To Drink or Not to Drink with Karolina Rzadkowolska

“You have to be pretty courageous to be alcohol free in this society.”–Karolina RzadkowolskaIf we can be gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free … Why can’t we be alcohol free? I’m talking with Karolina Rzadkowolska, a certified alcohol-free life coach about going alcohol free. You don’t have to have a problem with alcohol to reconsider how it affects your life. Even small amounts can affect energy, sleep, and overall how we feel.It can be hard to not drink. Karolina says she thought that “normal adults drink.” She worried about having to explain to people why she wasn’t drinking. But when she took an extended break from drinking, she fell in love with how she slept every day, how she felt in the morning, the sense of integrity and pride she felt for herself.Taking a break can show you how alcohol is affecting you (even if you didn’t realize it) and what you are really missing in your life. Going alcohol free opens all these doors in our brain and it also changes our identity. Sounds like something to experiment with right?We talk about: Looking at is as an experiment and using Dry January as one way to try out life without alcoholDebunking the myth that alcohol relaxes you and finding new rituals to relaxIdentifying why you like to drink and shifting your mindsetFinding joy after feeling the uncomfortable negative feelings you feel after you stop numbing with alcoholThe mind, body, and soul changes that happen when you stop drinkingGetting past the idea of a drinking problem and focusing on not drinking for wellnessBIOKarolina Rzadkowolska is a certified alcohol-free life coach who helps intuitive women ditch alcohol and discover their greater purpose. She’s worked with thousands of clients through her online courses and coaching to change their drinking habit and unleash a new level of health, happiness, and potential to go after their biggest dreams. Her book Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You (HarperCollins) came out on bookshelves on January 4th. She’s the host of Euphoric the Podcast, founder of Euphoric AF, and her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Sunday Post, Popsugar, Real Simple, Elite Daily and multiple TV shows. Karolina’s passionate about helping you discover what really makes you happy outside of a beverage and design a life you love. She would love to hear from you at www.euphoricaf.com.LINKSBook and Free Gift: Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident Youwww.euphoricbook.com/giftwww.euphoricaf.comwww.instagram.com/euphoric.afDoable Changes from this episode:EXAMINE WHY YOU DRINK. Make a list of reasons you drink. Then really look at each one through a new lens. Is drinking really doing what you think it is for you? That might mean learning more about how alcohol affects your brain and body, or it might mean questioning beliefs, such as alcohol makes me more confident.CREATE A NEW RELAXATION RITUAL. If you use alcohol to relax, create a new ritual for yourself. It could simply be replacing an alcoholic beverage with a non-alcoholic version, but it could be something completely different. You could sit and have a cup of tea before dinner or light a candle and take three breaths or close the door and have a quiet moment before starting dinner.EXPERIMENT AND NOTICE. Try a Dry month. If that feels like too much, start with a week. Notice how you feel when you wake up in the morning. Notice how you sleep. Notice your energy levels during the day. You may also notice when you want a drink during the day … What's going on? What do you really want? Get curious.