Intelligent Intoxication

How To Feel Better When You're Struggling As the Mom of Adult Kids

In the second stage of motherhood, many women struggle to just “feel better”. 
In this episode, we explore both top-down and bottom-up approaches to healing and wellbeing as the mom of adult children. 
You’ll learn:
What top-down work looks like (mindset, values, identity, belief-shifting)
What bottom-up support includes (therapy, medication, nervous system care, lifestyle shifts)
Why insight alone doesn’t always bring relief
Why needing support at this stage of life is not a failure—but a biological and emotional reality
How integrating both approaches can create stability, clarity, and renewed meaning
This conversation is for moms with adult children who feel unsettled, exhausted, or unsure of what’s next—and want to stop judging themselves for how they’re feeling.
The second stage of life isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about learning how to truly support yourself.
 
If you know you could use some help as you navigate a new identity as the mother of adult children, you can schedule a complimentary coaching call with me in January, 2026. Here’s the link:
Coaching Call with Terri
 
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory

How To Stop Anticipating Time With Your Adult Children

In this episode, we explore the subtle but powerful difference between anticipation and presence — and how it impacts your daily peace and joy as the mother of adult children in your second season of life. 
Anticipation pulls your mind into the future, imagining what hasn’t happened yet. While it can create excitement, it often keeps us in a state of waiting, overthinking, or low-grade anxiety.
Presence brings us back to the moment we’re in. It’s the practice of rooting ourselves where our body is, rather than living in a future we can’t control or a past we can’t change. Presence feels grounded, calm, and connected.
This episode invites you to notice where anticipation may be pulling you out of your life — and how gently returning to the present can restore a sense of ease and emotional steadiness.
I invite you to consider this question: 
Who might you be and what might you do if you didn’t wait for the text, call, or visit today?
If you know you could use some help as you navigate a new identity as the mother of adult children, you can schedule a complimentary coaching call with me in January, 2026. Here’s the link:
Coaching Call with Terri
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory

Gifts Your Adult Children Really Want - Part 2

On tonight’s episode, we’ll discuss 10 more “gifts” a mother can give her adult children that cost nothing but create emotional spaciousness, safety, and connection. These acts of emotional generosity will help your relationship grow, breathe, and thrive.
The Best Gifts a Mother Can Give Her Adult Children (That Money Can’t Buy)
11. A Soft Landing, Not a Sticky Trap
Offering warmth, humor, listening, and ease when you’re together — the kind of presence that makes them want to come back.
12. Flexibility Instead of Fragility
Being adaptable to schedules, changes, and realities — without pouting, withdrawing, or dramatizing.
13. Trust in Their Competence
Believing they can handle their lives. Letting them struggle, solve, grow, and get stronger without rushing in.
14. Acceptance of Their Pace
Not needing frequent contact to feel connected. Letting the relationship breathe without fear.
15. A Safe, Nonjudgmental Presence
A place where they can show up imperfectly without being evaluated, corrected, or advised.
16. Your Own Friendships and Community
So they don’t carry the weight of being your only source of belonging.
17. Emotional Congruence
Showing them someone who is living authentically — aligned, honest, humble, grounded.
18. Genuine Enjoyment
Letting your face light up when they walk into the room or call you — not with desperation, but with delight.
19. The Gift of Letting Go
Releasing the fantasy child, the fantasy relationship, the fantasy closeness — and loving the real adult in front of you.
20. Loving Them Without Needing to Manage Them
The simplest, hardest, and most beautiful gift: I love you exactly as you are, and my life is full even when you’re not with me.
If you know you could use some help as you navigate your connectioons to your adult children, you can schedule a complimentary coaching call with me in January, 2026. Here’s the link:
Coaching Call with Terri
 
