Some drinking habits don’t come from stress or chaos.
They come from evenings that feel empty, repetitive and hard to sit in.

Nothing’s wrong.
But nothing feels good either.

So the drink, whether it’s wine or something else, becomes the marker that the day is over.
Something to look forward to.
Something that stops you having to sit in the space.

And that’s the part no one talks about. I see this pattern all the time. It shows up in different ways, but the dynamic is the same.
The evening feels flat, so something fills it.

If your nights feel restless, predictable or harder to switch off from than they should, this isn’t about the drink.
It’s about what the drink is doing for you.

There’s a stage of life no one really prepares you for. The kids leave. Everything changes. It’s quieter, and something feels off. This is often where drinking starts to creep in. Not dramatically. Just more often than you’d like.

In this conversation with Anita McKenna, we talk about the empty nest and what’s really going on underneath it. The identity shift. The loss of role. Why so many women find themselves drinking more at this point, even when life looks fine from the outside. If this is you, it’ll likely feel very familiar.

Anita McKenna works mainly with women who are brilliant at doing life, but no longer want to just get through it.
Through one-to-one work, group spaces and honest conversations, she blends therapeutic depth with practical support to help women/people notice where they’ve been living from duty and expectation, and begin choosing how they actually want to live, work and relate.
Her work centres on one simple idea - less duty, more choice.

To connect with Anita:

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Check out Anita's website here:

The 10 Minute Reset: 
A free 5-day mini course to help you interrupt autopilot and start choosing differently.
Join the Reset here:

You don’t have a binge drinking problem you have a decision you haven’t made.
Until that’s clear, the cycle will keep repeating no matter how many times you promise yourself it’ll be different.
In this episode, I break down what’s really driving the pattern and why willpower isn’t the issue.

Choosing sobriety when everyone around you still drinks isn’t easy.
Elizabeth shares her personal journey of choosing sobriety and the emotional and social challenges that came with it. We explore wine o’clock culture, the pressure to fit in, and why stepping away from alcohol can feel uncomfortable even when it’s the right decision for you.

If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with alcohol or wondered how to stay sober around friends and family who still drink, this conversation will give you clarity and a new perspective.

Elizabeth Davies, known as The Fulfilled Mother Coach, is a life coach supporting mothers who feel overwhelmed, out of control, and lost in motherhood. She helps them reconnect with themselves, regain a sense of control, and step into a calmer, more confident version of who they truly are.

Through personalised one-to-one support, Elizabeth meets each mother exactly where she is, creating space for real and lasting change.

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram here:

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If this resonated, DM “CALM” to book your FREE discovery call with Elizabeth and take the first step towards feeling calm, in control, and no longer overwhelmed by motherhood and everything you’re carrying.

Daytime you holds it all together
Evening you can finally breathe
Somewhere along the line, alcohol became the bridge between the two.
For a lot of women, it is what helps you move from one version of yourself to the next
without even realising it.
This episode explores what's going on in the switch from daytime you to evening you. 

In this episode, Jayne shares her story of grief, loss, and how alcohol became part of how she coped, until it started to take more than it gave. What starts as coping can quietly become a pattern that’s hard to break. We talk about why it’s so easy to fall into, and what life looks like on the other side.

Jayne Clayton is the founder of Menopause Well, supporting women and organisations through menopause and midlife transitions.
After becoming a mother at 17 and later experiencing burnout and severe menopause symptoms, she made the decision to completely rethink her life. In her mid-fifties, she retrained as a life coach and now works to create emotionally safe, dignified conversations around midlife wellbeing.
Her work has been recognised by two Royal Palaces, and she is a member of the Complementary Medical Association.

Find Jayne on Instagram:

Find Jayne on IG here:

By the time you’re standing in the kitchen with a glass in your hand, it’s already been decided.
It just feels like you’re making the decision.
Most women think the problem is that moment.
But it started earlier.
The first thought.
“I could have a drink later.”
The back and forth.
“I won’t.”
“Maybe I will.”
The point where it quietly becomes a yes.
The real exhaustion isn’t the drink.
It’s how much of your day is taken up thinking about it.
And what happens when that stops…

If you want to look at this properly, I run a workshop where we go through this in more detail.
You can find it here:

👉 Save your place on the free workshop

Have you ever noticed that after being praised or recognised for something you’ve done well, you suddenly feel the urge to pour a glass of wine?

In this episode, I explore a rarely discussed alcohol trigger: success itself. For many capable women, compliments, praise, or recognition can feel surprisingly uncomfortable in the nervous system and alcohol can become a quick way to regulate that feeling.

I share a personal story from my teaching career, explore how this pattern can begin in childhood, and offer practical ways to respond differently when someone praises you.

In this episode we explore:
• Why praise and recognition can trigger the urge to drink
• The nervous system response behind the “success trigger”
• How childhood experiences shape our response to praise
• Simple phrases that help you receive compliments with ease If success or praise has ever felt strangely uncomfortable, this episode will help you understand why, and how to change the pattern.

In this episode of The Wine O’Clock Woman, I’m joined by Tracy Turtle for a deeply honest conversation about alcohol and neurodiversity.

Tracy shares her personal journey and opens up about how her neurodivergent experience shaped her relationship with drinking.
Together, we explore the challenges, misunderstandings, when alcohol becomes intertwined with coping, identity, and everyday life.

This conversation sheds light on an area that is often overlooked: how neurodiversity can influence the way we experience alcohol, social expectations, and wellbeing.

Tracy Turtle is the founder of Mandala Jade, where she helps people simplify their homes and work lives to create space for what truly matters.
Through practical workshops and one-to-one support, she guides individuals to reduce overwhelm, create calm, functional spaces, and embrace more intentional, sustainable ways of living.

Before founding Mandala Jade, Tracy spent 25 years in financial services. A Chartered Accountant by training, she worked in London, Bermuda, and Singapore before joining NatWest, where her role expanded into culture, wellbeing, and inclusion, shaping the compassionate, people-centred approach she brings to her work today.


Connect with Tracy:
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Tracy's website: www.mandalajade.co.uk/

Free Simplify Your Home Guide: A practical 5-step framework for creating a simplified home that truly supports you:
Get your FREE guide here: www.mandalajade.co.uk/guides

Many capable women wake up fully intending not to drink… yet somehow find themselves pouring a glass by evening.

In this episode we explore the hidden Wine O’Clock pattern that often begins hours before the first drink. You’ll hear why the decision to drink rarely starts at six o’clock, how the afternoon negotiation quietly begins, and why this cycle can leave women feeling frustrated and confused.

If you’ve ever wondered why the “not tonight” promise keeps collapsing, this episode will help you start recognising the pattern behind it.

Free 60-minute live workshop: March 25th 7pm ( Replay available just register)

There’s a Reason You Drink When You Say You Wouldn’t — It’s Not What You Think.
Understand the pattern behind the evening drink and start seeing where your own cycle begins.

Register for your place here