life after receiving a new liver.

This honest conversation explores the physical, emotional, and mental realities of liver disease, including fatigue, survivor’s guilt, faith, resilience, and the challenges of recovery after transplant. Tia also discusses life after surgery—what people don’t understand about living with a transplant, ongoing medication, and learning how to pace life in sobriety.

If you or someone you love is dealing with cirrhosis, liver failure, alcohol use disorder, or recovery after a liver transplant, this episode offers hope, clarity, and real-world perspective from someone who has lived it.

Check out TransplantLyfe.com- https://www.transplantlyfe.com/

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cirrhosis and the warning signs of liver disease
• Alcohol addiction and stopping drinking to survive
• Waiting for a liver transplant and organ donation
• Life after a liver transplant and long-term recovery
• Finding meaning and purpose after getting sober

I’m really grateful you’re here—no matter where you are on your sober journey.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Ep. 32: How to Overcome Loneliness and Boredom in Early Sobriety

Early sobriety can feel surprisingly quiet.

You’re doing everything “right”—not drinking, showing up to work, paying bills—but inside, something feels off. Not sad. Not depressed. Just… lonely. Empty. Bored.

If you’ve ever found yourself sitting on the couch, scrolling on your phone and wondering, “Is this what sobriety is?”—this episode is for you.

In this episode of Sobriety Now What, Stuart shares a simple but powerful story about a man who realized that alcohol used to fill more than cravings—it filled time, structure, and connection. When that disappeared, loneliness rushed in.

You’ll learn:

• Why loneliness and boredom are common—and temporary—phases in sobriety
• How isolation quietly increases relapse risk (without you realizing it)
• Why waiting for motivation doesn’t work—and what does
• The “One Connection Rule”: a gentle, doable way to rebuild meaning and belonging
• Practical ideas for connection that don’t feel overwhelming or forced

Sobriety isn’t just about removing alcohol—it’s about rebuilding a life that feels worth staying sober for.

If you’re in that uncomfortable in-between space where the old life is gone and the new one hasn’t fully formed yet, this episode will remind you: this too will pass—and life really does get better.

🎧 Listen now and take one small step out of isolation and back into life.
You’re not alone—and you don’t have to do this perfectly to thrive.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Ep 31: Why Your Mind Won’t Slow Down in Early Sobriety — and What to Do

Are you sober—but your mind still feels loud, critical, or exhausting?
You’re not alone—and there’s nothing wrong with you.

In this episode of Sobriety Now What, Stuart explores how self-talk quietly shapes your entire recovery experience, often without you realizing it. Many people stop drinking or using… yet still feel stuck inside their own head. The overthinking. The self-doubt. The feeling of “Why am I still struggling?”

This episode explains what’s really happening.

You’ll learn:

• Why your brain is not sabotaging you—it’s trying to prove you right
• How confirmation bias influences what you notice, remember, and believe
• Why negative self-talk feels so convincing (even when it isn’t true)
• How small, kinder shifts in thinking can rewire your brain over time
• Simple phrases and questions that help your mind work with you instead of against you

Stuart shares a powerful psychological study, real recovery examples, and gentle, practical tools you can start using today—without forcing positive thinking or fake affirmations.

This isn’t about fixing yourself.
It’s about changing what your mind is trained to look for.

If you’ve ever said, “I’m sober, but my mind won’t slow down,” this episode is for you.

👉 Learn more about Stuart’s coaching and resources at evolvingfully.com
🎧 If this episode helped you, share it with someone who might need it.

Live freely. Evolve fully. Thrive.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.

Support the show

HI! If you are looking for me - Stuart Cline. You can find me below. I would like to hear from you.

🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com

🎓 Courses & Programs: https://stuartcline.podia.com

🌱 Evolving Fully Institute: www.evolvingfully.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit.
That’s how we grow this message and help more people thrive in sobriety.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.