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory
 

Gifts Your Adult Children Really Want

On tonight’s episode, we’ll discuss “gifts” a mother can give her adult children that cost nothing but create emotional spaciousness, safety, and connection. These acts of emotional generosity will help your relationship grow, breathe, and thrive.
The Best Gifts a Mother Can Give Her Adult Children (That Money Can’t Buy)
1. A Life You Love and Live Fully
A purposeful, engaged, meaningful life so they never feel responsible for your happiness.A parallel life, not a dependent one.
2. Emotional Lightness
Letting go of chronic complaining, negativity, or emotional heaviness so time with you feels nourishing, not draining.
3. Interesting Energy
Bringing new ideas, stories, perspectives, hobbies, or adventures to the table — not disguised advice, not commentary on their choices, but genuine aliveness.
4. Non-Needy Connection
Not depending on them as your primary social, emotional, or practical support system. Knowing they are not your “everyday people.”
5. Celebration of Their Independent Life
Being truly happy when they make plans with friends, partners, coworkers, or communities — without taking it personally.
6. Respect for Their Autonomy
Honoring the life they’re building, the choices they’re making, and the people they love. Cheering for them from the sidelines, not trying to run onto the field.
7. Mature Communication
Texts that are warm and simple. Phone calls that don’t become marathons. Conversations that feel like choice, not obligation.
8. Emotional Self-Regulation
Managing your own anxiety, triggers, expectations, and disappointments so they never feel like they have to soothe or stabilize you.
9. Boundaries That Feel Like Love
Letting them come and go without guilt, emotional punishment, or subtle manipulation. Showing that your love isn’t measured by access.
10. Curiosity Without Control
Asking about their life from a place of curiosity, not wanting influence.Letting them tell their own story without over-responding.
If you know you could use some help as you navigate your connectioons to your adult children, you can schedule a complimentary coaching call with me in January, 2026. Here’s the link:
Coaching Call with Terri
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory
 

The Challenges of Adult Children Returning Home For the Holidays

As the mother of adult children, it’s normal to experience challenges when they return for the holidays. Your new routines may be disrupted, your old roles may resurface, and both parents and children have expectations for the time spent together.
Here are a few questions for your consideration:
What are your expectations for the holiday season? 
What are your adult children’s expectations?
What roles will you feel compelled to step back into?
How can you honor your adult children’s desire for freedom and independence?
What are your 1-3 priorities for your time together?
If you know you could use some help as you navigate your connections to your adult children, email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:.
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory

Navigating Depression and Anxiety As A Mother of Adult Children

As the mother of adult children, it’s normal to feel occasional sadness and worry. But when sadness becomes depression, and worry is a symptom of anxiety, it’s time to consider getting help. 
This episode helps you understand the difference between normal transitional feelings and signs that you may need additional support from a therapist or doctor.
Key Takeaways:
The empty nest is often described as a loss that comes without a funeral. There’s no ceremony, no community ritual, no structured grief process. Suddenly:
Your identity shifts
Your routine changes
Your purpose feels blurry
Your home feels different
And long-buried emotions have space to surface
A certain amount of sadness, nostalgia, and disorientation is part of the process. But depression is when those emotional dips become your emotional baseline.
You may be dealing with transitional sadness if you…
Have occasional tearfulness
Feel tender or nostalgic
Miss your old routines
Have lower motivation for a few days
Feel sad but still have moments of connection, laughter, or hope
You may be dealing with depression if you…
Wake up feeling hopeless more days than not
Notice a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
Feel chronically tired or numb
Struggle to get basic tasks done
Experience changes in sleep or appetite
Feel like life has lost its color or meaning
If you’ve been feeling this way for two or more weeks—and it interferes with daily functioning—it’s time to reach out.
You may be dealing with normal anxiety if you…
Worry about your kids but can redirect yourself
Feel restless or overthink occasionally
Have days of feeling “off” but can still function
You may be dealing with anxiety that needs support if you…
Have constant rumination you can't shut off
Feel physically activated (tight chest, racing heart)
Catastrophize or spiral into worst-case scenarios
Avoid certain situations because of worry
Feel like your fear is running the show
Persistent anxiety is not a personality flaw—it’s a physiological and cognitive loop that often responds beautifully to therapy and, in some cases, medication.
Consider therapy or speaking with a doctor if:
Your symptoms have lasted 2+ weeks consistently
You’re not functioning like you normally do
You’re withdrawing socially
You’re having intrusive thoughts you can’t control
You feel like you’re “losing yourself” or emotionally drowning
Your anxiety feels constant, physical, or uncontrollable
Your world starts shrinking because you’re trying to manage your feelings
You’re using alcohol, food, or avoidance to cope
Better Help Counseling
If you know you could use some, email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:.
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory

How To Experience a Happy Empty Nest

So many women in the empty-nest season find themselves waiting to feel “ready,” “clear,” or “purposeful” before they allow themselves to feel happy. 
In today’s episode, we explore a powerful reframe inspired by this Dan Sullivan quote from his best-selling book,  The Gap and the Gain:
“Happiness is not something you pursue. Happiness is not somewhere in the future. Happiness is where you start, not where you finish.”
If you’ve been telling yourself that you have to “earn” happiness as an empty-nester,  this episode will show you how to use joy and appreciation as the fuel you need to strengthen your happiness muscle. 
Key Takeaways
 
Happiness isn’t found at the finish line - it’s where we start. 
Happiness is not a reward - happiness is meant to fuel you as you create the life you desire. 
Happiness isn’t a milestone - it’s a muscle we must strengthen daily by being present. 
When you ground yourself in the present moment and notice and feel joy and appreciation, you are starting with happiness. 
When you’re unsure what’s next, follow what feels alive. Joy is often your soul’s internal GPS.
You don’t have to wait for happiness to arrive. You are the source of it.
Everything you build from this starting point becomes more aligned, authentic, and deeply you.
Questions for Your Consideration:
“What would make today feel good?”
“What might feel joyful?”
“What am I intentionally willing to appreciate today?”
“What might make me happy today?”
If you know you could use some support as you buld the happiness muscle in the empty nest stage, email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:.
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory
 

Embracing a "Gain Mindset" As An Empty-Nester

Episode Summary
Do you ever look around your quiet home and wonder, “What now?”Your kids are thriving, but you feel… stuck. It’s easy to measure your life by what’s missing — the noise, the busyness, the clear sense of purpose you once had.
In this episode, we explore a powerful concept from Dan Sullivan’s book The Gap and the Gain - the idea that fulfillment comes from how far you’ve come, not how far you still have to go. When you shift from living in the gap (what’s missing) to the gain (what’s grown), you begin to see yourself — and your life — in a whole new light.
If you’re a former stay-at-home mom navigating the empty nest stage and craving a renewed sense of joy, purpose, and self-expression, this episode will help you find fulfillment not by doing more, but by seeing more of what’s already here.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
What it means to live in “the gap” — and why it drains your confidence and joy
How to recognize and celebrate “the gains” you’ve already made through motherhood
Simple mindset shifts to measure progress by growth, not by goals
Episode Highlights
1️. Understanding “The Gap” When we measure ourselves against an ideal version of who we think we should be, we always come up short. The “gap” keeps us focused on lack — on what’s not done, not perfect, not yet discovered.
2️. Shifting into “The Gain” The “gain” is what happens when you measure yourself against where you started. It’s the recognition that you’ve already grown — in wisdom, strength, compassion, and creativity — through the years of raising your family and building a home.
3️. Living from the Gain From this new perspective, you start to see daily life differently. Instead of saying, “I’m behind on finding my purpose,” you might say, “I’m already rediscovering what lights me up.” You begin to notice how much beauty and growth already exists within you — and how it can shape what’s next.
Reflective Journal Prompts
What qualities have I developed through motherhood that I’m proud of?
How have I grown in the past 10 or 20 years?
What do I now know about myself that I didn’t before?
What are three “gains” I can celebrate today?
Quotes From The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan:
“The way to measure your progress is backward against where you started, not against your ideal.”
 
“Being in the GAIN means you measure yourself backward, against where you were before. You measure your own progress. You don’t compare yourself to something external. You don’t measure yourself against your ideals.”
 
“If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack.”
 
“Your future growth and progress are now based in your understanding about the difference between the two ways in which you can measure yourself: against an ideal, which puts you in what I call ‘the GAP,’ and against your starting point, which puts you in ‘the GAIN,’ appreciating all that you’ve accomplished.”
Takeaway:
You don’t have to reinvent yourself overnight. You just have to notice how far you’ve already come.The empty nest isn’t an ending — it’s your invitation to come home to you again: wiser, deeper, and freer than ever.
If you know you could use some support as you navigate both apathy and regret in the empty nest , email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:.
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory

Boredom As An Empty-Nester

In this episode, we explore boredom — that restless, itchy feeling that something’s missing, even when life is calm. After years of being needed and scheduled, the quiet can feel both freeing and frustrating. Boredom isn’t a sign of failure — it’s a sign of readiness. Your soul is waking up and looking for new places to pour your energy and creativity.
Key Takeaways:
Boredom is restlessness without direction — it means you have energy again but nowhere meaningful to place it yet.
After years of structure and caretaking, your nervous system is adjusting to stillness.
The remedy isn’t more busyness — it’s curiosity. Ask yourself: “What lights me up now?”
Boredom can actually be a beautiful sign that you’ve rested enough to want more — it’s your inner spark flickering back on.
Give yourself permission to be in the in-between — not rushing to fill the space, but allowing inspiration to find you again.
Boredom is actually an invitation to explore the new and novel. 
Reflection Questions:
Where do I feel that flicker of curiosity or desire lately — even if it’s faint?
What in my life feels predictable or stale?
What feels dull or repetitive in my days right now?
If I could design a day that felt engaging or alive, what would it include?
Where am I secretly craving adventure or risk?
What might feel playful or just for fun?
Where am I desiring novelty, beauty, or creativity?
What am I longing to learn, try, or express in this next season?
What might delight me today?
Try This:
Shift your routine — change your scenery, your music, or the rhythm of your day.
Give yourself permission to play again — try something new without the pressure to be good at it or to be “productive”. 
Instead of asking, “What should I be doing?” ask, “What feels interesting or alive to me today?”
Engage your senses — cook something new, take a different route, listen to live music, visit an art gallery, or simply sit in nature.
Keep a “spark list” — jot down anything that stirs curiosity or delight, no matter how small.
Get curious about the type of play you enjoy:
Types of Play
If you know you could use some support as you navigate both apathy and regret in the empty nest , email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory

Apathy as an Empty Nester — When You Feel Flat and Depleted

In this episode, we unpack the quiet heaviness of apathy — that feeling of being flat, uninspired, or simply tired of caring. It’s not laziness or lack of motivation; it’s often your body and soul asking for rest. After decades of constant motion — raising kids, managing households, giving your all — apathy can surface when a major season ends. It’s the body’s way of saying, “I need to reset before I embrace the next season.”
Key Takeaways:
Apathy often follows intense seasons of output — like your child’s senior year, college prep, or the emotional labor of letting go.
It’s a signal that your energy reserves are low, not that something’s wrong with you.
Explore which of the seven types of rest you’re craving most:
Physical — Deep sleep, movement, relaxation
Mental — Stepping away from constant decision-making
Sensory — Reducing screen time, noise, and overstimulation
Emotional — Allowing yourself to feel instead of performing
Social — Spending time with people who replenish, not drain
Creative — Seeking beauty and inspiration
Spiritual — Reconnecting with meaning, purpose, or stillness
When you nourish the type of rest you’ve been missing, energy and clarity naturally return.
Remind yourself:
“Of course I’m not broken — I’m exhausted from the last season and in-between seasons right now.”
“It makes sense that I’m apathetic — I really need rest.”
You may even be thinking, “Why bother?” That’s your cue to pause and listen with compassion.
Reflection Questions:
What feels meaningless right now?
What used to light you up that’s feeling a little dim?
Where have you been overgiving or overpouring your energy?
Where have you been drained lately?
What allows you to feel just a bit more awake or alive?
Which form of rest have you been neglecting? What would one small act of restoration look like today?
Try This:
Detach from producing or outcomes and focus on what you’re feeling or experiencing.
Focus on what feels restful or soothing.
Focus on what helps you feel awake or alive — even in small ways.
If you know you could use some support as you navigate apathy in the empty nest , email me to schedule a complimentary happy hour call:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
Thank you for investing your valuable time and energy into listening to the podcast. I’m so very grateful for you. 
If you enjoyed this episode, you can “tip the bartender” by rating and reviewing the podcast. Your review makes it easier for others to find the podcast. 
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to be notified any time I pour out a new episode. 
My new book Intentional Intoxication: How To Deliberately Distill The Different Life You Desire, is available on Amazon. You can imbibe on the entire book in one, short, intentionally happier hour:
Intentional Intoxication Book
If you’re interested to know about how I can support you in overcoming the habit of escaping or chasing, I invite you to reach out to me by using the email below and we find a time to chat:
terribradwaylifecoaching@coachbradway.com
For a quick shot of your life’s current level of intoxication, I invite you to complete the 10 Questions on my Intoxication Inventory:
Intoxication Inventory