Episode 255: How EFT Tapping Helps Calm Cravings, Beat FOMO, and Build Real Confidence
with Sophia Graniela

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“Alcohol was my coping mechanism, my identity, and my entire social life.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What EFT tapping is and how it works for cravings and anxiety
• How daily tapping routines can reduce urges and ease FOMO
• Why the moderation cycle stalls real change
• Regulating the nervous system to build absolute, lasting confidence
• Practical tools for airports, dinners, and social events
• How to replace “liquid courage” with self-trust

This episode is for anyone ready to stop bargaining with alcohol and start building a life rooted in calm, clarity, and self-trust.

Skip the reading & watch the YouTube video instead:

How Sobriety Rebuilds Your Identity and Regulates Your Nervous System

For a long time, I thought my relationship with alcohol was something I needed to figure out. I tried moderation. I tried rules. I tried negotiating with myself. What I didn’t realize was that all of that effort was keeping me stuck.

Moderation is just another form of control. And control is the very thing alcohol always takes from you.

When I finally chose sobriety, it wasn’t because everything had fallen apart. It was because staying where I was felt scarier than facing the unknown. I knew I wanted more than just “not drinking.” I wanted a life I actually felt excited to wake up to.

That decision changed everything.

Why Moderation Often Keeps Us Stuck

For so many women, moderation feels like the safer option. It sounds reasonable. It sounds responsible. But for me, moderation meant constantly thinking about alcohol. When I could drink. How much I could drink. Whether I was doing it “right.”

It was exhausting.

Negotiating with alcohol didn’t give me freedom. It kept alcohol at the center of my life. And when something requires that much mental energy, it’s worth asking who’s really in control.

Once I stopped trying to manage alcohol, I finally created space to manage my life.

When Alcohol Becomes Part of Your Identity

One of the hardest parts of getting sober had nothing to do with cravings. It had everything to do with identity.

Alcohol wasn’t just something I did. It was who I was. The fun one. The social one. The one who could handle anything. Drinking had become my coping mechanism, my confidence, and my social glue.

I remember thinking, If I’m not the party girl, who am I?

That question stopped me for a long time. Because when alcohol is tied to your identity, letting it go feels like losing yourself. In reality, sobriety is where you finally get to meet yourself.

The Grief No One Talks About in Sobriety

Sobriety isn’t all clarity and gratitude right away. There’s grief too. Grief for the version of yourself that alcohol helped you be. Grief for old routines, friendships, and environments that no longer fit.

I had to grieve the person I thought I needed to be to belong.

This part of sobriety doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re doing something brave. You’re allowing yourself to evolve, and evolution always comes with discomfort.

Nervous System Healing in Early Sobriety

Alcohol was my go-to way to regulate stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. When I removed it, my nervous system didn’t magically calm down. In fact, it felt louder.

Early sobriety can feel raw. Emotions hit harder. Triggers feel sharper. That’s not weakness. That’s your body relearning how to self-regulate without numbing.

This is why tools that support the nervous system are essential. Sobriety isn’t just about removing alcohol. It’s about learning how to sit with feelings safely and build resilience from the inside out.

Using EFT Tapping as a Sobriety Tool

One tool that supported me deeply was EFT tapping. It helped interrupt emotional spirals, regulate stress, and move through cravings without white-knuckling.

Tapping gave my body something it had been missing: regulation without avoidance.

Sobriety doesn’t mean you never feel anxious or triggered. It means you have tools to meet those moments without escaping them.

Rebuilding Confidence Without Alcohol

I used to believe alcohol gave me confidence. What it actually gave me was permission to ignore myself.

Sobriety taught me real confidence. The kind that comes from self-trust. From showing up as you are. From knowing you can handle discomfort and still be okay.

Social situations felt awkward at first. Travel felt different. But over time, I realized something powerful. Waking up with clarity, energy, and presence became more addictive than partying ever was.

Sobriety and Presence: Living Fully Awake

One of the biggest gifts of sobriety is presence. I wasn’t living fully before. Even while traveling the world, I was on autopilot.

Sobriety brought me back into my body. Into my relationships. Into my life.

I remember moments where I realized alcohol was no longer the center of my decisions. And when that happened, the world opened up in ways I didn’t expect.

Creating a Life You Don’t Want to Escape From

Sobriety isn’t about restriction. It’s about alignment.

When you start choosing yourself, your values become clearer. Your boundaries strengthen. Your life begins to reflect who you actually are, not who you thought you needed to be.

This is why I created The Sobriety Circle. Because doing this alone makes it harder than it needs to be. Support matters. Community matters. And learning how to live sober, not just be sober, changes everything.

Final Thoughts

Choosing sobriety doesn’t mean your problems disappear. It means you finally have the capacity to face them.

It means rebuilding your identity with intention. Regulating your nervous system with care. And creating a life that feels expansive, grounded, and fully yours.

If you’ve been asking yourself whether alcohol is holding you back, that question deserves your attention. You don’t need a label. You don’t need rock bottom. You just need a desire for something more.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

Thank you for listening!

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