Episodes

  • #6: How the Alcohol Industry Got Us Hooked Before We Even Noticed

    #6: How the Alcohol Industry Got Us Hooked Before We Even Noticed
    Jun 24 2026
    Your relationship with alcohol may not be something you chose. It may be something that was chosen for you through decades of targeted marketing, cultural saturation, and an industry that spent $7.7 billion in a single year making sure drinking felt like the most normal thing in the world. If you have ever wondered why questioning alcohol feels so uncomfortable, this episode explains exactly why.Kristin Horstman, certified gray area drinking coach, traces the deliberate path alcohol took from 13,000-year-old fermented grain water to mommy wine culture. She covers alcopop products designed to target young women, alcohol appearing in 47% of children's films, and why "drink responsibly" is a meaningless disclaimer. This episode is for anyone navigating gray area drinking, anxiety, burnout, or any habit quietly dimming their light and who is ready to stop relying on willpower and start healing through nervous system regulation.Chapters: (00:00) Introduction(01:34) How Drinking Gets Normalized Before College(03:01) Alcopops Targeting Young Women(04:57) The $7.7 Billion Ad Machine(07:58) Gen Z Is Breaking the Pattern(10:46) Making a Genuinely Informed Choice47% of kids' movies show alcohol. What moment made you first question why alcohol is everywhere? Comment below.If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅WORK WITH KRISTIN HORSTMAN1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching Private Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coachingFREE RESOURCESSubstack: https://substack.com/@kristinhorstmanBrighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8657856486536966 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resourcesCONNECT WITH KRISTIN HORSTMANPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com LISTEN TO SUNSETS ARE THE NEW HAPPY HOURSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7HL6A1o2USWQuJ2lRPoplkApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sunsets-are-the-new-happy-hour/id1896762635AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman Cured Nutrition: https://curednutrition.com/collections/all?referral_code=KRI2L0STFLoose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout)Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • #5: Melissa Nanavati: Lesson from 100+ Sober First Dates (What Love Looks Like Without Alcohol)

    #5: Melissa Nanavati: Lesson from 100+ Sober First Dates (What Love Looks Like Without Alcohol)
    Jun 17 2026
    Melissa Nanavati is a relationship coach for high performers, TEDx speaker, and creator of Peak Performance Love. After quitting drinking at 27 and going on over 100 sober first dates, she built a thriving marriage and now helps driven people close the energy leaks in their relationships. In this conversation with Kristin Horstman, Melissa breaks down the 90 second emotional regulation rule, how to activate dopamine and oxytocin without substances, why high performers struggle to ask for what they need, and how to have hard conversations from a regulated nervous system. If you have been quietly wondering whether sobriety means giving up your love life, dating life, or the spark in your relationship, this episode will change how you think about all of it.Chapters: (00:00) Introduction(03:19) The Dry Wedding That Changed Everything(07:13) Pain as the Driver of Real Change(11:42) Will Anyone Date Me If I Quit?(18:19) Sober Dating Strategies That Work(24:23) The Conversation Married Couples Never Have(30:44) The Amygdala Hijack and 90 Second Rule(39:12) Brainwave States and the Real Reason We Drink(45:38) Devices, Presence, and 15 Minutes of Connection(47:10) Where You Are Now Is Not ForeverIf you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. Subscribe for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅CONNECT WITH MELISSA NANAVATIInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissananavatiYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PeakPerformanceLoveAccess Melissa's tools for lasting relationships: https://www.melissananavati.com/toolsWORK WITH KRISTIN HORSTMAN1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coachingPrivate Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coachingFREE RESOURCESSubstack: ⁠https://substack.com/@kristinhorstman⁠Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8657856486536966 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resourcesCONNECT WITH KRISTIN HORSTMANPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman Cured Nutrition: https://curednutrition.com/collections/all?referral_code=KRI2L0STFLoose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout)Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • #4: Understanding Dr. Dan Siegel's Hand Model for Regulating Stress

    #4: Understanding Dr. Dan Siegel's Hand Model for Regulating Stress
    Jun 10 2026
    When stress hits, your prefrontal cortex goes offline and your emotional brain takes over. That is why you react before you can think, why you reach for a drink or your phone or food before you even realize what you are doing. It is not a willpower failure. It is neuroscience. And understanding it changes everything about how you approach habit change.Kristin Horstman, certified Gray Area Drinking Coach and host of Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour, walks you through Dan Siegel's hand model of the brain, a simple visual that maps exactly what happens in your nervous system under stress. She explains why the limbic system cannot process language, why "calm down" never works, and how somatic tools like breathing and grounding actually build the neural pathways that give you choice.This episode is for anyone navigating gray area drinking, anxiety, burnout, or any habit quietly dimming their light and who is ready to stop relying on willpower and start healing through nervous system regulation.Chapters: (00:00) Introduction(01:03) The Hand Model of the Brain(03:35) Flipping Your Lid(04:35) The Space Between Stimulus and Response(05:32) A Real Life Example of Catching It(07:00) Why Knowing Is Not Enough(08:32) How to Practice the ModelKristin calls it "flipping your lid." Have you ever caught yourself in this state? Comment below with what happened next.If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. Subscribe for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅WORK WITH KRISTIN• 1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching • Private Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coachingFREE RESOURCES• Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/865785648653696• 6 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life • Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resourcesCONNECT WITH KRISTIN• Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com • Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour • Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES • Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 • Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman • ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e • Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC • Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman • Loose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout)Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • #3: Gray Area Drinking Explained

