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 to decline a drink, the reason self-punishment doesn't work, and what to do instead to create lasting change.

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/442

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 drinking problems when the reality exists on a spectrum. Whether you've struggled with labels or you're just curious about a different approach to changing your drinking habits, this episode will give you a fresh perspective on what's possible.

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/441

Most people have that one memory that makes them cringe - the party where they said the wrong thing, the meeting where they stumbled over their words, or when a simple "no thanks" to a drink turned into the most awkward moment of the night.

You spend so much energy trying to avoid these uncomfortable situations, building elaborate strategies to never feel that squirmy sensation again. But what if this avoidance actually makes social situations harder, especially when you're trying to change your drinking habits?

Tune in this week to learn how awkwardness impacts your ability to say no to a drink, why the Connector and Mask archetypes struggle most with this, and a simple reframe that transforms awkwardness from proof that something's wrong with you into a normal part of being human.

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/440

Have you ever stood in front of the growing selection of non-alcoholic beverages and wondered if they're a smart choice or a slippery slope?

Non-alcoholic drinks are everywhere now: fancy mocktails at restaurants, craft NA beers at the grocery store, entire shops dedicated to alcohol-free spirits. But beneath the surface of this booming market lies a deeper question that many people wrestle with: are these drinks helping you move forward, or are they keeping you stuck in old patterns? The answer isn't as straightforward as you might think.

Tune in this week as Adriana Cloud joins me to dig into the archetypes most connected to non-alcoholic drinks, and explore how to approach these beverages with curiosity rather than rules.

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/439

When you're standing in your kitchen with a craving, there's a moment where pouring the drink feels like the path of least resistance.

The familiar routine beckons - no thinking required, no uncomfortable feelings to navigate, just the well-worn neural pathway that promises immediate relief. But what if that sense of ease is actually an illusion?

Tune in this week as Adriana Cloud joins me to explore the hidden effort that comes with drinking on autopilot, and why the "easier" choice often creates more work on the back end. Most importantly, you'll understand why putting effort into change now saves you from the exhausting cycle of shame, self-pity, and mental obsession that comes from staying on the familiar path.

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/438

Ever noticed how that evening glass of wine feels less like a drink and more like a reward? Do you pour that drink and think, "Finally, something for me?"

A reward for all the invisible work you do every day. The mental load, the scheduling, the endless to-do lists that nobody else sees.

Listen in this week to discover the connection between invisible labor and your drinking habits, and practical ways to acknowledge your labor without reaching for a drink. If you've ever felt like a drink is the only recognition you get for all you do, this episode is for you.

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/437

Society has taught us a script about alcohol that keeps millions of people stuck. The story says you're either a normal drinker who can take it or leave it, or you're powerless and must quit forever.

This black-and-white narrative has been reinforced by treatment models and cultural messaging for nearly a century, leaving no room for the possibility of actually changing your relationship with alcohol.

Tune in this week to discover why the traditional all-or-nothing approach to drinking actually keeps you stuck, what happens when you shift from shame to curiosity, and a new playbook for sustainable change based on understanding and skill-building.

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/436

Have you ever wondered why "one more drink" never quite delivers what you're hoping for?

Most people assume that when you keep reaching for more alcohol, it's a willpower problem. But there's actually a psychological and physiological phenomenon at play here called diminishing returns.

Tune in this week to hear exactly why "one more" never delivers what you're hoping for, and how understanding diminishing returns changes everything about how you approach those moments when you want just one more sip, one more glass, one more round.

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/435

Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night, replaying all the "stupid" things you did while drinking? That mental highlight reel of moments you wish you could take back, the choices that make you cringe, the decisions that still make you shake your head in disbelief?

Regret about your drinking weighs you down like a heavy backpack filled with rocks. You're hauling it around everywhere, convinced that feeling bad enough about past mistakes will somehow protect you from repeating them. But that backpack isn't helping you change. It's keeping you stuck looking backward instead of moving forward.

Sobriety coach Adriana Cloud is back on the show this week to discuss how to let go of regret about drinking, and how, when you stop wishing for a time machine and start being a detective about your past decisions, you gain the insights needed to create different outcomes.

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/434

Have you ever tried to chase that perfect feeling?

You know the one - where everything feels just right. Maybe it's after that first glass of wine, during a celebration, or in those moments when you're feeling completely confident and in control. And then... it starts to fade.

Tune in this week to learn why the buzz fades and how accepting that it's supposed to can completely transform your relationship with alcohol. If you've ever found yourself trying to recapture that feeling by ordering another drink, extending the night, or telling yourself "just one more," this week's episode is for you.

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/433