The Wine O'Clock Woman

Rebecca Thomson | The Wine O'clock Woman

The Wine O’Clock Woman New episodes every Wednesday Monthly guest conversations This is a podcast for women who are drinking more than they'd like, but are unsure about going sober forever.  It names the pressure, the mental load, the constant responsibility, and the quiet ways women keep going while losing who they are. I’m Rebecca Thomson, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist, former teacher, and mother. I support women to step back from alcohol long enough to break the pattern and decide whether it has a place in their lives at all. Alongside solo episodes, I host conversations with women who have changed their relationship with alcohol, and with specialists who speak to the realities behind it, menopause, motherhood, anxiety, grief, neurodiversity, social pressure, and high pressure careers. Drinking isn’t the problem. It’s the signal. This podcast is about understanding our relationship with alcohol better, and naming what is really going on underneath Wine O'Clock. 

  1. Jul 22

    Episode 51 | I Don't Think My Drinking Is Bad Enough

    Have you ever caught yourself thinking... "My drinking isn't bad enough to ask for help." You're not alone. In this episode, I'm talking about one of the biggest reasons women stay stuck for years—the belief that you have to hit rock bottom before you're "allowed" to change. We'll explore why alcohol isn't the real problem, why willpower keeps letting you down, and why understanding your relationship with alcohol is the first step towards lasting change. If you're tired of the mental battle, constantly negotiating with yourself, and wondering if life could feel different, this episode is for you. The Homecoming group programme begins on 1st September. If you're ready to stop fighting yourself, book a conversation with me. We'll explore where you are now, what's been keeping you stuck, and whether Homecoming is right for you.  You'll find all the booking details in the show notes. The goal isn't simply to drink less. The goal is to need alcohol less. If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each month I run a FREE live Zoom workshop for women who are beginning to recognise the emotional patterns, people-pleasing, overthinking, exhaustion and self-abandonment that may be keeping them stuck. Inside the workshop, I talk about the “cycle” many women unknowingly live in, and how to start recognising the patterns that keep you emotionally exhausted, disconnected and running on autopilot. Save your place for the next workshop here: If you’d like to explore your own patterns more deeply, you can also book a free 30-minute conversation with me.  Book your complimentary conversation here: Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological or therapeutic advice.

  2. Jul 11

    Episode 49 | Guest Conversation: Retirement - You're Not Done Yet! with Jo Hands

    Retirement is something most of us plan for financially, but very few of us prepare for emotionally. In this conversation, Jo Hands and I explore what happens when the career you've worked so hard to build comes to an end, and why so many women find themselves asking, "What now?" We talk about identity, purpose and ambition in the next chapter of life, and why retirement doesn't have to mean slowing down. In many ways, it can be the beginning of something entirely new. Jo also shares her own story of stopping drinking, the surprising health changes she experienced, and why so many of the symptoms she thought were menopause disappeared once alcohol was no longer part of her life. This is a conversation about possibility. If retirement is on the horizon, or you're already there and wondering what comes next, I hope it leaves you feeling excited about the years ahead. More about Jo: Jo Hands is a life transitions coach and founder of RE:Life Rewire. She helps people navigate the identity shifts that often come with midlife, particularly when a defining professional role is ending, changing or being questioned. Her work focuses on helping people design what comes next with purpose, clarity and confidence. 🎁 Get Jo's FREE Odyssey Planner – a simple 20-minute guide to help you think about what you want from the next chapter of your life. Find Jo on Instagram here: If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each month I run a FREE live Zoom workshop for women who are beginning to recognise the emotional patterns, people-pleasing, overthinking, exhaustion and self-abandonment that may be keeping them stuck. Inside the workshop, I talk about the “cycle” many women unknowingly live in, and how to start recognising the patterns that keep you emotionally exhausted, disconnected and running on autopilot. Save your place for the next workshop here: If you’d like to explore your own patterns more deeply, you can also book a free 30-minute conversation with me.  Book your complimentary conversation here: Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological or therapeutic advice.

    Episode 49 | Guest Conversation: Retirement - You're Not Done Yet! with Jo Hands
  3. Jul 8

    Episode 48 | Why do I keep going back to drinking?

    If you've stopped drinking before... only to find yourself back where you started a few days or weeks later, this episode is for you. Most women think going back means they've failed. I don't. The truth is, if you take alcohol away without understanding why it became important in the first place, you'll almost always end up back there. The pressure still builds. The stress is still there. The habit still has a job to do. Until you replace what alcohol has been doing for you, your brain will keep offering it as the answer. In this episode, I'll explain why going back to drinking isn't a sign that you lack willpower. It's a sign that you've been trying to change the behaviour without understanding what's driving it. Once you understand that, everything starts to make a lot more sense. If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each month I run a FREE live Zoom workshop for women who are beginning to recognise the emotional patterns, people-pleasing, overthinking, exhaustion and self-abandonment that may be keeping them stuck. Inside the workshop, I talk about the “cycle” many women unknowingly live in, and how to start recognising the patterns that keep you emotionally exhausted, disconnected and running on autopilot. Save your place for the next workshop here: If you’d like to explore your own patterns more deeply, you can also book a free 30-minute conversation with me.  Book your complimentary conversation here: Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological or therapeutic advice.

  4. Jun 27

    Episode 46 | Guest Conversation: The Day I Knew I Had to Stop Drinking with Gilly Baker

    What happens when you finally stop negotiating with yourself? In this episode, Gilly Baker shares the moment she knew she had to stop drinking, what finally helped her make lasting change, and how her life has transformed since. We talk about the anxiety, the constant mental battle around alcohol, and the unexpected benefits of living alcohol-free, including rebuilding her marriage, rediscovering herself, and even sober sex. If you've ever wondered whether life without alcohol could really be better, this conversation will leave you feeling hopeful. About Gilly Baker: Gilly Baker is an Alcohol Free and Positive Psychology Coach who helps women transform their relationship with alcohol make meaningful changes and create a life they love waking up to. After choosing an alcohol free life over two years ago, she now blends mindset work, compassionate accountability and real life tools to support women who want to step into a life women who want to step into a life that feels aligned, energising and fully their own. Drawing on her own lived experience and her work within AF communities, she creates safe, shame free spaces where women can explore what they truly want for themselves and step into lasting change. When she’s not coaching, Gilly can usually be found at a line dancing class, travelling for fun or enjoying family life with her husband and adult kids. Connect with Gilly: Find Gilly on Instagram Visit Gilly's website If this episode resonated with you, it may be a sign that you’ve been carrying more than you realise. Each month I run a FREE live Zoom workshop for women who are beginning to recognise the emotional patterns, people-pleasing, overthinking, exhaustion and self-abandonment that may be keeping them stuck. Inside the workshop, I talk about the “cycle” many women unknowingly live in, and how to start recognising the patterns that keep you emotionally exhausted, disconnected and running on autopilot. Save your place for the next workshop here: If you’d like to explore your own patterns more deeply, you can also book a free 30-minute conversation with me.  Book your complimentary conversation here: Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological or therapeutic advice.

    Episode 46 | Guest Conversation: The Day I Knew I Had to Stop Drinking with Gilly Baker

About

The Wine O’Clock Woman New episodes every Wednesday Monthly guest conversations This is a podcast for women who are drinking more than they'd like, but are unsure about going sober forever.  It names the pressure, the mental load, the constant responsibility, and the quiet ways women keep going while losing who they are. I’m Rebecca Thomson, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist, former teacher, and mother. I support women to step back from alcohol long enough to break the pattern and decide whether it has a place in their lives at all. Alongside solo episodes, I host conversations with women who have changed their relationship with alcohol, and with specialists who speak to the realities behind it, menopause, motherhood, anxiety, grief, neurodiversity, social pressure, and high pressure careers. Drinking isn’t the problem. It’s the signal. This podcast is about understanding our relationship with alcohol better, and naming what is really going on underneath Wine O'Clock.