Take a Break from Drinking: Recent Episodes
Rachel Hart
Tired of breaking your promise to go easy on the drinks tonight? You know your nightly habit isn’t great for your health or waistline, but it’s so hard to say no.
Sound familiar? Then you need Rachel. She knows what it’s like to be fed up with your drinking, worried about judgment from others, and turned off by approaches that focus on a higher power instead of brain science.
Learn the exact steps she used to change her relationship with alcohol. Discover how the brain works, the real reason you crave a drink, the key to changing your desire, and how to decide what’s right for you.
Create a life that is fun, spontaneous, relaxing, and, most importantly, pleasurable (no buzz necessary).
For her latest free class, visit linktr.ee/rachelhart or check out rachelhart.com for show notes and more.
Ever felt like you just need a drink to handle discomfort? In this episode, you’ll hear how a terrifying bus ride through Alaska’s Denali National Park helped me realize that discomfort isn’t the enemy – it’s the chaos we create around it that trips us up.
Through a narrow, winding road perched over sheer cliffs, fear consumed me. I reacted, resisted, and distracted myself, escalating the discomfort into a mental spiral. But when the journey turned back, I chose a different approach: staying present, feeling the discomfort, and observing it. That’s when everything changed.
Tune in to learn how you can apply the skill of staying present through discomfort to urges, whether it's alcohol or any challenging emotion. The key to breaking habits is focusing on the discomfort, not escalating it into chaos. Letting the discomfort be there without reacting is the first step to regaining control and shifting your relationship with alcohol – and life.
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/427
The hidden influence of "drinking the good stuff" is shaping your relationship with alcohol in surprising ways. As you upgrade your drink choices to fancy wines, craft beers, or top-shelf spirits, you might notice thought patterns around waste and value that are driving overconsumption.
Our beliefs about what constitutes "good" alcohol trace back to ancient times, when Greeks first established wine as an elite drink compared to the beer consumed by common people. These age-old status distinctions continue influencing modern drinking habits, as many of you feel compelled to finish expensive or rare drinks rather than "waste" them – even when you've had enough.
Listen in this week to learn how labeling certain drinks as special, rare, or healthy impacts your consumption patterns and makes changing your drinking habits more challenging. Understanding this is what allows you to question whether the "good stuff" narrative truly serves you, or if it's simply marketing and social conditioning getting in the way of mindful drinking.
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/426
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
When someone successfully moderates their drinking or says no to alcohol in situations where they previously would have reached for a drink, they tend to view it as a fluke and go back to worrying about when they'll slip up again. But was it a fluke?
As humans, we often attribute our wins to external factors - the circumstances, other people, or pure luck - rather than acknowledging our own role in making better choices. However, this mindset of not taking credit for your achievements actually makes it harder to create lasting change. So, it’s time to start recognizing the agency you exercised in these moments, even if it didn’t feel present in the moment.
Sobriety coach Adriana Cloud is back on the show this week, helping you explore the thoughts and feelings that drive successful choices around alcohol, so you can create a blueprint for repeating those results over and over, instead of dismissing your progress as a fluke.
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/424
Have you ever woken up after drinking too much and immediately thought either, “I fcked up” or “I must be fcked up?” These two seemingly similar thoughts actually reveal deep-rooted societal beliefs about drinking problems that might be keeping you stuck.
It doesn't matter your age, gender, education level, or socioeconomic status – these thoughts show up consistently and create major roadblocks to changing your drinking habits.
In this episode, you’ll learn where these thoughts come from, why they're so harmful, and what you need to understand instead. This line of thinking leads to shame and self-blame that make lasting change nearly impossible, and it’s time to break free from this vicious cycle of pathologizing your behavior around alcohol.
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/423
Have you ever set a firm intention not to drink, only to find your good intentions fall apart later in the day? It's a frustrating cycle that can leave you wondering what's wrong with you. But here's the truth: your good intentions aren't failing because of some personal flaw. They're failing because they're missing a crucial element.
On last week’s show, you learned why good intentions are just visions without plans. Today, you’ll learn the exact practice you need when temptation strikes—and it's probably not like anything you’ve been told before.
Tune in to discover why simply having good intentions isn't enough when it comes to changing your drinking habits. Rather than fighting temptation, you’ll get a technique to interrupt the habit cycle by simply acknowledging it with curiosity, and you'll gain the awareness needed to create lasting change in your relationship with alcohol.
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/422
Do you start each morning with the best of intentions for your drinking only to watch them crumble by evening? That frustrating cycle isn't a sign of personal failure—it's evidence that you're missing a crucial element in your approach to change.
The truth is, those morning intentions aren't the problem. They're genuine and meaningful, but when you tell yourself "I won't drink tonight" or "I'll stop after two glasses," you're creating a vision without a roadmap to get there.
Listen in this week to learn how you might be trapped in the "I should know better" mindset, how it’s sabotaging your progress, and how to finally break free from this frustrating cycle.
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/421
Do you set strict rules about when and how much you can drink, only to break them and feel worse than before?
When most people try to change their drinking habits, they immediately look for external parameters—only drinking on weekends, limiting to two drinks, or never drinking before 6PM. But these arbitrary rules completely bypass the most important question: why do you want to drink in the first place?
So, what would change if you dropped the rules and actually put yourself in charge? Sobriety coach Adriana Cloud is back on the show this week to discuss why real transformation happens when you shift from rule-following to self-awareness.
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/420
Have you ever found yourself envious of people who seem to drink with ease?
If you’re changing your relationship with alcohol, envy toward “normal drinkers” might feel familiar—but it also holds surprising insight into how your habit formed, and how you can begin to change it.
In this episode, you’ll learn how understanding envy helps you uncover limiting beliefs, sheds light on your drink archetype, and offers a deeper understanding of what you’re really craving when you reach for a drink. Rather than pushing envy away, this work is all about looking at your envy and engaging with it in a way that serves 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/419
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by your emotions that you'd do anything to forget what's bothering you?
In those moments, reaching for a drink—and then another, and another—can feel like the only way to escape. But this pattern of using alcohol to numb difficult emotions creates a problematic cycle that actually decreases your emotional resilience over time.
Tune in this week to learn about one of the most common patterns that makes it difficult to change your drinking habits: the Escape archetype, and three strategies that will help you work with your emotions rather than trying to drown them.
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/418
Have you ever set rules for yourself around drinking, only to find that they don't work? You have the best of intentions, but somehow you always end up right back where you started. What's going on here?
As it turns out, there's a very good reason why your drinking rules aren't effective - and it has nothing to do with a lack of willpower or discipline on your part.
In this episode, you’ll learn how your relationship with alcohol started forming long before you ever took your first drink, and how to finally break free from the frustrating cycle of setting and breaking 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/417
If you're constantly rushing through your days, checking off endless to-do lists, and using alcohol as a reward, you might be living in a "pleasure desert.”
When you're constantly focused on getting things done and denying yourself small pleasures, it's no wonder you feel the need to fill your evenings with alcohol. But what if there was another way?
Listen in this week to learn why the Reward and Upgrade drinking archetypes often go hand-in-hand, and how, by simply paying attention to the little joys sprinkled throughout your day, you can reduce your cravings and break out of this cycle.
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/416
Have you ever taken a long break from drinking, only to find yourself eventually going back to it?
So many people find themselves stuck in this frustrating cycle of stopping and starting again, wondering why they can't seem to make the change stick.
Listen in to hear one of our Take a Break coaches, Adriana Cloud, explore this common struggle. We discuss how the health benefits of not drinking, while important, are often not enough to overcome the deeper desires that alcohol fulfills and how to get off the seesaw of drinking and not drinking for good.
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/415
How often do you declare to yourself, “I’m just someone who…” fill in the blank? Can’t moderate your drinking? Has an addictive personality? Is broken and has no willpower?
It's easy to turn your frustrations with drinking into sweeping declarations about who you are. But what if these thoughts aren’t as true as they feel, and there was an alternative explanation that had nothing to do with you as a person?
Listen in this week to learn how zooming in on one specific moment can reveal the real reason behind your temptations and cravings, and why understanding what's really driving your behavior in each moment is the key to changing your relationship with alcohol.
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/414
Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a cycle of cravings and excuses when it comes to drinking? It's easy to believe that the only way out is through sheer willpower and discipline, but sometimes, all you need is a new thought to prevent yourself from pouring a drink.
In this episode, you’ll learn four powerful "breakthrough thoughts" that can help you quickly change your perspective on drinking. These thoughts are designed to interrupt your usual patterns of thinking and give you a new way to approach your cravings.
By the end of this episode, you'll have a toolkit of breakthrough thoughts that you can use anytime you find yourself wanting to reach for a drink. These thoughts will help you reframe your desire for alcohol, question your subconscious beliefs, and ultimately make the choice that aligns with your goals.
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/413
Do you ever find yourself inconveniencing yourself without even giving others a chance to say no to your requests?
This habit of not asking for what you want can have a bigger impact on your life than you might think. In fact, it could be contributing to your drinking more than you'd like.
In this episode, I share a personal story about how I caught myself falling into this pattern and the realization I had about its connection to the reward archetype. Discover how the small, seemingly inconsequential decisions you make throughout the day can influence your cravings later on, why willpower and discipline alone won't be enough to change your drinking habits, and what you can do instead to start shifting this pattern.
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/412
Do you find yourself reaching for a drink when you're around certain people who get on your nerves?
It may seem like alcohol is making the situation more tolerable, but is it really?
Sobriety coach Adriana Cloud joins me this week to discuss the common struggle of feeling like you can only stand someone if you're drinking. We explore the underlying boundary and mindset issues at play, and offer a new perspective on dislike.
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/411
Did your Dry January not go as planned?
Don't worry, you're not alone. Research shows that more people fail at Dry January than succeed. But have you ever considered how every seeming failure might just be the next step on your journey to changing your relationship with alcohol?
In this episode, I share a powerful mindset shift that can transform how you approach any goal related to your drinking, and show you how to mine the gold from your "failures" and use that data to better understand your habit.
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/410
Do you ever feel like your cravings get out of control?
What if you could transform your relationship with cravings from something you dread to something you actually look forward to?
In this episode, sobriety coach and hypnotist Adriana Cloud shares a genius analogy that will change how you view your cravings. Listen in to discover how making one simple mental shift can help you more easily say no to a drink - and actually start to love your cravings.
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/409
Are you mystified by your own drinking behaviors? Do you struggle to understand why you can occasionally easily moderate, while other times you spiral out of control?
Sobriety coach and hypnotist Adriana Cloud is here to share her decade-long journey with daily drinking. Although Adriana never identified as an alcoholic, she knew something about her relationship with alcohol felt off. And in this episode, she shares how this realization led her on a path of not only changing her drinking habits, but of deep personal development.
Listen in this week as we explore the impact of the think-feel-act cycle on our drinking behaviors, and how tapping into the unconscious mind through techniques like hypnosis can help disrupt old patterns and form new, healthier habits.
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/408
So you’ve got your compelling reason—your rationale to go after change in the face of discomfort. The only problem is, it doesn’t seem to be helping you drink less or stop altogether. Is it not compelling enough?
