In a culture where drinking is nearly synonymous with socialising, standing up to peer pressure is a skill - a skill that's essential for those of us reevaluating our relationship with alcohol. This episode is packed with insights and practical tools to help you navigate social expectations, understand self-imposed pressures, and stay steadfast in your choices.

Anna shares personal experiences from her decision to stop drinking and how it affected her relationships. She’ll also discuss strategies, such as visualisation, to mentally prepare for real-life scenarios where you might face pressure.

You're not alone in this journey, and by the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with not just strategies, but also the courage to be the change in your drinking culture.

Here are the highlights:

00:01 Anna draws common themes from the last two episodes.

05:17 Navigating social pressure and feelings of exclusion.

07:35 Society pressures us to drink alcohol.

12:42 Peer pressure comes from a place of fear. Show compassion.

14:50 Rethink program helps prevent overthinking.

19:59 Envision the pride, satisfaction, and empowerment.

21:59 Fear of judgement affects our need to belong.

26:21 Assumed response is always worse than reality.Overestimating friends' reactions. 

29:38 Realisations I was following the crowd and conforming. Far from the rebel I liked to think I was.

About the host Anna:

Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

Connect with Anna:

Anna’s 6 week personal RETHINK programme: https://www.thebeliefscoach.com/registration Register your email to be sent the discount code.

Website: thebeliefscoach.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

To pre-order my book, What Are You Thirsty For on Amazon select here: https://amzn.eu/d/3v3T6Mq