Stop Over-drinking and Start Living

By Angela Mascenik - Certified Stop Over-drinking CoachHealth & Fitness Nutrition Mental Health Education How To

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Stop Over-drinking and Start Living episodes

July 22 Ep 393 Your Worst Years Could Create Your Best Years
If you've ever thought "I've wasted so many years drinking," this episode is going to change how you see your entire story.

It started with Madonna- a line about how the deepest darkness holds the greatest light. And it perfectly captures something psychologists have been studying for decades: post-traumatic growth.

The research shows that women who go through hard seasons — including years of over-drinking, and actually process them, come out the other side with deeper relationships, more appreciation for life, and a strength they never had before.

The growth comes from processing the pain, and just time alone won't do it.

In this episode, I break down the five research-backed ways post-traumatic growth shows up and I share the tips for actually getting there.
I promise your drinking years aren't wasted years. They're the material for the best years of your life.

Now accepting applications for the next cohort of the Transformation Program, check that out here: https://www.angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram
I've updated my website, check out my new about me page: www.angelamascenik.com/
ABOUT ANGELA:
Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.
22 min
July 15Ep 392 Trusting Your Intuition
Let's discuss intuition.

In this episode, I'm telling you the full story of how one small decision to listen to my body last fall led to the biggest, most magical thing in my business and my life.

Last year I had a two week trip planned with my friend Sarah. On paper it was a dream. But as it got closer, something in my body kept whispering, this is too much. And instead of pushing through like I would have during my drinking years, I said it out loud.

Then Sarah asked me one question that changed everything.

In this episode, we're talking about intuition. What it actually feels like in your body, what science says about when you can trust it, and why twenty years of over-drinking teaches you to mute the very signals that are trying to guide you.

You'll learn:
Why gut feelings are literal (your body sends way more information to your brain than your brain sends back)
The one question to ask yourself when you can't tell what you really want
Why your intuition about your own needs is the most reliable kind, according to research
How wine becomes the tool we use to drown out the "something's off" whisper
What honoring your intuition actually gives you (hint: I'm keeping this honest, no fairy tales)
www.angelamascenik.com << check out my new and refreshed website!
www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle << 1 shared spot left! Grab it before it's gone!

ABOUT ANGELA:
Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.
21 min
July 09Ep 391 How To Stop Talking Yourself Out Of It When It Gets Uncomfortable
You decided this morning you weren't drinking tonight. Then 5pm rolls around, the day was long, and the debate starts: "Maybe just one. I don't want to be left out. I'll start fresh Monday."

In this episode, I'm sharing a very personal story about coming off anti-anxiety medication and sleep aids during our move to Lisbon, the brutal side effects nobody warned me about, and the two nights I barely slept at all.

What got me through was one skill: allowing the discomfort WHILE my brain also wanted to talk me out of it.

In this episode, you'll learn:
My experience stopping a low-dose anti-anxiety and what the withdrawal was actually like (brain zaps, body aches, sleepless nights, stomach issues.. all of it)
Why I decided to come off everything before walking the Camino, including sleep aids
The difference between allowing discomfort and white-knuckling through it
Why deciding ahead of time changes everything, and how the 2 am moment becomes just following through
Quick note: this is my personal experience with medication. Always talk to your doctor before starting or stopping anything. This is not medical advice.

www.angelamascenik.com << check out my new and refreshed website!
Magic House Founders Circle www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle << 1 shared spot left! Grab it before it's gone! [5:05 AM]
ABOUT ANGELA:
Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.
34 min
July 02Ep 390 You Don't Need to Know How. You Just Need to Decide.
I'm recording this from my first morning LIVING in Lisbon, Portugal, sitting in The Magic House with a cup of coffee, my family finally here, and this feeling I can only describe as the specific joy of having done the hard thing.

Eighteen months ago I had an idea to move my family to a country I had never been to. No plan. Just a decision. And this morning that decision is my reality.

In this episode I'm sharing what that journey taught me — and exactly how it applies to changing your relationship with alcohol.

Because here's what I know after eight years of doing this work: the women who stay stuck aren't lacking information. They aren't lacking willpower. They're waiting to know how before they decide. And that's backwards. The plan doesn't come before the decision. The plan comes FROM the decision.

We cover:
Why waiting to feel ready keeps you stuck — and what to do instead

The one question that cuts through every excuse: if you knew it would work, would you do it?

What real change actually looks like from the inside — and why the mess doesn't mean you're failing

The grief nobody talks about when you change your relationship with alcohol

And what deciding, actually looks like.

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:
You've been thinking about changing your drinking for months or years and you still haven't fully committed
You keep waiting until you feel ready, until things calm down, until after the next event
You know what you want but you don't believe you can actually get there
You've tried before and it didn't stick and you're not sure this time would be different
You want permission to start before you have it all figured out
ABOUT ANGELA:
Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.

To learn more or apply for the Transformation Program visit angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram.
34 min
June 24 Ep 389 Podcast Rewind - Decisions Part 2, Learn, Adapt, and Move On
Please enjoy this podcast rewind:
This episode is a further exploration of Decisions. If you haven't listened to Part 1, please do that first, https://www.angelamascenik.com/podcasts/stop-over-drinking-and-start-living/episodes/2148935056
This episode dives into AFTER we made a decision, how to evaluate that decision, especially if you didn't experience the outcome of the decision that you really wanted to.
I also discuss how to keep making more decisions that have this new insight you received after being in the outcome of the original decision.
Also learn how to have your own back around the decisions you made no matter the outcome.
Decision making is a huge process when you are trying to change unwanted behavior. It's really important to learn how to make and evaluate decisions that have your goals in mind instead of reacting to your mind's primitive needs and wants!
ABOUT ANGELA: Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.

To learn about or apply to for the Transformation Program visit angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram.
25 min
June 17 Ep 388 Podcast Rewind: Decisions Part 1, Stop Reacting, Start Choosing: Master Your Decisions
Please enjoy this Podcast Rewind:

This episode is going to help you become aware of your automatic or unconscious decision making process.
Once you see HOW you are making decisions you can decide with more intention on the outcome you want to have versus just your automatic quick or knee jerk decisions.
This is a skill that you can use for any decision you are contemplating or to evaluate how you've make past decisions.
Changing your relationship with alcohol comes with a lot of decisions to make.
Please listen to this informative Part 1 Decision making episode to gain awareness so you can make the best possible decisions for you!
ABOUT ANGELA: Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.

To learn about or apply to for the Transformation Program visit angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram.
26 min
June 10Ep 387 The Missing Piece to Transforming Your Drinking
I've been sitting with a thought this week that I can't stop thinking about: transformation requires transparency.

You cannot have one without the other.

We all know too well the toxic cycle of sneaking, hiding, avoiding, and disregarding how much our drinking is impacting us, mostly from the inside. If you truly want to transform your relationship with alcohol you need to start getting honest and be transparent.

Additionally, I'm sharing what came up on a recent Q+A, the moment when every woman on the call recognized that she was using alcohol to solve an emotional problem. They knew it. They could name it. And yet knowing it and actually being able to sit with the discomfort instead of reaching for a drink, that's a completely different skill.

In this episode I talk about the impact of staying hidden and the 3 things that might make transformation possible for you.

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:
You know what to do but you're not doing it and you can't figure out why
You've tried cutting back, taking breaks, making rules and nothing has stuck permanently
You recognize that you drink to take the edge off or unwind but you haven't been able to stop
You feel like you're doing the work but something is still missing
You're tired of hiding this from the people you love and from yourself
You're ready to stop managing your drinking and actually transform your relationship with it

ABOUT ANGELA: Angela Mascenik is a certified stop over-drinking coach for women and the host of the Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast. She helps high-achieving women get to the root of why they drink and change their relationship with alcohol from the inside out — without white-knuckling it or relying on willpower. Angela is the creator of the 6-month Transformation Program, the Alive AF! membership, and The Magic House Retreat Center in Lisbon, Portugal.

To learn more or apply for the Transformation Program visit angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram.
27 min
June 03Ep 386 The Real Reason You Can't Stop Starting Over
You've done Dry January. You've made the Sunday night promise. You've cut back, taken breaks, set rules, and started over more times than you can count. And every time, you mean it.

So why does it keep happening?

In this episode, I'm talking about the real reason the cycle doesn't break — and it has nothing to do with willpower, discipline, or how badly you want to change. The answer is deeper than the drinking.