    #3: Gray Area Drinking Explained
    Jun 3 2026
    If you drink more than you mean to but have never related to the word "alcoholic," you may be in the gray area, a wide spectrum between occasional drinking and rock bottom that most people have never heard named. Kristin Horstman, gray area drinking coach and host of Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour, breaks down what gray area drinking actually is using research from The Lancet, the 2010 American Dietary Guidelines, and the work of functional nutritionist Jolene Park.She explains how stigma and outdated labels block people from getting help, shares her own 20-year journey through the spectrum, and closes with a simple breath work tool for nervous system regulation that you can use immediately. This episode is for anyone navigating gray area drinking, anxiety, burnout, or any habit quietly dimming their light and who is ready to stop relying on willpower and start healing through nervous system regulation. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction(01:36) The Research Big Alcohol Buried(05:26) The Questions That Tell the Truth(08:09) The Spectrum Defined(09:44) Kristin's 20 Year Gray Area Story(12:45) Live Breathwork: The 2:4 RatioKristin says stigma keeps 90% of people from getting help. Has a label ever stopped you from asking for it? Comment below.If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. Subscribe for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅WORK WITH KRISTIN• 1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching • Private Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coachingFREE RESOURCES• Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/865785648653696• 6 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life • Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resourcesCONNECT WITH KRISTIN• Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com • Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour • Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES • Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 • Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman • ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e • Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC • Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman • Loose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout)Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • #2: Why Untreated ADHD Makes You 3-4X More Likely to Develop Addiction with Jheri South

    #2: Why Untreated ADHD Makes You 3-4X More Likely to Develop Addiction with Jheri South
    May 27 2026
    If you have ever felt like your emotional reactions are bigger than the situation warrants, or found yourself reaching for alcohol just to feel normal, you may not have a willpower problem. You may have an undiagnosed ADHD problem. The link between untreated ADHD, low dopamine, and gray area drinking is one of the most underrecognized patterns in the sober curious and alcohol-free community and it is especially missed in women.Jheri South is a Certified Master Coach, ADHD specialist, and mother of seven neurodivergent children who was diagnosed with ADHD at 40. In this episode, she and Kristen explore why ADHD brains are 3 to 4 times more likely to develop substance issues, the emotional devastation of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, why the medical community misses ADHD in women, and a practical emotional regulation scale you can use today. This one is for the sober curious woman who has tried willpower and still feels like something deeper is running the show.Chapters: (00:00) Introduction(05:27) You Are Not Your Wiring(15:01) Self Diagnosis and Broken Testing(24:08) What Neurodivergent Actually Means(33:35) Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Explained(43:06) The 1 to 10 Regulation Scale(53:02) Why Labels Like Disorder Keep You Stuck(56:31) Why Coaching Works for Neurodivergent BrainsThe 1 to 10 regulation scale changed everything for Jheri's clients. Where do you usually sit? Comment below.If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. Subscribe for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅WORK WITH KRISTIN• 1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching • Private Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coachingFREE RESOURCES• Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/865785648653696• 6 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life • Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resourcesCONNECT WITH KRISTIN• Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com • Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour • Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES • Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 • Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman • ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e • Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC • Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman • Loose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout)Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 3 mins
  • #1: Forget Willpower... This is How The Brain Actually Changes

    #1: Forget Willpower... This is How The Brain Actually Changes
    May 20 2026

    Have you ever tried to outthink a craving and lost? You are not broken and you do not lack willpower. Your cravings and automatic reactions do not respond to logic. They respond to what feels safe. Until you learn to speak that language through your body, you will keep fighting your own biology.



    Kristin Horstman, certified Gray Area Drinking Coach and host of Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour, breaks down neuroplasticity in plain language and teaches her three-step framework for rewiring cravings: notice the dysregulation, choose a somatic tool, and notice the shift. She walks through how neurons that fire together wire together, demonstrates a specific sensory tool called a calm strip, and explains why old pathways go dormant when new ones are consistently activated. This episode is for anyone navigating gray area drinking, anxiety, burnout, or any habit quietly dimming their light and who is ready to stop relying on willpower and start healing through nervous system regulation.



    Chapters:

    (00:00) Introduction

    (02:10) What Neuroplasticity Actually Is

    (05:52) The Bike Metaphor for Habit Change

    (08:10) Step One: Noticing

    (09:05) Step Two: Choosing a Nervous System Tool

    (11:46) Step Three: Notice the Shift

    (14:28) Practicing Neuroplasticity Together



    Kristin says noticing is a superpower. What is one thing your body does when a craving hits? Comment below.



    If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. Subscribe for new episodes every week.



    As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅



    WORK WITH KRISTIN

    • 1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: ⁠https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching⁠

    • Private Health Coaching: ⁠https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coaching⁠



    FREE RESOURCES

    • Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/865785648653696⁠

    • 6 Tips To Brighten Your Life: ⁠https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life ⁠

    • Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: ⁠https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resources⁠



    CONNECT WITH KRISTIN

    • Website: ⁠https://www.kristinhorstman.com ⁠

    • Podcast Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour ⁠

    • Personal Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman ⁠

    • Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman ⁠

    • LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280⁠



    AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES

    • Zero Proof Experiences: ⁠https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 ⁠

    • Bookshop.org storefront: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/⁠https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC ⁠kristinhorstman ⁠

    • ARMRA: ⁠https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?⁠referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e

    • Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: ⁠https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC ⁠

    • Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: ⁠https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman ⁠

    • Loose Leaf Tea Market: ⁠https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg_ref=nwruvHn7oD ⁠Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout)


    Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Welcome To Sunsets Are The New Happy Hour

    Welcome To Sunsets Are The New Happy Hour
    May 19 2026

    What if you could elevate your life instead of escaping it? Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour is hosted by Kristin Horstman, a gray area drinking and health coach who uses neuroscience to help women understand what alcohol is really doing to their health, their mood, and their light. Judgment-free tools, real answers, and a whole lot of hope. Your brightest life is waiting.
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins