Natalie chats with wellness coach (and former Baggage Reclaim student) Jolene Park about gray area drinking and understanding our relationship with alcohol.

How we consume and discuss alcohol has shifted dramatically over the last decade or so and more of us are reflecting on our relationship with alcohol but also sometimes unaware of how much the past - our emotional baggage - influences how and why we drink.

Learn about what gray area drinking is, why our relationship with alcohol, including how it affects us, doesn't fit neatly into the two buckets of 'those who can handle alcohol' and 'those who can't', and discover some first steps for reflecting on your own relationship with alcohol.

For more links and resources related to this episode, check out the shownotes.

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Natalie's joined by her brother Richard again for a follow-up episode to discuss how their upbringing created a habit of wondering if there's something about them that makes them 'not good enough' or causes people to mistreat them or bad things happen - and how they're making strides in healing that narrative and taking care of themselves.

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After twenty months, Natalie is delighted to be back! In this episode, she shares a bit about her journey to this point as well as what led to the decision to return, plus she shares her plans for the podcast going forward.

And yes, the title of this episode was inspired by Mark Morrison's iconic 'Return of the Mack'.

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Have you ever known that a loved one is holding back parts of themselves and essentially lying to you but they won't talk to you about it? Well, this is what happened with Natalie and her brother for over twenty years. In this episode, they sit down and share the story of what happened when he could finally be honest with her, the impact of generational trauma, and what happened when they accidentally discovered they'd both been lied to for over forty years about a crucial aspect of their childhood.

Note: there are a couple of 'naughty' words, just in case you're listening in the vicinity of little ears.

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In the final episode of the podcast, Natalie is joined by her husband Em where they chat, answer listener questions, and say goodbye to this show which has been such a huge part of her life.

The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want is out now. Purchase it from your favourite bookseller.

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Shownotes

Natalie shares some of the realisations she's made after making a big decision.

The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want

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In the final episode of 2022, Natalie shares a deleted chapter from her forthcoming book, The Joy of Saying No. She breaks down how, to escape the chains of the roles we play and trying to keep up with our and other people's often unrealistic expectations and projections, we might act out behind the scenes, go rogue on the version of ourselves that people have come to expect from us, lash out, or experience the toll of the chronic stress of our people-pleasing habit.

Pre-order The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want in audiobook, hardback, and ebook formats. https://www.baggagereclaim.co.uk/joy-of-saying-no-book/

Not sure what "pre-order" means and why it matters? Check out my handy video.

Natalie explains why our biggest imperative post-breakup isn't to be bosom buddies with our ex and how we don't need to force ourselves to be friends if we're not ready yet or we don't *want* to.