Press Pause 90 · Karl Elliott

Press pause on alcohol for 90 days. See what comes back.

No label. No lecture. No forever promise.

Press Pause 90 is a private coaching programme for men and women aged 30 to 55 who are still working, still parenting, still holding life together, but privately know drinking is taking more than it gives.

See the programme options

Everything's on this page. What it is, who it's for, exactly what it costs, and how to start. Read it once and you'll know either way.

You probably already know

You're not falling apart.

You're not drinking in the mornings. You're not hiding bottles. Work gets done. The kids get to school. Bills get paid.

From the outside, everything looks fine.

But you know.

The mornings are heavier than they used to be. Sleep is broken. Sundays keep disappearing. Your patience is thinner. You're in the room with your family, but not really there.

And you keep having the same conversation with yourself. Usually at night. Usually after another evening that went the same way as the last one.

If that's you, keep reading. This page will tell you exactly what Press Pause 90 is, who it's for, who it isn't for, and what it costs. By the end you'll know whether it's your next step or not.

Why people end up on this page

Nobody lands here by accident.

Most people arrive after months, sometimes years, of trying to sort this on their own.

They start the week negotiating with themselves. I'll not have a drink till Thursday. I'll only drink this weekend. Only two pints after work. One glass of wine when the kids are in bed.

Only for the rule to get changed as the week progresses.

They've done a dry month, or part of one. Felt a bit better. Went back. Ended up in the same place.

And they've quietly ruled out the obvious options. They don't want a group of strangers. They don't want a label. They don't want to sit in a circle and introduce themselves as anything.

They just want help making one proper break stick. Ninety days. Done properly, with someone in their corner who's actually lived it.

That's what this is.

This may be for you if

You drink most evenings, or heavily at weekends
You keep trying to cut down and it keeps not working
You wake up regretting how much you drank, more often than you'd like
You're still functioning. Nobody around you would guess
You're tired of wasting Sundays
You know alcohol is affecting your sleep, energy, patience or confidence
You don't want to promise never again. You just want a proper break
You want this done privately, without labels or lectures

This is probably not for you if

You're happy with your drinking and you're only here out of curiosity
You want someone to tell you moderation tricks so you can keep drinking the same way
You're looking for therapy, counselling or medical treatment. I'm a coach and mentor, not a medical professional
You may be physically dependent on alcohol. Please read the safety note further down this page. That needs medical support first, and that matters more than any programme
You're not willing to actually do the 90 days. This works when you show up

There's no shame in any of those. It just means this isn't the right room for you right now.

Why Press Pause 90 exists

Because there's a huge group of people that nothing out there is built for.

On one side, there's traditional alcohol support. Built for people in crisis. Labels, groups, forever.

On the other side, there's willpower and Dry January. Built for nobody in particular. No plan, no support, no answer for day 47 when the novelty's gone.

In the middle is you. Functioning, questioning, privately fed up. Not bad enough for one option. Past the point where the other one works.

I built Press Pause 90 for that middle. Because I was in it for years.

Why 90 days

Because 30 days was never going to be enough.

Alcohol wasn't doing one job in your life. It was doing five or six. The switch-off after work. The reward. The weekend marker. The social confidence. The boredom cure.

A dry month white-knuckles past those jobs. You grit your teeth for four weeks, prove a point, and go back. Nothing got replaced, so nothing changed.

Ninety days is different. It's long enough to actually replace what alcohol was doing. Long enough for sleep to properly repair. Long enough for the good stuff to arrive and stay around, so you're deciding about day 91 with real evidence instead of a guess.

And it's short enough to commit to. It's not forever. It's one quarter of one year.

What Press Pause 90 is

A structured, private, 90-day alcohol-free coaching programme.

You press pause on alcohol for 90 days. Not forever. Ninety days.

I coach you through it. Every week. You get a plan for the hard moments before they arrive, support when you wobble, and honest accountability all the way through.

At the end, you'll know what your life feels like without alcohol in it. Clear mornings. Proper sleep. Your patience back. Your evenings back.

Then you decide what happens next. With a clear head and real evidence. Some people go back to drinking with new rules. Some extend. Some realise they're done. All three are yours to choose. My job is to get you to day 90 with the evidence to choose well.

What it is not

It's not rehab. It's not therapy. It's not treatment.

It's not a group of strangers and a label.

It's not a lecture about units and liver damage. You've read the articles. They didn't change anything.

It's not a forever promise. Nobody here will ever ask you to say never again.

And it's not an app or a course you'll abandon by week two. It's a real person, in your corner, for 90 days.

My story

I'm Karl. I've been alcohol-free since June 2016.

Before that, I drank daily. For years. I never missed a day of work through it. That's exactly why nobody thought I had a problem, including me.

I was working. Parenting. Functioning. From the outside, mostly fine.

Privately, alcohol was taking my sleep, my energy, my mornings, my patience, my fitness, my self-respect, and my presence with the people closest to me. My daughter was getting the leftover version of me.

I didn't decide to stop forever. I couldn't have. Forever was too big.

I pressed pause for 90 days. Those 90 days became a year. The year became ten.

Those first 90 days gave me enough distance to see what drinking had quietly been costing me, and what came back without it.

I'm not telling you my ending has to be your ending. I'm telling you the first 90 days showed me the truth, and they'll show you yours.

Karl Elliott · Alcohol-Free Coach and Mentor

I Believe In You by Karl Elliott — book cover

Read my story

I wrote the whole story down. I Believe In You: a father's journey from daily drinker to redefining himself. Every step of it, including the parts that weren't pretty.

If you want the full version before you decide anything, start there.

Buy the book on Amazon

What happens during the 90 days

You don't just stop drinking and hope. The programme is structured around what actually happens in a 90-day break, in the order it happens.

The first week.

You get a plan for every evening before day one starts. What to drink, what to do at 6pm, what to say to the people around you. Day 1 isn't about becoming a new person. It's about getting through tonight with a plan.

The first month.

Weekly coaching while the habits get rebuilt. Around week three, something shifts for most people. Sleep improves, the pull eases, and you get the first quiet thought of "actually, I can do this." I'll tell you it's coming before it arrives.

The middle.

There's usually a flat patch somewhere in the middle. The novelty's gone, day 90 feels far away. It's normal, it's temporary, and it's exactly when coaching matters most. You won't hit anything I haven't already told you was coming.

The final stretch.

The good stuff compounds. Other people start commenting on how well you look before you fully believe it yourself. We use this stretch to build your day 91 plan, so the end of the programme is a launchpad, not a cliff edge.

The support

Live coaching

Group members get a 90-minute live group session every week. Private clients get 60-minute one-to-one calls with me: weekly for your first 30 days, when the rebuilding happens, then fortnightly through months two and three, once your feet are under you. This is where the real work happens: what happened this week, what's coming next, and the plan for it.

The Slack group

Group members join a private Slack space with a maximum of fifteen people, all doing the same 90 days at the same time. It's quiet, private and practical. Somewhere to check in, ask a question at 9pm on a Friday, and see other people getting through the same week you are.

WhatsApp support

Private clients have direct access to me between sessions on WhatsApp. Wobbling on a Wednesday night doesn't wait until the next call.

Accountability

The polite word for the thing that actually makes this work. You check in. I notice when you don't. Every failed attempt you've made so far had one thing in common: nobody knew, so nothing happened when you quietly gave up. That's not how this goes.

The practical stuff

Social occasions

The awkward part of a night out lasts about 20 minutes. Then nobody's looking at your glass. "I'm not drinking tonight" is a complete sentence, and we'll rehearse your actual next night out before it happens: the pub, the dinner, the work do. You walk in with a plan, not a hope.

Holidays

You don't have to hide from your own life for 90 days. If there's a holiday in your window, we plan for it properly. Plenty of people have done their best holiday in years inside their 90 days. Mornings included, for once.

Evenings

The 6pm moment. The glass while cooking. The reward when the kids are down. This is where most drinking actually lives, so this is where most of the planning goes. We rebuild your evenings so there's something in them, not just something missing from them.

Your partner

If your partner still drinks, that's fine. This is your pause, not the household's. You don't need the house dry and you don't need permission. I'll give you the exact conversation to have. It's one sentence, and it isn't a statement about them.

If you struggle

Some people have a hard day. Some people have a drink.

Here's what doesn't happen: shame, a lecture, or getting quietly dropped.

Here's what does: we talk, we look honestly at what happened and why, we adjust the plan, and you carry on. One rough night doesn't delete the days you've built. Giving up because of one rough night would.

You will not be judged. You will not be left to figure it out alone. That's the whole point of doing this with someone in your corner.

Privacy

Nobody needs to know you're doing this.

The coaching is private. The Slack group is private, small and closed. Nothing is shared, posted or celebrated publicly unless you choose to. Plenty of people complete the programme without anyone beyond their front door knowing it had a name.

What you tell me stays between us.

A note on safety

I need to be straight about one thing, because it matters.

Press Pause 90 is not suitable for anyone who may be physically dependent on alcohol. For a small number of people, stopping suddenly can be dangerous, and that needs proper medical support, not a coaching programme.

If any of these apply to you:

drinking in the mornings to feel steady
shaking or sweating when you haven't had a drink
withdrawal symptoms when you've stopped before
any concern at all about stopping safely

please speak with your GP or a suitable medical professional before changing your drinking. There's no shame in that. It's simply the right first step, and the safe one. I'm a coach and mentor, not a medical professional, and I'll always say so.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to quit forever?

No. Nobody here will ask you to. It's 90 days. On day 91 you decide what happens next, with a clear head and real evidence. Forever was never on the table.

What if I'm not sure I'm "bad enough" for this?

This programme isn't built for crisis. It's built for people holding life together who privately know drinking is taking more than it gives. If you've read this far and kept nodding, that's your answer.

