Sobriety, Sunsets and System Regulation with Kristin Horstman

Sobriety, Sunsets and System Regulation with Kristin Horstman

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Recovery Rocks brings in Kristin Horstman, host of *Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour*, for a conversation that blends neuroscience, nervous system care and alcohol-free living in a refreshingly down‑to‑earth way. Lisa chats with Kristin about how learning "about the brain and the nervous system" completely changed her relationship with alcohol.

After years of intense cravings and repeated slips, Kristin describes the turning point: reading Annie Grace, working with coach Jolene Park, and realising she needed what Jolene calls "the missing physiological pieces to heal the craving brain". From there, things started to shift from white‑knuckling to genuine change. You’ll hear how simple daily practices—like Jolene’s exercise of "noticing" what’s happening in the body—became Kristin’s new superpowers.

Instead of reacting or reaching for a drink, she learned to spot jaw‑clenching, a tight stomach or rising heat and then use somatic tools like walking, music and being outdoors to calm her system. She explains how this repetition literally builds new neural pathways so "reaching for those walks becomes the automatic thing instead of reaching for alcohol".

Kristin and Lisa also break down grounding tricks you can use anywhere, including the deceptively simple "Where are your feet?" question that interrupts catastrophising and brings you back to safety in the present moment. And then there are the sunsets.

Kristin shares how swapping bars for sky‑watching led her to say, "I’m not going to the bar anymore from four to seven, I’m literally chasing sunsets." That ritual, plus the idea of daily "glimmers"—tiny moments of joy through the senses—shows how sober life can feel colourful rather than deprived.

If you’re curious about gray area drinking, nervous system regulation or just want new tools to handle cravings and stress, this chat might nudge you to ask: what’s your new happy hour going to look like?