This episode is for you if:
You've tried to cut back or quit more times than you can remember
You keep breaking promises to yourself and you're exhausted by it
You feel like something is off but you can't quite name it
You're ready to stop fighting the symptom and get to the actual root

Links:
Transformation Program Q+A
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89011714466?pwd=b632nKrrvxdH6j7oAlPb2FrLTu1o10.1
Passcode:170040

Replay for Transformation Q+A: https://www.angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram

Topics: gray area drinking, how to stop over-drinking, high-functioning women and alcohol, change your relationship with alcohol, functional drinker, why willpower doesn't work, starting over with sobriety, women and alcohol

About Angela: Angela Mascenik is a certified life coach and the founder of Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living. After 20 years of over-drinking while keeping everything together on the outside, she found her way through — and now helps high-achieving women do the same. No shame, no labels, just real work that actually sticks.
17 min
May 27 Ep 385 Why I Hate the Phrase "Take It or Leave It"
Have you ever said "I just want to be take it or leave it about alcohol"?

I hear this all the time. And every time I do, something in me cringes.

In this episode I'm going to tell you exactly why this phrase bothers me — and why making it your goal might actually be keeping you stuck.

"Take it or leave it" sounds like freedom. But when I hear it, what I picture is someone standing in the moment — at a party, at the end of a hard day, deciding, on the spot, whether they want a drink or not.

And for women who over-drink, in-the-moment deciding is exactly where everything falls apart. This is not a good strategy.

The other thing that bothers me about it? It lets you skip the real work. If the goal is just to feel casual about alcohol, you never have to ask the harder question — why are you drinking in the first place?

In this episode you'll learn:
• Why "take it or leave it" is naive for women who over-drink
• How in-the-moment deciding around alcohol keeps you stuck
• Why alcohol always has a charge when it's still doing a job for you
• What's really underneath most women's drinking: suppressed emotions, exhaustion, old pain, resentment
• What the actual path to ease looks like, and how you get there.

The feeling you're reaching for is real. Women get there. But you don't aim at it directly. You earn it by understanding yourself first.

About Angela: Angela Mascenik is a certified life coach and stop over-drinking coach who has helped thousands of high-achieving women change their relationship with alcohol — without labels, shame, or swearing off alcohol forever. Listen every week for coaching, neuroscience, and real talk.
Grab your spot at the April 2027 Magic House Retreat:
https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle
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/claritycall
Alive AF! Membership — http://www.angelamascenik.com/aliveaf

Topics: stop over-drinking, high-functioning women and alcohol, how to drink less, change your relationship with alcohol, women and alcohol, emotional triggers and drinking, mindful drinking, breaking the drinking cycle, women's sobriety podcast, functional drinker
16 min
May 20 Ep 384 Hindsight Is Helpful. It Just Shows Up Too Late.
I was watching a show called Legends the other night and one of the characters said something that stopped me cold.
"Hindsight is helpful but it shows up too late."
I had to pause it. Because that is one of the most accurate things I've ever heard.
You already know what's coming. You've known for years. You can tell yourself the whole story the next morning, exactly what led up to it, where the warning signs were, the moment you knew.
The problem is that clarity always shows up after.
In this episode I'm breaking down why hindsight keeps failing you and how to take what you already know about your patterns and turn it into foresight you can use before the moment, not after.
Because you are not starting from zero. You have years of data. You know your triggers. You know your high-risk times. You know how Thursday nights feel. This episode is about putting that knowledge to work earlier.
This episode is for you if:
You keep breaking promises to yourself around alcohol and can't figure out whyYou know your patterns but still can't stop them in the momentYou've been trying to drink less for years and feel like you're missing somethingYou want something practical you can use this week.
About Angela: Angela Mascenik is a certified life coach and stop over-drinking coach who has helped thousands of high-achieving women change their relationship with alcohol — without labels, shame, or swearing off alcohol forever. Listen every week for coaching, neuroscience, and real talk.
Grab your spot at the April 2027 Magic House Retreat:
https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle

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/claritycall
Check out Alive AF! here:https://www.angelamascenik.com/aliveaf

Topics covered: stop over-drinking, high-functioning women and alcohol, how to drink less, change your relationship with alcohol, women and alcohol, emotional triggers and drinking, mindful drinking, breaking the drinking cycle, women's sobriety podcast, functional drinker

17 min

About Stop Over-drinking and Start Living

From the publisher's feed

Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living is a podcast for high-functioning women who want to stop over-drinking, cut back on alcohol, and change their relationship with wine and drinking. Certified Stop Over-Drinking Coach Angela Mascenik shares compassionate, practical self-coaching tools to help you feel like yourself again and handle life without using alcohol to cope.