Will my social life be finished?

The awkward bit of a night out lasts about 20 minutes. Most of your mates will notice your drink far less than you think. You'll have the exact lines for the pub, the dinner and the work do before you ever need them.

My partner still drinks. Can I still do this?

Yes. This is your pause, not theirs. Plenty of people complete the 90 days in a house where alcohol still exists.

What if I slip up?

We talk, we adjust, you carry on. No shame, no lecture, no being dropped. See the "If you struggle" section above.

How much time does it take each week?

Your coaching call, plus small daily check-ins. Most of the work happens inside the life you're already living, in the evenings you already have.

Is this AA or therapy?

No. It's not AA and it's not therapy. There are no labels, no circles and no clinical couch. It's a bespoke programme built on positive psychology, run by a man who's walked every step and faced every challenge you're about to face. If what you actually need is therapy or medical care, I'll say so plainly and point you in the right direction.

What happens on day 91?

You'll have a day 91 plan built in the final weeks of the programme. Some people go back with new rules. Some extend. Some are done. The decision is yours, and by then it'll be an informed one.

Can I start any time?

Press Pause 90 Group runs three times a year: January, May and September, with enrolment opening 30 days before each start. Press Pause 90 Private, you can start any time, subject to places being available.

Is it really private?

Yes. See the privacy section above. Nobody needs to know.

Programme options

Three ways to work with me

Press Pause 90 Group

£495

Runs three times a year: January, May and September. Enrolment opens 30 days before each start. Maximum fifteen people.

The full 90-day structured programme
Weekly 90-minute live group coaching
Private Slack space with your group
Accountability throughout
Guidance for every stage of the 90 days
People alongside you doing the same challenge, at the same time

Right if: you want structure and company, and the set start dates work for you.

I'll email you when enrolment opens for the next group. Nothing else, no spam.

One-to-one

Press Pause 90 Private

£1,997

Start any time, subject to places being available.

Private 1:1 coaching with Karl. Just the two of us, all the way through
Weekly calls for your first 30 days, when it matters most
Fortnightly calls through months two and three, once your feet are under you
A plan built around your actual life, diary and drinking pattern
Direct WhatsApp access to me between sessions
Personal accountability. I know your name, your week and your wobbles
Flexible scheduling around your diary

Right if: you want this completely private, one-to-one, on your timeline.

Buy Now — Start Private

Pay in full or split into 4 payments at checkout.

Not ready for 90 days?

Power Hour

Complimentary

Karl's rate inside the programme is £250 an hour. The Power Hour isn't charged for.

A full hour, one-to-one with me
Bring the real situation. Ask anything
Leave with a clear plan for your next step

Right if: you want to talk it through properly before committing to anything bigger.

Book Your Power Hour

Before you weigh the price against nothing, do your own maths. Nights you drink a week, times what a night costs, times thirteen weeks. The money's already leaving. The question is what it's buying.

One thing before you buy. Read the safety note further up this page. If any of it applies to you, your first step is your GP, not a payment button. That matters more to me than the sale.

How you join

Three options. One decision. No hoops.

Pick the way in that fits

Group if you want structure and company. Private if you want this one-to-one, starting now. Power Hour if you want to talk it through properly first.

Book it

Private and the Power Hour are paid securely through Stripe. Pay in full, or split Private into four payments at checkout. For the Group, join the waitlist and I'll email you when enrolment opens, 30 days before each start.

You'll hear from me directly

Your welcome email arrives with everything you need: what happens first, how we schedule your calls, and your plan for day one. From there, it's me in your corner.

Not sure which fits? Start with the Power Hour. An hour with me will answer it properly, and you're not committing to anything beyond that hour.

One last thing

You've read the whole page. Most people don't.

So you already know which side of this you're on. Either it's not for you, and now you can stop wondering. Or you've been nodding for the last five minutes.

If it's the second one, you don't need to decide anything big tonight. Not forever. Not a new identity. Just the next step.

Join the waitlist, book the Power Hour, or start Private. Whichever one you pick, it's 90 days with someone in your corner, and a decision you make once.

Ninety days. See what comes back.

Choose your way in Still not sure? Email me

No pitch, no pressure. Ask me anything and I'll answer you honestly, even if the honest answer is that this isn't for you.

Not an alcoholic. Just someone who drinks every day.

This is for the functioning person who knows alcohol is costing them — but hasn’t lost everything. Yet.

The drink is not the problem

It’s managing something underneath

Willpower and moderation fail

PRESS PAUSE 90 installs structure, identity and standards

What actually happens

90 days. Private. One-to-one.

Weekly private calls.
Clear structure installed immediately.
Identity and standards defined in writing.
Direct accountability.

Read this first.

If this feels uncomfortably accurate, book a call below.

BUT I'M NOT AN ALCOHOLIC.

For the man who is keeping everything together. Just about.

Karl Elliott

Sober since June 2016. Husband. Father of three. Coach.

This is an extract from his forthcoming book.

Read Extract

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