Discover Confidence through Coaching with Annie Knowles

Empowering Women to Reconnect with Clarity & Choice

Annie Knowles smiling while sitting on a white scooter in a tropical outdoor setting.

Hi, I'm Annie.

I work with capable, caring women who look “fine” on the outside - but inside feel tired, flat, stuck, or quietly questioning their relationship with alcohol, stress, or themselves.

For years, I believed I was a normal drinker. Alcohol was woven into celebrations, bad days, and everyday life. I didn’t hit rock bottom - then again, I also didn’t feel truly calm, present, or free.

What I’ve learned (through lived experience, coaching training, and years in healthcare) is that many women don’t need fixing - we need space, understanding, and the right support to reconnect with ourselves.

Today, I offer calm, non-judgemental coaching rooted in science, compassion, and real life - not labels or pressure.

A Turning Point I Didn’t Expect

For a long time, alcohol felt woven into everyday life. It helped me fit in, unwind, and cope — especially during busy, demanding seasons.

But over time, I noticed something shifting. I wasn’t drinking for joy anymore — I was drinking to manage stress, exhaustion, and emotional overload.

I didn’t hit rock bottom. Nothing dramatic happened. I just realised I felt flat, disconnected, and far from myself.

That quiet awareness became the beginning of change….

Annie in red shorts and black tank top standing with arms raised in front of a waterfall surrounded by lush green foliage.

My Journey to Sobriety & Coaching

Since 2021, I’ve lived an alcohol-free life — not because I “hit rock bottom,” but because I wanted to feel clearer, calmer, and more like myself again.

Alongside my own journey, I spent over three decades working in healthcare, including roles as an NHS Wellbeing Champion and Alcohol Champion. I worked closely with alcohol and drug teams, supporting people at risk and helping them understand the impact of alcohol on health, stress, and emotional wellbeing.

During the pandemic, I reached a turning point of my own. I stepped back, reset my boundaries, and began integrating tools that genuinely helped — coaching, mindfulness, yoga, reflection, and nervous-system care.

Today, I bring lived experience, professional training, and deep compassion into my coaching — helping women step out of survival mode and reconnect with clarity, confidence, and choice.

A woman sitting at a white table, looking at a laptop, holding a blue mug, with a vase of orange flowers on the table.

How I Work With Women Like You

I don’t believe you need fixing.
I believe you need space, understanding, and the right kind of support.

My work is calm, structured, and deeply human — grounded in science, compassion, and real life.

There’s no pressure to label yourself.
No requirement to quit forever.
And no judgement about where you’re starting from.

We work at your pace, focusing on what’s actually driving stress, habits, and overwhelm - so change feels sustainable, not forced.

See how we can work together

Media Appearances & Contributions

OVER THE INFLUENCE: S3 Ep 167
Annie Knowles: From Pandemic Stress to Sober Advocate

    • I share my journey from increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic to complete sobriety

    • We discuss the impact of stress on drinking habits and the importance of self-awareness

    • Highlighting the need for a new approach to alcohol screening and awareness in the NHS

    • Advocaing for societal change in addressing harmful drinking patterns

    • Emphasising the broader implications of alcohol use on individuals and society

THE SOBER REBEL: S1 Season Finale
Annie Knowles: Awakening the Senses, Her Inner Child & Raising Awareness

    • In this last episode of the first series, Louisa catches up with Annie who works for the NHS and has found amazing ways to incorporate her sobriety into every aspect of her life including her work.

    • Going from being a teenager that didn't really like alcohol but drank to fit in, through to later in life using alcohol to unwind and cope with the stresses of her job during the pandemic, shows how gradually alcohol can take hold.

    • The way that Annie talks about connecting to her senses in sobriety really sells the concept of ensuring you're doing the inner work on yourself and how much you get get out of that process. A captivating and fascinating interview to end series one, thank you Annie.

Key Contributor - Why We Drink Too Much: The Hidden Science of Just One More - Charles Knowles

Cover of a book titled "Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture" by Dr. Charles Knowles. The cover features several glasses of alcohol with their shadows cast on a white background.

I have recently been a key contributor to Why We Drink Too Much, the upcoming book written by my husband Charles Knowles, sharing my coaching insight and lived experience to support its exploration of alcohol, behaviour and wellbeing. I also feature on the audiobook, bringing these conversations to life in a more personal way.

Alongside my coaching work, we host free masterclasses exploring the real impact of alcohol on mood, health and everyday life, offering practical, science-led insight for women looking to make informed changes.

