Do you feel like you’re outgrowing alcohol—longing for a deeper connection to life, but stuck in the tug-of-war between numbing, overwhelm, and self-doubt?
Welcome to Stop Drinking and Start Living—a podcast dedicated to helping women create a life they love, beyond alcohol.
I’m Mary Wagstaff. After a 20-year relationship with daily drinking, I finally flipped the switch that made alcohol completely irrelevant in my life. Now, as an expert holistic alcohol coach, I guide women to do the same through my proven 5 Shifts process.
Each week, I share tools, stories, and fresh perspectives to help you expand your desires and reclaim the pleasure, purpose, and power of being a woman.
Sobriety isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of your awakening.
Want to drink less without deprivation? 60 Seconds To Calm Is How you do it. Grab the free guid here. https://marywagstaffcoach.com/urgetracking
⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical treatment, therapy, or professional healthcare advice. I am not a doctor. If you are at risk of harming yourself or your health, please call your doctor, 911, or a local emergency line right away. In the U.S., you can also dial or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Background Music Savannah Sultana Graciously Provided by The Exceptional Talent of Scott Nice : https://www.scottnice.com
What happens when your sobriety collides with a loved one’s addiction? In this episode, I talk with addiction specialist Amber Hollingsworth about how to support someone struggling without enabling, …
Calm isn’t just a mood—it’s the baseline your body must return to if you want to break free from the cycle of drinking. When you’re stuck in overwhelm—overthinking, overworking, and over-giving—your …
Ever wonder why quitting alcohol feels like a full-on identity shift? It’s because sobriety isn’t just about abstaining—it’s about reclaiming the parts of you that got buried under performance, peopl…
What if nothing’s actually “wrong”—you’re just seeing it from an outdated perspective?
In this episode, you'll learn how to interrupt spirals of stress, resentment, or drinking urges without needing t…
Freedom from alcohol isn't found in white-knuckling or temporary breaks — it emerges when you stay engaged with the process of transformation.
In this episode, I share a powerful moment from a recent …
Ever wonder why “just have one” never actually works?
In this no-fluff episode, we unpack the deeper truth behind that tiny phrase—and why your body already knows alcohol doesn’t feel good anymore. If…
Ever wonder who you’d be without the wine?
In this personal and powerful episode, I reflect on how creating a sacred space for women—where we gather weekly over iced tea and flowers—revealed the essen…
Have you ever caught yourself pouring a glass of wine just because you were “bored”? Let’s talk about what’s really going on underneath that go-to excuse — and why it matters so much to your feminine…
Women are wired to handle a lot. It’s our superpower—but it can also be our kryptonite. The mental load we carry—anticipating needs, managing tasks, and caring for everyone around us—can easily becom…
Are you wondering why alcohol doesn't work for you the way it used to?
Your body might be signaling a profound transformation – perimenopause. As a holistic alcohol coach working with women for over f…
✨ Are you avoiding life just to avoid alcohol? In this episode, I share why that strategy will never work—and how to start optimizing the energy you’re already spending so your efforts don’t go to wa…
Hey beautiful listener 💋
This week’s challenge? Throw a better party. Not for your friends—for your life. We’re not talking balloons and cake (unless you want that)—we’re talking energy. Mood. Vibe. F…
You don’t have to quit drinking to start changing your relationship with alcohol. In this episode, I share why the process might already be working in your favor—even if it doesn’t look like it yet. …
Your craving for alcohol isn’t about the drink — it’s about what you think the drink will give you. Connection. Joy. Freedom.
Over time, your brain has fused alcohol with emotional relief, narrowing y…
If you’ve ever thought, “Is this as good as it gets?” or “I don’t want to keep doing this,” this episode is for you.
I invite you to consider a radical new idea: What if your rock bottom doesn’t have …
One of the most surprising and empowering truths in the alcohol-free journey:
The best time to change your relationship with alcohol is when you’re already feeling good.
If that sounds counterintuitive…
I’m sharing about what it actually takes to make a lasting shift in your relationship with alcohol—and why “feeling good” can often be the very thing that triggers a return to old habits.
We explore:
It’s been six years since I took my last sip of alcohol—and not only do I not miss it, I truly don’t want it. In this soul-deep episode, I’m reflecting on what made lasting change possible for me (sp…
There is no greater honor than reconnecting with a client years after we’ve worked together and seeing her thriving—more empowered, more present, and more alive than ever before.
In this episode, I si…
Let’s talk about something so many high-achieving women struggle with: relaxation resistance. That underlying belief that if you relax, everything will fall apart. That if you slow down, you're lazy.…