Labor Day weekend means three straight days of BBQs, pool parties, and cookouts — which for a lot of us also means three straight days of drinking that can spiral fast.

In this quick solo episode, Erica answers the 7 questions her coaching clients ask most before a long drinking weekend: how to avoid blacking out, how to say no without a big scene, why day drinking hits different, how to handle multiple back-to-back events, and how to actually enjoy your booze-free options instead of treating them like a consolation prize.

You'll walk away with Erica's signature PLAYER framework (Plan & prepare, Later start, Alternate, Your why, Eat & end earlier, Rest & repeat) and a real plan for making it through the long weekend — and Tuesday morning — without the guilt spiral.

Questions answered in this episode:

1. How do I enjoy the holiday weekend without blacking out?
2. How do I say no to a drink (or the fifth drink) without it becoming a whole thing?
3. What's different about day drinking vs. evening drinking?
4. How do I not use the extra day off as an excuse to start earlier and stop later?
5. What's a plan for multiple events in one weekend (BBQ, pool party, cookout) without it snowballing?
6. How do I handle the Tuesday guilt/hangover when I'm back at work?
7. What are non-alcoholic drink options that don't feel like a consolation prize?

Mentioned in this episode: Element electrolytes, White Claw, Athletic Brewing, Blue Moon Zero, Heineken Zero, Lagunitas Hop Water, Ghia, Kim Crawford (lower-alcohol wine), Aplós

Want more support going into the holiday weekend? Take the What Type of Drinker Are You? quiz, join the Drink Less Reset, or work with Erica 1:1 or in group coaching.

Have fun, be safe. 🥂 Drink on Purpose.

• 0:00 — Intro: why this episode
• 0:30 — Q1: Enjoying the weekend without blacking out (PLAYER intro)
• 2:23 — Hydration & electrolytes
• 4:48 — Eating before/during drinking
• 7:09 — Q2: Saying no without the drama
• 9:31 — Q3: Day drinking vs. evening drinking, low-ABV picks
• 11:41 — Q4: The "extra day off" trap
• 14:00 — Q5: Planning for multiple events in one weekend
• 16:23 — Q6: The Tuesday hangover/hangxiety
• 18:42 — Q7: Non-alcoholic drinks that don't feel like a downgrade
• 21:02 — How to work with Erica
• 23:24 — Outro

**As always, today's conversation is educational in nature based on personal experience and should not replace individualized medical advice from your healthcare provider.

Do you have a good relationship with alcohol — or are you just used to it?

In this episode of ShameOver, the podcast about drinking less and living on purpose, Erica Mallery continues her conversation with Alex Clapp, founder of Claritee Circle, digging into the practical, day-to-day tools that actually support long-term sobriety and behavior change.

Alex shares the simple self-assessment question he asks anyone questioning their drinking, why "wanting" to change and "committing" to change are two completely different things, and how his all-or-nothing personality nearly worked against his own recovery.

You'll hear how he built sustainable non-negotiables (without setting himself up to fail), what actually helped him manage cravings and unexpected triggers, and why acceptance — not willpower alone — became the foundation of staying sober.

This episode also takes a surprising turn into phone and technology addiction, and why avoiding discomfort — whether it's alcohol, scrolling, or snacking — is one of the biggest hidden struggles of modern life.

Whether you're sober curious, actively working on drinking less, or supporting someone in recovery, this episode is full of real, usable tools for building a healthier relationship with alcohol and yourself.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• A simple self-assessment for evaluating your relationship with alcohol
• The real difference between wanting to change and committing to change
• How to build sustainable habits instead of all-or-nothing rules
• Tools for managing sobriety triggers and unexpected cravings
• Why phone and technology addiction mirrors substance addiction
• How avoiding discomfort keeps unhealthy patterns alive

Listen, subscribe, and follow ShameOver for more real, judgment-free conversations about drinking less and living with intention.

Connect with Alex and Claritee Circle:
http://www.clariteegroup.co.uk
www.claritee-group.cirlce.so

Connect with Erica + ShameOver:
https://stan.store/ShameOver/p/selftember-gy3shl2c

Take the What Type of Drinker Are You? Quiz here:
https://shameover.me/quiz

*This episode is #2 of a 3-Part Series.

As always, today's conversation is educational in nature and should not replace individualized medical advice from your healthcare provider.

What happens when you lose your sight, lose yourself, and somehow find your way back?

In this episode of ShameOver, Erica sits down with Alex Clapp, founder of Claritee Circle, for a raw and honest conversation about his journey from sudden, unexplained vision loss to full-blown addiction — alcohol, drugs, and a rock bottom he never saw coming.

Alex opens up about what it felt like to believe everyone would be better off without him, the moment his 17-year-old son changed everything with one sentence, and why choosing to be publicly vulnerable about his recovery became the most empowering decision he ever made.

This is a conversation about shame, about second chances, and about what it really means to be brave enough to tell the truth — to yourself and everyone else.

In this episode:

• Alex's unexplained sight loss and the years-long search for answers
• How "medicinal" numbing spiraled into full addiction
• The driveway conversation with his son that changed his life
• Why going public about his recovery took the power back
• The link between shame and healing

Connect with Alex and Claritee Circle:

www.clariteegroup.co.uk

www.claritee-group.cirlce.so

Connect with Erica + ShameOver:

Join Self*tember now

Take the What Type of Drinker Are You? Quiz here:

https://shameover.me/quiz

This episode is #1 of a 3-Part Series.

As always, today's conversation is educational in nature and should not replace individualized medical advice from your healthcare provider.