Episodes

  • Episode 21 | The Relief Loop — The Real Mechanism Behind Drinking

    Episode 21 | The Relief Loop — The Real Mechanism Behind Drinking
    Mar 4 2026
    Some people think drinking is just a habit.
    It isn’t.
    In this episode, I explain the relief loop, the mechanism underneath the wine o’clock cycle.

    Why willpower fades.
    Why the negotiation returns.
    And why the drink can start to feel like the only way to switch off.
    When you understand the loop, the pattern makes sense.

    Support Beyond the Podcast
    If you’re ready to understand why this keeps happening, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short read explaining why the cycle keeps repeating
    and what’s really keeping you stuck.

    Read The Unspoken Truth here:


    Understanding the pattern is the first step.
    Interrupting it is the turning point.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset is a focused 90-minute session where we identify the exact trigger loops keeping you stuck and create a clear interruption point.
    This is where the cycle stops running on autopilot.
    Book your session below



    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
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    9 mins
  • Episode 20 | Guest conversation: Why So Many Neurodivergent Women Drink to Cope with Helen Davies

    Episode 20 | Guest conversation: Why So Many Neurodivergent Women Drink to Cope with Helen Davies
    Feb 28 2026
    Many neurodivergent women often don't drink because they love alcohol.
    They drink because it helps them cope with a world that does not fit their brain.

    In this guest conversation, I’m joined by Helen Davies, a neuro-inclusion and productivity expert with decades of experience supporting individuals and organisations to understand and work with neurodiversity.

    Helen is the founder of Practical Wisdom, a not-for-profit, and the creator of the Neuro-Inclusion Quality Mark with ND Accreditation. She is also an NHS Clinical Director, mentor, coach, and public speaker, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience of neurodivergence.

    We explore why so many neurodivergent women end up using alcohol to cope with overwhelm, emotional load, sensory stress, masking, and the constant pressure to function in systems that are not designed for their brains.

    Helen unpacks how alcohol can become part of masking, and the mental health tax of sustaining that over time.


    Helen also talks about her work in supporting workplaces and services to raise the standard of neuro-inclusion through meaningful, evidence-based approaches, rather than surface-level awareness.

    This is a grounded conversation about moving beyond labels and willpower, and towards support that fits real brains and real lives.

    Connect with Helen on LinkedIn

    ND accreditation

    Practical wisdom Website and training

    ND Navigator demo

    ND Navigator app:

    On Android
    On Apple

    ND Accreditation Brochure

    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Episode 19 | Why Early Sobriety Can Feel Like Grief ( And What To Do About It)

    Episode 19 | Why Early Sobriety Can Feel Like Grief ( And What To Do About It)
    Feb 25 2026
    Early sobriety can feel heavier than you expected.

    In this episode, I talk about the grief that can surface when you stop drinking — not cravings, but the loss of ritual, identity and emotional cushioning.

    I also share a simple way to notice the small but significant gains most women overlook.
    The ones that actually anchor change.


    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Episode 18 | What Real Relaxation Feels Like (And Why Wine Isn’t It)

    Episode 18 | What Real Relaxation Feels Like (And Why Wine Isn’t It)
    Feb 18 2026
    If wine is how you relax, listen to this.
    Many women use alcohol to come down from the day. Over time, the body loses touch with what real calm feels like.

    In this short episode of The Wine O’Clock Woman, you’ll experience a 10-minute guided relaxation so you can feel what settling your nervous system actually feels like.

    Notice how you feel before you press play.
    Notice what’s different afterwards.
    That contrast is the work.

    This episode is for women who:
    • use alcohol to unwind
    • feel wired or exhausted
    • struggle to truly settle
    • want another way to come down from the day
    • are curious about changing their evening drinking without labels

    Find a quiet place to sit or lie down and give yourself ten minutes to experience real relaxation.

    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Episode 17 | When Wednesday Starts Counting as the Weekend

    Episode 17 | When Wednesday Starts Counting as the Weekend
    Feb 11 2026
    You say, “Not tonight.”
    And then Wednesday quietly starts counting as the weekend.

