Dopamine & Anticipation: How to Swap Craving for Excitement and Rewire Your Brain With Coach Matt

Why does drinking feel like "the good old days" even when the reality was painful? Coach Matt dives into the neuroscience of romanticization and the Fading Effect Bias, your brain's trick of favoring euphoric memories while minimizing negative consequences . Learn why high-achieving drinkers are prone to "Rosy Retrospection" and how to break collapsed distinctions that couple alcohol with holidays, sports, or stress relief . This episode provides powerful tools like "Scene Two" visualization to help you combat nostalgia and see the "attractively packaged poison" for what it truly is .   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Think your brain is protected from everything you ingest? Coach Matt reveals the truth about the blood-brain barrier, your brain's fortress that alcohol easily infiltrates because it is fat-soluble . Discover how chronic drinking weakens this barrier, leading to inflammation and that persistent "brain fog" .  This episode provides a hopeful recovery roadmap, explaining how the barrier begins to repair itself in just 90 days, with full restoration possible within two years . Learn the four lifestyle pillars, nutrition, exercise, hydration, and rest, that act as the repair crew to rebuild your brain's security system and reclaim your mental clarity .   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Is stress always the enemy? Not according to Coach Matt. Discover the upside of stress by understanding the difference between overwhelming distress and motivating eustress. Learn how eustress stimulates BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) to support memory and adaptability while activating your Prefrontal Cortex for better decision-making. This episode reveals five practical ways to harness "good stress", from cold plunges and fitness challenges to public commitments, to sharpen your cognitive function, build resilience, and fuel a high-performance alcohol-free life.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Why did drinking feel so motivating? The answer lies in anticipation. Coach Matt explains the neuroscience: Dopamine peaks when a reward is anticipated, not when you take the first sip. This episode reveals how alcohol spikes dopamine up to 4X your normal level, leading to a huge deficit and the "hamster wheel" of drinking. Learn how to consciously cultivate the anticipation of healthier rewards (hobbies, connection, goals) to effectively reprogram your brain, boost your emotional regulation, and move past white-knuckling into effortless freedom.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Think alcohol helped you be your "authentic self"? Head Coach Matt reveals the truth: Alcohol use disorder actively disrupts the brain circuits (like the Insula and Prefrontal Cortex) necessary for genuine self-expression. Learn why authenticity is defined as the alignment of your values, beliefs, and actions, and how living out of alignment leads to painful cognitive dissonance. This episode provides probing questions to help you clarify your core values and shows how finding supportive community builds the self-trust needed to live authentically and confidently.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Think you're doing it all alone? You're missing the Mentorship Multiplier. Coaches Jason and Matt discuss how to stop being a passive observer and start actively seeking guidance. Learn how their own growth accelerated when they sought indirect mentors (authors like Brene Brown, podcasters) and then found direct coaches to unlock their potential. This episode is about recognizing that your transformation is an evolution, you must abandon the fixed mindset about your worth, embrace being coachable, and let trusted guides accelerate you to the best version of yourself.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Are you stuck in the "all-or-nothing" cycle? Coach Matt reveals Kaizen (continuous improvement), the Japanese philosophy that replaces destructive perfectionism with sustainable growth. Learn the neuroscience behind atomic habits and why aiming for the minimum effective dose (like 1% or 10 minutes of effort a day) is far more effective than trying to overhaul your life all at once. Discover the core principles, including elimination of triggers and community support, that keep dopamine flowing and help you maintain momentum effortlessly.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Think 30 days is enough to quit drinking? That's the 30-Day Myth. Head Coach Victoria English reveals the truth about your brain's recovery timeline and explains why most people quit too soon. Learn exactly what changes happen at each milestone: 30 Days: A physical reset, but your reward pathways are still healing. 30-60 Days: The messy middle, where neuroplasticity is active but mental clarity is inconsistent. 90 Days: The psychological breakthrough, dopamine stabilizes, emotional regulation begins, and your identity shifts. Stop waiting for January 1st and start your real transformation now to enter the New Year resolved.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

The physical hangover is easy to manage, but the emotional hangover is the invisible thief of joy that keeps high achievers trapped in the drinking cycle . Head Coach Victoria English breaks down the neurochemistry: your anxiety, shame, and irritability are not personal weakness, but a predictable biochemical phenomenon . Learn about dopamine debt, the glutamate rebound, and the cortisol surge that leaves you depleted for days . The greatest holiday gift you can give yourself is emotional stability.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

The holidays are a perfect storm where your ego whispers the six most famous last words of every drinker: "I can handle it." Head Coach Victoria English explains the Illusion of Control Bias, the competence that makes you successful also makes you dangerously underestimate alcohol. Learn how holiday stress raises cortisol by 20-25% , amplifying the need to "handle" everything. The key shift is trading the egoic question ("Can I handle it?") for the truthful one: "What does it cost me?" Choose clarity and peace this holiday season .   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear