Do you drink because you enjoy alcohol? Or because you just need a break?

For many people, alcohol isn't really about the alcohol anymore. It's about relief.

It's the exhale at the end of a long day. The reward after carrying everyone else's needs. The thing that helps you switch off when your brain won't stop spinning.

In this episode, I'm exploring what I call "The Off-Switch Illusion", which is the belief that alcohol helps us cope with stress, when in reality it may be adding to the very thing we're trying to escape.

We'll talk about:

- Why high-functioning, capable people are particularly vulnerable to using alcohol as relief
- The difference between escape and genuine recovery
- How alcohol affects stress, anxiety and sleep
- Why you might feel more overwhelmed than you realise
- Healthier ways to recharge that don't leave you depleted the next day

If you've ever stood in the kitchen at the end of a stressful day thinking, "I just need a drink", this episode is for you.

Because maybe what you really need isn't alcohol. Maybe you need rest.

Get in touch:

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

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I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

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Most sobriety stories are told with the benefit of hindsight. But what about the messy middle? The early days when you're still figuring things out, navigating cravings, questioning yourself, and learning how to live without alcohol.

In this episode, I'm joined by Matt, who is approaching two months alcohol-free. We talk openly about his drinking journey, what led him to stop, the challenges he's faced so far, and the changes he's already starting to notice.

Together we explore:

- What alcohol was really giving him
- The moment he knew something needed to change
- The reality of early sobriety
- What has surprised him most about being alcohol-free
- The gains he's experienced in just a few short weeks

Whether you're on Day 1, Day 60, or simply questioning your relationship with alcohol, this honest conversation is a reminder that you don't have to have it all figured out to start.

Get in touch:

Matt

Instagram @walkthesoberline

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

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Music from #Uppbeat
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License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2

Why does moderation feel so hard? If you've ever made rules around drinking...

Only on weekends.
Only two glasses.
No drinking at home.
I'll start again on Monday.

...and found yourself back in the same cycle, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I'm exploring why moderation can feel so exhausting. Not because you're failing, but because of the constant mental energy it requires.

We'll talk about:

- The hidden mental load of managing alcohol
- Why moderation often becomes a full-time job in your head
- Decision fatigue and the endless negotiations
- Why some people find taking a longer break feels simpler, not harder
- The difference between drinking less and feeling truly free

If you've spent years trying to find the "perfect balance" with alcohol, this episode might help you see things from a different perspective.

Because maybe the goal isn't better rules. Maybe the goal is freedom from needing them.

Get in touch:

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

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Music from #Uppbeat
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License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2

This week’s episode is a really special one.

Today I’m joined by an anonymous guest who recently celebrated six months alcohol-free, including reaching five months sober on her birthday, a milestone that once felt impossible to her.

A few months ago, she reached out to me for coaching because she was exhausted by the constant mental battle with alcohol… the moderation attempts, the overthinking, the guilt, and the feeling that drinking had quietly become far bigger in her life than she wanted it to be.

In this conversation, we talk honestly about:

• what her drinking looked like before she stopped
• the emotional exhaustion behind the habit
• the reality of early sobriety
• the identity shift that comes with changing your relationship with alcohol
• and what life actually feels like now at six months sober

This isn’t a story about rock bottom. It’s a story about a normal woman who quietly realised alcohol wasn’t working for her anymore, and decided to choose something different.

Get in touch:

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

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Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/tatami/in-motion
License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2

This week on The Sober Connection, I'm talking about evenings, because for so many people, that’s where the real battle with alcohol actually happens.

The 5pm autopilot. “I deserve this.” The exhausting cycle of trying to hold it together all day… then reaching for a drink to finally switch off.

In this episode, I unpack:

– why evenings feel so hard
– what’s actually happening in your nervous system at the end of the day
– why it can feel automatic even when you genuinely want to stop
– and how to start interrupting the pattern without relying on willpower alone

If you’ve ever found yourself waking up determined not to drink… only to end up back in the same cycle by evening, this is a good one to listen to.

Get in touch:

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

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Music from #Uppbeat
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License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2

This week on The Sober Connection, I’m joined by musician Andre Manella for a really honest conversation about sobriety, touring, creativity, and navigating the music industry without alcohol.

Originally from Switzerland and now based in New Zealand, Andre has spent more than 20 years performing across Europe and NZ, playing over 2000 shows throughout his career. We talk about the drinking culture that often comes with life as a musician, what changed for him around three years ago, and what it’s actually like touring sober in an industry where alcohol is everywhere.

This episode explores identity, social pressure, creativity, mental health, and the reality of learning how to be fully present without relying on alcohol.

Whether you’re sober curious, alcohol-free, or simply questioning your relationship with drinking, this is such an insightful conversation.

Get in touch:

Andre

Instagram @sonicdelusion / @turkey_the_bird

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2404910

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/tatami/in-motion
License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2

In this episode, I'm talking about the “in-between” phase of changing your relationship with alcohol - the part nobody really warns you about.

That space where drinking no longer feels good… but not drinking still feels uncomfortable too.

I share my own experience of the stop-start cycle, why so many people relapse around the 40–50 day mark, and the psychology behind why our brains fight change even when we know something isn’t working anymore.

I also talk about:

– why familiarity can feel safer than happiness
– the mental exhaustion of moderation
– grief, identity and uncertainty
– why you keep getting pulled back to old patterns
– and what starts to shift when you finally choose something different

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the middle - not fully drinking, not fully free - this episode is for you.

Get in touch:

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2404910

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/tatami/in-motion
License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2

In this episode, I’m joined by Jodi Clark, founder of Sober Flourish, who shares her journey to becoming alcohol-free.

On the surface, everything looked fine - Jodi was a busy mum, successful, holding it all together. But behind the scenes, alcohol was taking up more space than she realised.

We talk about:

• what her drinking actually looked like
• the small moments that started to shift things
• the holiday that became a turning point
• how a 100-day break turned into something much bigger

We also touch on the work we both do now, supporting women who feel “fine” on the outside… but know something isn’t quite right.

If you’ve been quietly questioning your relationship with alcohol, this one will hit home.

Get in touch:

Jodi

Instagram @soberflourish

Email hello@soberflourish.com

Abi

30 Days to Freedom - A Gentle Reset

Available here - www.levelupsobrietycoaching.com/30-days-to-freedom-reset/

Instagram @levelup.withabi

Email hello@levelupsobrietycoaching.co.nz

Affiliate links:

Terps & Co. www.drinkterps.co.nz - enter code ABI20 for 20% off storewide

I use Riverside.fm for my podcast editing software. Click the link below to find out more!

https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=abi

My podcast episodes are hosted and distributed by Buzzsprout. Click the link below for a $20 Refer a Friend voucher (T&Cs apply)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2404910

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/tatami/in-motion
License code: N5GLWPT8QQSRU7D2