    In this episode, I explore how drinking shifts earlier in the week through exhaustion, stress, and emotional overload.

    Not in dramatic ways, but through small, familiar decisions that slowly erode self-trust.
    This isn’t about willpower or moderation.

    It’s about recognising the habit loop, understanding why it keeps repeating, and what changes once the pattern becomes visible.

    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • Episode 16 | Guest conversation: “What’s the point of living if I can’t drink?” with Kelly Harman

    Episode 16 | Guest conversation: “What’s the point of living if I can’t drink?” with Kelly Harman
    Feb 7 2026
    Kelly Harman believed life without alcohol would be flat, dull, and joyless. The opposite happened. In this conversation, we talk about the moment she realised drinking was keeping her in survival mode, how nervous system regulation changed everything, and why waking up hangover-free has given her a life she now experiences in full colour.

    Kelly is the founder of Fire & Soul and works with women in midlife and high-pressure roles to support nervous system regulation, resilience, and recovery from stress and burnout. A trauma-informed breathwork facilitator and positive psychology coach, Kelly brings lived experience to her work after stepping away from drinking and rebuilding her life with clearer boundaries, steadier energy, and a more intentional way of living.

    Follow Kelly’s work and explore her breathwork, retreats, and wellbeing programmes here:

    www.fireandsoul.co.uk

    Follow her on IG here

    Find Kelly on LinkedIn here

    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • Episode 15 | Dear Alcohol — The Letter That Finally Tells the Truth

    Episode 15 | Dear Alcohol — The Letter That Finally Tells the Truth
    Feb 4 2026
    You’ve probably written it in your head a hundred times.
    The letter that says what alcohol’s really been doing in your life, and what you’re ready to see now.

    In this episode, I share some of my own ‘Dear Alcohol’ letters, the ones that needed writing over the years.
    I hope that you take a few moments to pause and notice the role that drinking is playing in your life.
    Because from there… everything can change.


    I invite you to write yours.
    If you want to share it, vent it, or let it out.
    Send it to: thewineoclockwoman@gmail.com.

    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
  • Episode 14 | Guest conversation: Motherhood, Alcohol, and the Nervous System with Natalie Pereira

    Episode 14 | Guest conversation: Motherhood, Alcohol, and the Nervous System with Natalie Pereira
    Jan 31 2026
    Ever found yourself snapping at the kids, then reaching for a glass of wine to take the edge off?
    In this episode, I speak with Natalie Pereira—coach, mum of three, and founder of The Essence of You- about what’s really going on in our nervous systems when motherhood feels overwhelming.

    We talk about the pressure to hold everything together, the patterns that lead us to drink, and what genuinely helps in the moment.

    If you're juggling a lot, craving a bit of calm, and wondering if there's another way to cope.
    This one's for you.

    More About Natalie Pereira

    Natalie supports mums who feel overwhelmed, stretched thin, or stuck in old patterns and helps them reconnect with their bodies, their values, and the kind of parent they truly want to be. Through body-based work, nervous system support, and deep identity coaching, she helps women create real, lasting, and embodied change — for themselves and their families — from the inside out. Natalie is passionate about helping mums become the kind of person they want their kids to model — not by pushing harder or doing more, but by rewiring old patterns, reclaiming their sense of self, and building the capacity to live, parent, and lead from a calm, grounded, and connected place.

    Follow her work here:

    Click here to find Natalie on FB

    Click here to find Natalie on IG

    Click here to join her free Facebook Group.

    SUPPORT BEYOND THE PODCAST
    If wine o’clock keeps repeating and you want to understand why, start here:

    The Unspoken Truth
    A short piece that explains why the pattern keeps coming back, and what’s actually going on underneath it.


    Read The Unspoken Truth here:

    For some women, there comes a point where they want to look more closely at their own drinking patterns.

    That’s what the Wine O’Clock Reset is — a focused 90-minute one-to-one session to interrupt the pattern and restore choice.

    The Wine O’Clock Reset — 90-Minute Session

    Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experience and professional insight.
    It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for individual therapeutic or medical support.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins