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451: The Identity Shift That Comes Before Drinking Less [Listener Q&A]

Release Date: 01/13/2026

453: Afraid You’ll Lose Friends If You Stop Drinking? Listen to This. [Listener Q&A]

Take a Break from Drinking

If you've ever worried that not drinking will make you boring, wondered whether your friendships can survive without alcohol, or if part of you thinks maybe you should just have one drink to keep things normal, this episode is for you. In this week's listener Q&A, you’ll hear a question from Sean, who fears losing his friendships if he stops joining in with drinking. Tune in to learn why you believe you need alcohol to be your “best self,” what's really happening when you drink to feel comfortable socially, and how to access the ease and connection you want without...

452: Why Fear-Based Motivation and Replacing Alcohol with Food Doesn’t Bring Relief [Listener Q&A]

Take a Break from Drinking

What if the pressure you're putting on yourself to change your drinking is actually the very thing keeping you stuck? In this episode, I answer a question from a listener named Deb who feels like she's on her last chance to get her drinking under control. She's caught in a familiar loop of replacing alcohol with snacking, and the frustration is palpable. But the real problem isn't the drink or the snack. So what is? Tune in this week to learn why fear-based motivation bypasses the emotional skill-building you actually need to create change, how to break the cycle of...

451: The Identity Shift That Comes Before Drinking Less [Listener Q&A]

Take a Break from Drinking

Do you have a strong desire to change your drinking and yet, you're not where you want to be? In this episode, I'm answering a question from a listener named Chris who's frustrated that he's still drinking more than he wants to, despite trying to make healthier choices. He's switched from hard liquor to premixed cans and is concerned about what his daily drinking is doing to his health. Tune in this week to hear how Chris's question speaks to so many things people are thinking about in the new year: the identity shift that comes with trying to drink less, the anxiety about how...

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...

More Episodes

Do you have a strong desire to change your drinking and yet, you're not where you want to be?

In this episode, I'm answering a question from a listener named Chris who's frustrated that he's still drinking more than he wants to, despite trying to make healthier choices. He's switched from hard liquor to premixed cans and is concerned about what his daily drinking is doing to his health.

Tune in this week to hear how Chris's question speaks to so many things people are thinking about in the new year: the identity shift that comes with trying to drink less, the anxiety about how drinking may be impacting your health, and the frustration that despite so much effort, you're not where you want to be.

Break the cycle of temporary challenges and learn how to make alcohol feel truly optional during my three-day Reset Your Drinking workshop starting January 21st, 2026. Click here to secure your ticket and discover how to find your “off switch” for lasting change: https://rachelhart.com/january/

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/451

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