Why do we reach our big milestones—hitting a goal weight, finishing a financial quarter, or finally taking that vacation—only to find we don't feel the "joy" we were promised?

In this episode of The Alcohol Myth Podcast, coaches Jonathan and Ellen dive deep into the concept of Emotion as Energy. They explore why traditional "willpower" often fails and how shifting from behavior-based goals to emotion-based goals is the secret to changing your relationship with alcohol (and your life) from the inside out.

Using principles from This Naked Mind and Affective Liminal Psychology, Jonathan and Ellen discuss how to stop numbing "indicator light" emotions and start using them as data for growth. Whether you are currently on an alcohol-free journey or looking to improve your emotional intelligence, this episode provides a roadmap for feeling through the discomfort to find a richer, more beautiful life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why we are "feeling animals that sometimes think," not the other way around.
The trap of Fading Effect Bias and why we forget the "23 hours of pain" for one hour of pleasure.
How to use the Feelings Wheel to move beyond binary "good vs. bad" labels.
Practical exercises for visualizing your "North Star" emotions before bed and upon waking.
How to navigate grief and setbacks without falling into "all-or-nothing" thinking.

🕒 CHAPTERS:
0:00 - The Trap of External Milestones
1:26 - Jonathan’s Story: Suppressing vs. Tapping into Emotion
3:38 - Ellen’s Story: Numbing Negative Emotions with Alcohol
4:41 - The Feelings Wheel & Emotional Nuance
5:48 - Thinking Animals vs. Feeling Animals (Brene Brown)
6:55 - Societal Messages: Which Emotions are "Acceptable"?
8:14 - Alcohol as a "Numbing" Tool & Indicator Lights
11:10 - Moving Beyond "Good" vs. "Bad" Feelings
12:56 - The Role of Emotion in Changing Behavior
15:27 - How to Set Emotion-Based Goals
17:47 - Visualizing the "Relief" of an Alcohol-Free Night
19:54 - The Insidious Cycle: Using Alcohol to "Fix" a Hangover
21:43 - Why Discomfort is a Prerequisite for Growth
24:01 - Understanding Fading Effect Bias
29:26 - Navigating Grief & Breaking the "Streak"
33:04 - Experimentation vs. All-or-Nothing Thinking
35:07 - Practical Exercise: Creating Your Emotion-Based Goal
38:33 - How to Connect with the Alcohol Myth Team

🔗 CONNECT WITH US:
We are coaches trained in This Naked Mind and Effective Liminal Psychology. Our mission is to help you take back control of your life by changing your relationship with alcohol from the inside out.

📩 Have a question or a story to share? Email us at: thealcoholmyth@gmail.com

Or check out our websites
Find Jonathan at https://livecreativeaf.com/
Find Ellen at https://ellenbiggscoaching.com/

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#TheAlcoholMyth #ThisNaked Mind #EmotionalIntelligence #AlcoholFreeJourney #Sobriety #MindfulDrinking #PersonalGrowth #BreneBrown #EmotionAsEnergy #BehaviorChange #PsychologyOfChange