ONE FOR THE ROAD:
Annie Knowles:

  • This week on One For The Road I am joined by Annie Knowles who is a certified sobriety, confidence, and life coach who helps busy women, especially those in healthcare and public services, rethink their relationship with alcohol, without pressure or shame.

    After more than 33 years working in the NHS, Annie experienced post-pandemic burnout and decided in 2021 to step away from alcohol. That decision changed everything. Her coaching brand, Sober Rainbow Rider, was inspired by the pandemic rainbows and the spirit of cheering each other on from our doorsteps. That same spirit runs through her work today, encouraging clients to find their own ‘pot of gold’ on the other side of alcohol.

    Now alcohol-free for over three years, Annie supports others through the ups and downs of midlife, burnout recovery, and navigating stress without relying on a glass to unwind. She co-hosts the Blue Light Emergency Services and NHS Live Alcohol Experiment, and she collaborates with the NHS drug and alcohol services to deliver alcohol awareness talks to medical professionals, introducing grey area drinking.

    She works one-on-one and in groups to guide clients toward greater balance, calm, and clarity.

Sober Yoga Girl: Working with the Mind, Not Against it ft. Annie Knowles

  • In this episode of Sober Yoga Girl Podcast, Alexandra is joined by Annie Knowles - newly qualified yoga teacher, NLP-qualified life and alcohol-free coach, and former NHS healthcare professional with over 33 years of experience working in high-pressure clinical environments.

    Annie shares her journey of choosing an alcohol-free life during the pandemic - not from crisis or “rock bottom,” but from a deep desire for calm, clarity, and authenticity. That decision sparked a profound personal and professional transformation, leading her to support high-functioning women - particularly those in healthcare and caring roles - who feel outwardly fine but inwardly exhausted, disconnected, or stuck.

    Together, Alexandra and Annie explore why change feels so hard, why willpower isn’t the answer, and how real transformation happens through awareness, nervous system regulation, and identity shift. They weave together modern neuroscience, NLP, lived experience, and ancient yoga philosophy - including insights from the Yoga Sutras - to show how we can learn to work with the mind rather than against it.

    This conversation is grounded, compassionate, and practical, offering listeners a refreshing perspective on alcohol-free living, recovery pathways, and sustainable change - without shame, labels, or pressure to be “fixed.”

    In This Episode, We Discuss

    • Annie’s transition from NHS healthcare to coaching and yoga teaching

    • Choosing alcohol-free living without hitting “rock bottom”

    • Why willpower fails, and what actually supports lasting change

    • Nervous system regulation vs self-improvement culture

    • Identity shift and self-study through the lens of yoga philosophy

    • How the Yoga Sutras offer practical guidance for modern life

    • The power of immersive environments like yoga teacher training and retreat spaces

    • Why community and shared study matter in recovery and wellbeing

    • Learn more about Annie’s work and the 100-Day Reset Programme

    Study Yoga Philosophy & Train in Bali
    If you’re feeling called to deepen your understanding of yoga beyond the mat — through philosophy, meditation, and self-study — Alexandra offers Yoga Sutra Study programmes online and immersive Yoga Teacher Trainings in Bali rooted in inquiry, nervous system awareness, and lived practice.

    You can learn more about upcoming trainings, retreats, and study opportunities at: www.mindfulbali.com

Alcohol Uncensored: The Sobriety Podcast - Annie Knowles: When “Normal Drinking” Stops Feeling Normal

    • In this episode of Alcohol Uncensored, Kelly and Ian are joined by Annie Knowles - an alcohol-free and life coach, NLP practitioner, former NHS healthcare professional with over 33 years of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, and co-author of Why We Drink alongside her husband, Dr Charles Knowles.

      Now over four years alcohol-free, Annie shares her own journey - from having little interest in alcohol growing up, to finding herself caught in mummy wine culture, workplace stress, home drinking, and the quiet creep of “normal” drinking becoming something harder to control.

      This honest and powerful conversation explores shame, identity, motherhood, the pressures of working in the National Health Service during the pandemic, grey-area drinking, and the moment Annie realised she didn’t have to drink anymore - she could choose not to.

      A relatable and thought-provoking episode for anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol - even if they don’t think they fit the stereotype

      🎧 Alcohol Uncensored is a podcast about the real stories behind alcohol-free living - the good, the hard, and the unexpected freedom that can come with it.