Libsyn Directory

425: Drinking Less in Social Situations

Release Date: 06/03/2025

450: When Dry January Has Already Fallen to the Wayside

Take a Break from Drinking

So many of you start the new year with the best intentions to cut back on drinking, only to find yourself slipping up within the first few days or weeks. Maybe you promised yourself you'd cut back on drinking this year, but then life happened. A stressful day at work. An awkward social situation. A craving that felt impossible to ignore. And now your brain is telling you that you've failed, that nothing matters, that you might as well give up. Tune in this week to learn why that first slip-up isn’t actually the problem, and what is. You’ll discover high-quality questions to...

449: If You Doubt Your Plan for Drinking Less in the New Year Will Stick

Take a Break from Drinking

If you're feeling more tired and doubtful than inspired about the New Year, especially when it comes to changing your drinking habits, you're not alone. We're sold this fantasy that the New Year is a magical time to create change, but massive change is always built through tiny steps. Instead of trying to figure out how to completely overhaul your drinking habits, I'm proposing something different: focusing on just a 10% shift. Listen in this week to hear three questions that will help you identify what a small but meaningful change would look like in your drinking habits,...

448: Ask Me Anything About Your Drinking

Take a Break from Drinking

Have you ever felt like you're the only one who can't get a handle on your drinking? Like all the success and determination you have in other areas of your life just disappears when it comes to alcohol? For years, I carried so much shame about my drinking. I'd go to therapy and talk about everything else in my life, but never broach this topic. When I searched for answers online, everything pointed to the idea that some people are powerless over alcohol. That's why I'm excited to share something new with you on this episode. Tune in this week to hear how you can submit your...

447: I’m an adult, I can drink if I want to [Thought Swap]

Take a Break from Drinking

How often do you find yourself saying, “I'm an adult, I can drink if I want to”? While it's technically true that you're an adult who can make your own choices, here's the deeper truth: this thought isn’t really about the drink. Tune in this week to hear why pouring a drink in these moments isn't an act of defiance but actually a distraction, how to identify what you’re really rebelling against, and three specific thought swaps that will help you challenge this excuse when it pops up. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new...

446: I might as well drink because you only live once [Thought Swap]

Take a Break from Drinking

Have you ever caught yourself saying "You only live once!" as you reach for another drink? The “you only live once” excuse often gets connected to alcohol in our minds, especially when you're seeking a more fun, adventurous, or unfiltered version of yourself. The challenge is that when your brain links the life you want to lead with drinking, trying to cut back can feel like saying no to being fully yourself or being all in on the experience of life. Tune in this week to discover how to access your wild or bold side without needing a drink as permission, and 3 powerful...

445: I'll be more comfortable with a drink [Thought Swap]

Take a Break from Drinking

Do you feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand at social events? For years, my solution to social anxiety was simple: head straight to the bar, grab a drink, and feel that familiar wave of relief wash over me as the edges of my nervousness softened. But what happens when that glass becomes less of a choice and more of a requirement for feeling comfortable around other people? Listen in this week to hear three thought swaps that will help you start questioning whether you’re really more comfortable with a drink in your hand. This isn't about avoiding social situations or...

444: A drink makes everything better [Thought Swap]

Take a Break from Drinking

How often do you catch yourself thinking, "A drink makes everything better”? Maybe it's at parties, during vacation, or just unwinding after a long day. Maybe your list of things that are “better with a drink” seems endless. If a drink makes everything better, does that mean not drinking makes everything worse? And if that's true, how can you ever cut back without feeling like you’re missing out? Tune in this week to discover three specific thought swaps to help you question the story that a drink makes everything better, so you can start poking holes in beliefs that are...

443: Liking and Not Liking to Drink

Take a Break from Drinking

Have you ever found yourself reaching for that third drink… even though you're not really enjoying it anymore? Or maybe you wake up the next morning thinking, “Why did I do that again? I didn't even like how it made me feel.” The tension between drinking and not enjoying it creates a confusing internal struggle. Sobriety coach Adriana Cloud is back this week to explore this common frustration where part of you recognizes drinking isn't working for you anymore while another part keeps wanting more. Tune in this week to learn why your brain creates this confusing internal...

442: The Lie of Sobriety as Self-Punishment

Take a Break from Drinking

Ever notice how sometimes choosing not to drink feels less like a positive choice and more like self-punishment? Maybe the commitment was clear in your mind - tonight, no drinks. But then you watch someone order that dirty martini while you sit with your water, and suddenly saying no feels like you're punishing yourself. That familiar tension rises up: the part of you that wants to stick to your word battling against the part that feels resentful. If not drinking feels like punishment, you're not alone. Listen in this week to discover why you might be relying on virtue as a way...

441: When the Label Doesn't Fit

Take a Break from Drinking

Have you ever wondered if you need to wear a certain label to get help with your drinking? Maybe you've thought, “I'm not really an alcoholic, but I don't feel like a normal drinker either.” You're not alone. This in-between space can feel incredibly isolating, especially when it seems like the only options are to identify as an alcoholic or keep struggling in silence. But what if the labels we've been told are essential to recovery are actually optional? What if they're doing more harm than good? Tune in this week to discover why labels create a false black-and-white view of...

More Episodes

When you’re out with friends and everyone orders drinks, you might have thoughts like, “Well, you only live once. I want to enjoy it!” Despite wanting to drink less (or not at all), you order yourself a drink too.

You might think that having more discipline in moments like these would help you resist, but I'm here to tell you that discipline, willpower, and scare tactics aren’t the solution.

In this episode, I break down two essential steps to help you navigate social situations without alcohol. We explore how to work with your specific Drink Archetype to understand the deeper desires behind your cravings, and I show you exactly what your brain learns when you consistently use alcohol in social settings.

Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/425

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