Let’s Talk Nervous Systems – with Sarah RusbatchLet’s Talk Nervous Systems – with Sarah Rusbatch
Sober Awkward
How just a few small changes can help....
53:10•5 Apr 2026
Stressy Sober Meerkats: Vic and Sarah Talk Nervous Systems and Life After Booze
Episode Overview
- Alcohol often keeps the body in a stressed, dysregulated state, even though it feels calming for about 20 minutes.
- Many women spend years bouncing between chronic fight‑or‑flight and collapse, mistaking it for hangovers or mystery illnesses.
- Simple tools like slow walks, crosswords, jigsaws, breathwork and short guided rests can gently bring the nervous system towards a calmer "middle" setting.
- Removing alcohol is only part of the work; learning to care for the nervous system is crucial for feeling genuinely better in sobriety.
- Tiny daily changes – such as delaying phone use, conscious breathing and brief moments of stillness – can quickly shift how grounded and content someone feels.
“"The goal is not to never struggle. The goal is to struggle well."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when their bodies still feel stuck on high alert? Sober Awkward tackles that head‑on as Vic sits down with sobriety coach and nervous system nerd, Sarah Rusbatch, for a funny, sweary and surprisingly practical chat about stress, booze and midlife overwhelm.
Aimed squarely at sober‑curious women, grey‑area drinkers and anyone in midlife who feels constantly wired, this conversation breaks down what the nervous system actually does and why so many ex‑drinkers suddenly feel like "a slightly sweaty meerkat holding a glass of wine" once alcohol is gone.
Sarah explains how she spent years swinging between manic overdrive and total collapse, saying, "I basically spent my life going between a five and a one where I was go, go, go, go, go and used alcohol to switch off." Together they unpack hangxiety, chronic fight‑or‑flight, and why phones, kids, work and hormones can leave women feeling like they're permanently at capacity.
Vic openly admits she’s ticking every symptom on Sarah’s list and jokes about wanting to move house just to escape the chaos, giving the chat a very real, "me too" feel for anyone who’s ever felt the same. Rather than big, impossible routines, Sarah shares tiny, doable ideas: slow walks with no headphones, crosswords instead of doom‑scrolling, jigsaw puzzles for "effort‑based dopamine", simple breathwork and short guided rest sessions.
Vic actually tries them, reports back the next day and notices her shoulders have dropped from her ears – proof that small shifts can help even the most frazzled sober mum. Light, rude and relatable, this episode blends science, swear words and self‑compassion in a way that makes nervous system regulation feel less like homework and more like a series of small kindnesses to yourself.
If your sobriety is solid but your stress levels are sky‑high, this chat might get you wondering: what would 70% contentment look like for you?
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