Maybe that’s part of it, sure (and that is easily fixed, as I’ll share). But perhaps you’re putting too much stock in that compelling reason. You could be expecting too much from it. Instead, it’s time to change your mindset.
Tune in to this episode for a quick refresher on what a good compelling reason can be and how to work with it. You’ll learn the most common stumbling blocks and how to avoid them, including connecting with your compelling reason on a regular basis.
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/407
It’s almost here: Dry January. You know you want to take a break, but you’re not sure how. Even worse, maybe you’ve tried this before and either couldn’t stick with it or didn’t see any changes.
You might not realize it, but your plans to focus on not drinking may be setting you up for failure. Instead, you need to shift your thinking about the substance and focus on becoming a person of substance.
Tune in to learn how to purposefully direct your brain away from what’s easy and toward a different direction—where real change occurs. Then, find out the six things you need to focus on to have a successful Dry January and drink less this year.
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/406
It’s easy to see why you might pour yourself a glass of wine when things aren’t going your way, but what happens if your life seems to be working out fine? Why are you still reaching for a drink?
You’ve been tricked into thinking happiness must be obtained, which is why, in order to change your actions—using alcohol for quick relief—you must first change how you think. The truth is, negative emotions are just a part of the human experience.
Listen in to learn how to avoid the trap of thinking you have “no right to complain,” which can actually worsen your relationship with alcohol. Even more, you’ll find out how to accept any emotion you are having at this moment.
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/405
It’s around this time of year that you start thinking about making changes, but what happens when you decide to stop drinking and you’re not happy? Is the answer to go back to alcohol or simply settle for a lackluster life?
That’s what alcohol does to your brain—it applies a thin veneer to a harsh reality. But it may interest you to know that there’s a third choice. You can upgrade your life.
Listen to find out why alcohol tricks your brain and how to break that cycle. Even more, you will learn how to take meaningful steps to a better life with one simple exercise.
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/404
If you’re taking a break from drinking this holiday season, you might feel like you’re stuck at the kids’ table at every gathering.
The reality is, we have been socialized to view alcohol as a sophisticated, adult activity. Those thoughts—implanted by TV, movies, and marketing—create desire and fuel a vicious habit cycle.
Tune in to explore how your brain learned to outsource certain beliefs about adulthood to the contents of your glass. You’ll also discover how to retrain your brain, because it’s easier to say no when what you’re drinking doesn’t make you feel like a kid.
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/403
Picture this: You and a few friends have decided to split a bottle of wine. Everyone fills their glass, but there’s still a little left in the bottle. You can probably guess what happens next.
But did you know that the decision to finish the bottle might not actually be your own? It may be a pair of mental blocks preventing you from tuning in to the sensation of having had enough to drink.
Listen to this episode to explore those mental blocks and how they can easily lead to overdrinking. You’ll also learn how to reconnect with the concept of “enough” rather than relying on external indicators.
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 and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/402
“Alcohol is poison.” “It’s toxic—why would I put it in my body?” These are common refrains from people who quit drinking. But are they helpful in reshaping your relationship with alcohol?
Humans have used alcohol for centuries to alter how they feel. Demonizing it or treating it as entirely good or entirely bad can block you from deciding its role in your life.
In today’s episode, I explore why this black-and-white mindset lacks nuance, prevents curiosity, and how shame and guilt, while effective in the short term, rarely lead to 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 and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/401
You’ve been there: You’re with friends, and you’re doing your best not to drink (or stop after one), and suddenly you’re met with resistance. A lot of feelings bubble up. What do you do next?
It can be challenging to say no in certain situations, and setting rules or restrictions isn’t going to help. Instead, you must learn to manage those feelings that arise to change your relationship with alcohol.
Listen in to learn how to weather someone’s disappointment so you can be your authentic self, and why keeping a commitment to not drinking is less about being strong and more about allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable sensations.
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 and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/400
Counting drinks is a common strategy that many people use to try to drink less, but it can often backfire and leave you feeling frustrated and ashamed.
While it can be a useful awareness-raising tool in the beginning, relying on external rules and numbers disconnects you from your own inner authority and doesn't address the unconscious desires driving your drinking.
Instead of trying to become a perfect rule-follower, the key to lasting change is developing a strong sense of authority over yourself and your choices. In this episode, I share why this matters so much and how you can start to cultivate it. By the end, you'll have a new perspective on why counting drinks hasn't worked for you in the past and a roadmap for what to focus on instead.
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 and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/399
Do you ever wish you could just be a "normal" drinker? Do you fantasize that if you could fix your drinking, you'd finally feel okay about yourself?
The truth is, becoming a normal drinker isn't really about the alcohol. It's about the story we tell ourselves - that if we can just change this one thing, we'll be worthy and whole. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work that way.
In this episode, I dive into the fantasy of normal drinking and share the worst and best news about what it really takes to change your relationship with alcohol and with yourself.
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 and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/398
How many problems in your increasingly complex life can be solved by a one-size-fits-all solution? Not many. And yet, society insists on prescribing such an approach when it comes to drinking less.
Everyone’s relationship with alcohol is different, and the only way to change your habit is by finding an individualized approach. But how? It all starts with discovering the root cause of your drinking.
That’s why I’m so excited to announce that my book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, is officially available. Listen in today to hear how this do-it-yourself guide will help you discover the right solution for you and your brain.
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 and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/397
Do you like being alone? It’s a simple question that can offer great insight into your relationship with alcohol, which is why today’s episode revisits this crucial concept.
If you have a low tolerance for solitude, you likely seek out distractions instead of spending time alone, including pouring a drink. But if you could actually learn to enjoy this time, you might be able to change that habit.
Listen in to learn how the quality of your thoughts when alone impacts your feelings and actions (the think-feel-act cycle), what you can do about them, and how these changes can positively affect your drinking habits.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/396
No matter where you are on your journey to changing your relationship with drinking, there’s one question you’ll need to be prepared to answer—and it’s one that you may struggle with or dread: “Do you want a drink?”
While you’re trying to find the perfect response, you might actually be missing out on why saying no is so difficult in the first place. Luckily, there is a simple technique that can help you.
Listen in to learn this practice, specifically what to notice after saying no, why you should avoid lying when someone asks “why not?”, and what their response says about their relationship with alcohol.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/395
Does there always seems to be chatter in your brain about alcohol? Whether you should drink tonight, whether you should have just one more, or any of the questions you ask yourself after a night of drinking.
You might be surprised to hear it has nothing to do with how much you drink. It’s a result of how your brain is structured and how you’re socialized. And once you understand the why, you can learn how to quiet the chatter.
Listen to learn why this chatter is normal and how it can be used as an opportunity to get to know yourself better and tap into your wisdom (instead of your cravings) to implement change.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/394
You may have asked yourself the morning after a long night of drinking or while sitting across from someone sipping their first cocktail as you finish your third: "Why can’t I drink like everyone else?"
But what if your drinking has little to do with alcohol? Instead, what if it's a matter of coping with your humanness? In that case, the problem is actually the conversations our society has about drinking.
Tune in to discover why our one-size-fits-all approach to drinking interferes with your ability to intelligently examine your relationship with alcohol and your cravings- and what to do about it.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/393
Humans have a long history of using alcohol for medicinal purposes. While drinking can often numb your pain in the moment, it actually creates more stress on the body.
When we repeatedly turn to alcohol for relief from insomnia, chronic pain, or other ailments, our brains start to believe that drinking is the only way out of suffering. But in reality, alcohol increases inflammation in the body, disrupts sleep, and diverts energy away from healing.
Tune in to today’s episode to learn about this Drink Archetype, including what The Remedy prevents you from doing—such as distinguishing pain from suffering—and how to use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with alcohol.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/392
If you find yourself constrained by your life and living up to expectations of who you should be, you’re not alone. You spend so much time adhering to societal conventions that, every once in a while, it can feel freeing to rebel against the rules—by pouring a drink and living uncensored.
Having a drink to let go of pressure and expectations can feel good in the moment, but this is The Release—one of the eight Drink Archetypes—in action, and it teaches your brain that alcohol is needed to cope with the pressure you’re under.
Tune in to today’s episode to learn how The Release teaches your brain to associate alcohol with freedom, the impact of this, and why the feeling of “screw it” before turning to drink is preventing you from dismantling society’s expectations…and your own.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/391
When you're bored or looking to pass the time, you might feel inclined to pour yourself a drink. Humans have a long history of using alcohol as a form of entertainment and it’s easy to think "I might as well drink, it's better than what I'm doing.”
But did you know the faster you reach for that drink when you dislike what you’re doing, the quicker you will start to feel bored? This is what happens when The Hourglass—one of the eight Drink Archetypes—is activated.
In today's episode, learn more about how The Hourglass teaches your brain that boredom is a problem to be solved and why you can normalize boredom in order to design a path toward pursuits that light you up.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/390
Humans have a long history of using alcohol as “liquid courage.” But did you know this can actually make your insecurities and anxiety worse?
The Mask is one of eight Drink Archetypes, and it teaches your brain to associate a buzz with feeling confident around others. But when it feels like a drink is necessary to have fun, saying no will interfere with your desire to feel confident and enjoy yourself, making it difficult to abstain or moderate.
In this week’s episode, discover why the short-term confidence you can get from drinking can lead to increased anxiety over time and what to do to fix this.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/389
There are no shortages of pop-culture examples in which someone is seen drinking to numb their pain—likely because people have been using alcohol to drown their sorrow for centuries. But the fact is, doing so can prevents you from coping effectively.
The Escape is one of eight Drink Archetypes and it teaches your brain that whatever negative situation or series of events happening in your life is too much to handle. You’re then caught in a cycle of using alcohol more frequently (and in greater quantities) to dull your feelings.
Tune in to this episode to learn more about how The Escape is activated, why this archetype makes it even harder to change your relationship to drinking, and the three things you're not doing when it is present.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/388
The concept of drinking to relax is nothing new. It goes hand-in-hand with the belief that you deserve a drink—whether it’s after a hard day’s work or because it’s your “me time” routine. In reality, using alcohol as a treat can backfire.
The Reward is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and it can wrongly teach your brain that alcohol is the only way to unwind as well as convince you that drinking is a permission to stop working or to make time for yourself.
Tune in to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of The Reward, including what inactions this archetype is leading to and how you can use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with drinking as a means of relaxing.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/387
Humans have long used alcohol’s ability to facilitate bonding by lowering people’s defenses. But you may be surprised to discover that when alcohol becomes your go-to way to open up, it can actually block your ability to connect with others (even with those you feel close to).
The Connector is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and not only does it teach the brain that alcohol helps you lower your guard around others, but it may also leave you worried that a potential change to your drinking could threaten certain relationships.
Listen to this episode, as we take a deep dive into how this archetype can make it difficult to abstain or moderate and the three key things you probably don’t realize you’re not doing when The Connector is activated.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/386
If you're someone who often reaches for a drink because “it would make things more special,” then you may recognize The Upgrade drink archetype—one of eight unconscious patterns that influence why you drink.
Identifying this pattern is the first step in changing your relationship with alcohol. The next is understanding how The Upgrade impacts what your brain is learning.
For instance, the desire to use alcohol to elevate an experience teaches your brain to associate drinking with a reward and, as a result, you’ll see any situation without a drink as lacking. But, by using the think-feel-act cycle, you can teach your brain something new.
Tune in this week to explore The Upgrade, how it is negatively training your brain, and the ways you can use the think-feel-act cycle to begin to change these unconscious habits.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/385
Believe it or not, overindulgence is a part of the human experience. So why is it that you consider this natural impulse to be negative?
Whether it’s drinking, eating, spending or something else, it's easy to associate overindulgence with your character and make it mean something negative about you. Throw in the societal and moral baggage, and this belief really hinders your attempts to change.
It can lead to a vicious cycle—one in which you cease being curious about why you’re drinking and, instead, find yourself unconsciously chasing after a magical place where overindulgence doesn't happen.
Tune in this week to discover why overindulgence isn’t itself a problem and what’s actually necessary in order to change your relationship with alcohol.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/384
If you routinely drink too much, should you just stop drinking? What if you keep drinking, even though, deep down, you don’t believe you can moderate? These are fraught questions that often bring up a lot of fear and shame.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is to approach the question from a different angle. In order to do this, you must explore the contradiction underlying the habit.
Everyone walks around with contradictions inside them. You say you want to lose weight, but you keep eating junk food. You want to make the most of life, yet you keep wasting hours on your phone. And you want to drink less, yet you keep going back for more.
Instead of blaming and shaming yourself, what if the contradiction is the key to change? Perhaps behaviors you view as deeply illogical, make perfect sense.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/383
Listen to Rachel’s conversation with Kara Loewentheil, a Master-Certified Life Coach and author of Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head and How to Get It Out.
Together, they discuss some of the hidden reasons why you might reach for a drink when you’re feeling anxious at a party, overworked, afraid of making mistakes, or wanting to avoid disappointing someone.
Discover why the first step to stopping any behavior that feels compulsive has nothing to do with creating the “perfect” plan to follow. Learn what you should do instead and why it may feel counterintuitive.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/382
You want to change your relationship with drinking, but other than listening to the podcast, you’re not doing anything about it.
This paralysis, while frustrating, is actually very normal.
Explore the three reasons this happens and how they relate to your cravings, your beliefs about failure, and your vision of the future.
Discover why your unwillingness to act isn’t illogical but actually an important piece of how the habit works.
In this episode, you’ll find a new perspective that will help make it easier to take the plunge and stop waiting around for your drinking to change on its own.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/381
Who cares? How many times have you poured yourself a drink after silently uttering these words to yourself?
If you’re like most people, the answer is a lot.
Hidden behind “Who cares?” is a powerful tension that, if revealed, will help you say no to your cravings.
Tune in and discover why this particular excuse is so good at sabotaging your commitment and what’s actually required in order to successfully change your relationship with alcohol.
Do you know your drink type? Take the free Drink Archetype quiz and discover which of the eight drinking patterns applies to you: http://drinktype.com
Want to feel more in control and have a healthier relationship with alcohol? Join the Take a Break membership: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/380
You know the scenario. You promised not to drink tonight… but by 5 o’clock, you’re ready for a drink.
Or you told yourself you would only have one drink at happy hour, but then your friend suggests another round.
“I’ll be good tomorrow” is an excuse you’ve probably told yourself many times before.
Why is it so easy to fall into this trap, even when you have plenty of evidence that tomorrow you’ll wish you had said no?
Tune in and discover why this excuse is so insidious and the best way to combat it.
After listening to this episode, you’ll never hear the excuse “I’ll be good tomorrow” the same way again.
Do you know your drink type? Take the free Drink Archetype quiz and discover which of the eight drinking patterns applies to you: http://drinktype.com
Want to feel more in control and have a healthier relationship with alcohol? Join the Take a Break membership: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/379
In this episode, we cover a scenario that may be familiar. You start drinking and then convince yourself to continue because "Why stop now?" This mindset isn't just about alcohol; it can also happen with food and spending. Many of us develop a habit of letting things like an empty glass or a finished package override our feelings of fullness.
Listen to understand why we make this excuse and how to stop, even after you've begun. Learning to stop is a key step in teaching your brain to manage cravings. Understand why accepting that mistakes are part of the journey and not a sign of failure.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz for insights into your drinking habits and effective strategies for change: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/378
In this episode, we tackle a familiar scenario: you've made progress in reducing your drinking, but then a special celebration comes up. So, how do you stay on track with your commitment?
The answer isn’t what you may expect. Discover how your Drink Archetypes, especially The Upgrade, can act like blinders in these moments and the exact question to ask yourself to change your perspective.
Remember, working with your excuses around special occasions is about moving toward pleasure, not away from it.
Wondering if you’re The Upgrade archetype?
Take the quiz: http://drinktype.com
Listen to the episode all about this archetype: https://rachelhart.com/upgrade-archetype/
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/377
We all face moments where life doesn’t match our expectations. We often feel this most acutely when trying to change our relationship with alcohol. In this episode, you’ll hear about the universality of the thought, “This is not what my life is supposed to look like.”
Explore the connection between this thought and various Drink Archetypes. You’ll come to understand that its presence goes beyond any specific archetype. Discover how this reflection on our lives is deeply tied to our current state of self and emotions.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand the root causes of your drinking: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/376
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably told yourself if you had more willpower, it would be easier to drink less.
This episode delves into the limitations of willpower and why it often falls short. Discover the skill set most people overlook when trying to drink less.
You’ll also learn about the eight Drink Archetypes, and how they fit into your struggle with self-discipline. Walk away with tools that make it easier to keep your commitments.
Join the challenge, Drink Less in 5 Days starting April 8th, for tools and coaching on drinking less without relying on willpower: https://rachelhart.com/drinkless/
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/375
Have you ever thought that if you could just figure out how to stay motivated, then it would be easier to say no to a drink?
You’re not alone. Motivation is a concept that many grapple with. This episode sheds light on where motivation comes from and how to find more of it.
Learn the real reason your progress is slower than you want it to be. Uncover how to change more effectively with some simple questions to ask yourself.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz and learn the specific tools to drink less for your drink type: https://findyourdrinktype.com/
Join our monthly membership. We will provide you with everything you need to drink less, rarely, or not at all. Join us: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/374
Pouring a drink at the end of the day can be a treat. But it can easily sabotage your goal of changing your relationship with alcohol. Especially if you have a love-hate relationship with your desire for rewards.
This episode will help you stop framing the reward you want as good or bad. Instead, you’ll learn why it’s important to view the desire for a drink as neutral, and how that can help you tap into the inner workings of the habit.
Discover the real problem when it comes to wanting to reward yourself at the end of the day, and why a drink might actually be a mismatch for what you truly need.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/373
Using alcohol as a remedy for a hangover is so common that it has its own term: “the hair of the dog.” Discover why some people swear by this and what’s really happening when you drink to feel better.
This episode explains the real reason hangovers feel bad (it’s not what you think). We explore why so many people promise “never again” after a hangover, only to go back on their word. And we examine why you should be a scientist—not a moralist—when you’re looking for relief.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/372
Revisit (or listen for the first time) to the celebration of our 100th episode of the Take a Break podcast. In this episode I’m comb through the archives of the past 99 episodes and pull out some of the most important concepts and lessons from each episode. This is an excellent review for you to look at what your next layer of work is and if you’re a new listener, you’re getting the best overview you could possibly get to help you figure out which episodes you need/want to dig deeper into first.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/100
If you’ve ever thought, “Once I start, I can’t stop”—you’re not alone. Lots of people find it easier not to drink at all than to moderate.
But if don’t want to stop drinking forever, then you must be willing to challenge this belief. Yes, alcohol is an intoxicant and if you consume enough it will impair your judgment. But you might discover that you’re checking out long before this happens.
There’s a paradox embedded in “Once I start, I can’t stop.” The more you believe you can’t trust yourself, the less attention you give alcohol when you’re consuming it. And the less attention you give to the experience of drinking, the more you’ll drink.
Listen to this episode and discover the real reason you go on autopilot once you start drinking. Discover how the Drink Archetypes can help you start paying attention and drink less.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/371
Society tends to talk about people being in “denial” about their drinking. But this belief often causes more harm than how much someone drinks.
In this episode, learn the truth about why you might not be taking action even though you know your relationship with alcohol is unhealthy. Discover what’s really behind the idea of “being in denial” and how it can get in the way of change.
You are not a problem that needs fixing, which is good news. Even if you’ve been shaming yourself about your drinking, this doesn’t mean that you’re in denial. Changing your drinking is not a simple matter of “facing the facts.” The solution isn’t just knowing what to do but learning how to do it.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/370
Shame and regret about your drinking can feel so isolating, but it’s way more common than you think. The real problem is the unconscious ways you might find yourself trying to make up for being “bad.”
It’s easy to spin on questions like, “Why was I so stupid?” or “When am I going to learn my lesson?” Or to wish you could build a time machine and change the past. But this line of thinking is a trap.
Discover the thought error around shame that is actually keeping you stuck and preventing you from developing a healthy relationship with alcohol.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/369
If you have chronic pain, an autoimmune disease, or insomnia, you might use alcohol to cope. This makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, alcohol can act as a band-aid that’s blocking you from the cure.
How do you deal with the pain in your body without alcohol? This question is at the heart of The Hourglass, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. Discover why it can be challenging to keep your commitment when you have this archetype.
The good news? Work with the Remedy archetype and learn to separate physical and emotional suffering. When you can do this, you can find a way to live in the body you have, discomfort and all.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/368
Drinking to feel more free and to be ourselves is common. You'll often hear friends talking about having a drink to "let loose" or "let their hair down."
In this Drink Archetype episode, you'll understand The Release's origin. Listen to hear how to create more freedom for yourself—even while choosing to drink less or not at all.
You can learn to live a less restrained life. Even if you feel trapped by perfectionism, high expectations, or imposter syndrome. Working with The Release archetype will help you develop a true sense of self.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/367
How do you fill your time when there’s nothing to do? This question is at the heart of The Hourglass, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. Uncover why it can be hard to keep your commitment when you have this archetype.
The desire for entertainment is a normal part of being human. Whether you’re drinking, eating, or scrolling through your phone. Yet, pairing unscheduled time with a drink can cause more problems than you might realize.
The good news? Work with The Hourglass archetype and discover how to redirect your time and energy. The more you do, the more you’ll discover desires beyond what you’re drinking.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/366
In this episode, you’ll learn about The Mask, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. The archetypes are unconscious patterns that can influence your relationship with alcohol. Using alcohol as the antidote to social anxiety is so common that society even has a term for it: “liquid courage.”
Uncover why The Mask can lead to drinking more than you want to.
The good news is that, even in social situations, you can learn to manage your anxiety without a drink. Working with The Mask archetype will help you feel more at ease socially.
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/365
Even if you’re not planning on Dry January, make sure you listen to this episode. These two mistakes will sabotage your attempts at change, no matter your plans this month.
Most people assume two things when trying to cut back on their drinking. Assumption #1: Saying should be enough to create change. For example, if you usually end your day with a drink, a month of abstinence should erase the habit. Discover why saying no is only one part of lasting change. Assumption #2: It’s always going to feel like this when I say no. For example, did it seem like you were the odd man out when you watched the game drinking an NA beer? This second assumption leaves you worried that how you feel right now is how you’ll feel forever. Learn how to get unstuck from this trap.
If left unaddressed, these issues will get in the way of you shifting your drinking for good. Click here to listen to steer clear of these two common mistakes.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/364
Taking a month off from drinking can be an incredibly powerful New Year's resolution. But if you don’t prepare for the most common stumbling blocks, your best intentions can backfire.
In this episode, you’ll discover how to set yourself up for success. You’ll learn about five key areas: urges, excuses, temptation, the habit, and staying on track. You’ll walk away with tips and tricks to help you get the most out of a month without alcohol.
Even if you’re unsure about Dry January, this episode will shed light on the patterns keeping you stuck.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/363
It’s not unusual to crave a drink in times of stress. But when life won’t let up, how are you supposed to cut back?
In this episode, you’ll learn about The Escape, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. The Escape is associated with drinking to ease worry or quiet an overactive mind. Learn why this archetype tends to make you pour larger drinks and drink faster.
The good news is that you can learn to drink less—or even skip the drinks altogether—when times are tough. Working with The Escape archetype will help you feel more resilient in the face of life’s ups and downs.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/362
It’s incredibly common to reward yourself with a drink after making it through a long day or a long week. But no longer having a treat to look forward to can make it hard to keep your commitment to drink less.
In this episode, you’ll learn about The Reward, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. Discover why it’s easy to get into the habit of drinking when you’re overworked, exhausted, or need a break. And why this pattern can lead to drinking too much.
The good news: you can work with this archetype to ease the constant search for a treat. Get curious about the role alcohol plays in your work-life boundaries. And discover how The Reward can lead to feeling more restful and relaxed.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/361
Welcome to the Take a Break from Drinking podcast with your host, Rachel Hart. If you’re looking for a radically different approach to help you cut back or stop drinking, this is the place for you.
You probably have plenty of good reasons to drink less, but that doesn’t mean saying no is always easy. Listen as Rachel dispels the most common myths about why it’s hard to resist temptation.
Forget about labels, judgment, or one-size-fits-all solutions. Rachel will give you a logical framework to reexamine the moments you gave in or overdid it. You’ll collect data that reveals why your past attempts to change have been hit or miss.
You’ll discover that people reach for a drink for reasons that aren’t always obvious. Alcohol can represent so many things: A reward for working hard. Liquid courage. Relief from your worries. Bonding with friends and family. A way to elevate your meal. Entertainment when you’re bored. An aphrodisiac. A sign that the work day is over. A solution for insomnia. And permission to cut loose and live a little.
Because alcohol is intertwined with so many aspects of your life, you need to step back and see the big picture. You’ll approach change from the standpoint of “What tools am I missing?” rather than “I should’ve learned my lesson by now.” And you’ll find out why scare tactics, counting days, and strict rules often backfire. Rachel’s goal is to help you get curious without all the judgment or shame.
Saying no doesn’t have to be a choice between being healthy or having a good time. Stop feeling like you’re on autopilot when you drink. Start trusting yourself to make conscious decisions that align with the life you want.
Ready to get started? Take Rachel’s free Drink Archetypes quiz at findyourdrinktype.com. You’ll get a personalized report for the eight archetypes: The Upgrade, The Connector, The Hourglass, The Reward, The Escape, The Mask, The Release, and The Remedy. Or start with episode #358 and the unconscious patterns that influence your drinking.
It’s normal for drinking to be a shared activity with friends, family, and romantic partners. So how do you change your drinking without feeling disconnected?
In this episode, you’ll learn about The Connector, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. When drinking is bonding go hand in hand, it can be hard to keep your commitments around alcohol.
The good news: you don’t have to replace your relationships when you cut back or stop drinking. Discover the real reason you feel disconnected when you say no to a drink. Learn how this archetype can bring more closeness and connection into your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/360
The Drink Archetypes are eight unconscious patterns that influence why you drink. On this episode, we’ll do a deep dive into The Upgrade archetype and why it can make saying no tricky.
The Upgrade archetype comes from the idea that certain things are better with a drink. Wine elevates the meal. Get-togethers feel more special with alcohol. Even watching the sunset is better with a drink.
But associating alcohol with enjoying “the finer things in life” has its downsides. Take alcohol away, and suddenly everything is a little less enticing. Drinking can feel like a foregone conclusion rather than a deliberate choice. After all, who wants things to feel less special?
Discover how The Upgrade archetype can steal your capacity for enjoyment. Learn how to stop feeling like you're missing out when you say no. Understanding this archetype will teach you how to access more pleasure in life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/359
Even when you have lots of good reasons to cut back or stop drinking, most people eventually go back to their old ways. Why? Because people drink for reasons that aren’t always easy to see. That’s why I created The Drink Archetypes. These eight unconscious patterns influence why you drink and reach for another. Knowing the archetypes that apply to you will give you a blueprint to follow to create lasting change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/358
You’ve been there. A no good, very bad day occurs and, seemingly out of nowhere, a voice in your head urges you to pour a drink. Yet you don’t abide.
You might be surprised by the ease at which you respond to such a moment of temptation. But then again, you know that developing a lasting change to your drinking requires an understanding of what that drink truly represents. This week, you’ll hear a story about how not accepting the false narrative that breaking the habit is a life-long battle can make saying “no” so much easier.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/357
You might believe that the end of the year is a difficult time to change your drinking habit. In reality, this period of temptation can actually supercharge your ability to retrain your brain. This week, you will learn how to address that lacking feeling you experience before pouring a drink and the questions you need to ask yourself to ultimately do the work of changing your brain.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/356
If you reach for a drink when you get home from work, there’s a good chance you were experiencing some type of negative emotion during the day. However, it could have been so subtle you didn’t even know it was there. By bringing awareness to these subtle emotions throughout the day, you can decrease the urge you feel to drink.
In this episode, I’m sharing how to work on the skill of “being where you are” so you can notice the subtle emotions that lead you to pouring a drink at the end of the day.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/355
When everyone around you is drinking, the fear of missing out can make social situations especially hard to navigate.
Luckily, this episode explores some strategies you can go to instead of pouring a drink. You'll hear some insights on your lower brain when it comes to your desire to drink, and how to stick to your commitments.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/354
If you had a drink after deciding you were taking a break, you might have the thought that “it doesn’t matter.” This is an extremely common thought to have when you’re struggling to stick with your commitment to change your habit.
This week, learn how the excuse of “it doesn’t matter” is getting in the way of changing your habit, and how to keep taking strides towards improving your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/353
Free drinks are everywhere. Whether you’re at an open-bar event, there are bottomless mimosas at brunch, or they’re offering a glass of bubbly in the airport lounge, it is incredibly common to encounter free drinks. This can make saying no to those drinks extra difficult.
This week, learn how to keep working towards changing your relationship with drinking regardless of the free drinks available to you.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/352
Even when you aren’t experiencing the urge to drink, you can still have a lot of fear around urges. You might think that the urge to drink is so powerful that you won’t he able to say no.
This week, discover how to move through any urge you have including the urge to pour a drink. You’ll learn how to create a new relationship with the desire to drink so you can identify this desire without fear.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/351
When you feel compelled to drink, the act of drinking isn’t very enjoyable. It can feel like you’re “giving in” or are out of control. However, it is possible for drinking to be a pleasurable experience and not leave you feeling guilty or undisciplined.
The key is changing what your goal around drinking is, and that’s what you’ll hear all about in this week’s episode.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/350
When all you want is a glass of wine, a cold beer, or a cocktail, water can feel boring. No matter how you dress it up, it can leave you feeling resentful, disinterested, and wanting an alcoholic drink.
This week, learn why water is not the problem, and how to use a glass of water to reveal what is really driving your habit and relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/349
Do celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries feel more special with a drink in hand? Do you think that cooking dinner or watching a sunset can be even better with a drink?
This week, learn how to teach your brain that toasting with a drink isn’t the only way to make a situation feel special and how to recalibrate your reward center to seek pleasure from other sources.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/348
When you get in the habit of relying on a drink or overeating to make you feel better, your brain can get confused and start to see alcohol and food as friends.
This week, learn why alcohol and food aren’t your friends, the exact reason your brain tricks you into believing they are, and 5 important qualities you need to examine in your relationship with alcohol and food.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/347
It can feel impossible to be in social situations without a drink, but spending years, if not decades, relying on a drink to get you through these situations could be making it harder for you to stop.
This week, learn why we have this ingrained pattern with drinking when meeting new people, and why continuing to drink in these situations is not the solution to alleviating your anxiety around them.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/346
Do you worry that you will never be able to change your relationship with alcohol? Do you question how you’re going to drink less and figure it all out? If so, you are not alone.
This week, discover a simple tactic to help you explore your feelings of fear and shame, create awareness around your habits, and transform your doubt into something more useful.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/345
If you find yourself continuing to give in to the urge to drink, even though you know it’s not great for you, you’re not alone. Focusing solely on the impact of drinking when it comes to your health only tells one piece of the story.
This week, learn the problem with focusing only on the health risks of drinking and discover another way to change your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/344
For many of us, pouring a glass of wine or opening a beer at the end of a long or stressful day is the easiest way to unwind.
This week, learn why the thought that it is easier to drink is keeping you stuck in the cycle of overdrinking, and use this knowledge to create long-lasting change in your drinking habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/343
When trying to change your relationship with alcohol, subtle comments like “Oh, you’re having another?” or “You sure like your wine!” can feel embarrassing and painful. But you can leverage these moments and use them to your advantage.
This week, learn how to deal with other people’s subtle comments about your drinking and use them to create real change in your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/342
Making excuses doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to change. When you learn how to leverage these excuses, you are able to discover what is happening beneath the surface and start acting differently.
This week, learn how to identify the desires beneath your habits and leverage your excuses to discover a path toward drinking differently.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/341
When an event in your external environment doesn't make sense, the brain invents a reason to explain it. It leads you to place yourself into a binary label of good, or bad; able or unable. It prevents you from connecting with your truth.
This week, learn what is actually holding you back from making a change and the key to transforming your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/340
A champagne flute on a special occasion, a delicate martini with friends, or a classic wine glass that you enjoy, the shapes of glassware can be fun and exciting. But it can feel a lot less exciting to drink a mocktail from a soda glass.
This week, learn how to leverage the think, feel, act cycle when it comes to glassware, and understand the connection between the glass you drink from and your drinking habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/339
Saying no to drinking can seem impossible when your friends gather at the winery, and your family events involve beer in the backyard. But creating a list of why you can’t succeed isn’t helping.
This week, learn why desire, justifying, judgment and social norms are tangled in your ability to say no peacefully. Discover methods to understand your negative emotions and how they can help you shift your habits.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/338
Desire cannot be tamed by shame or logical reasoning. No matter how much you shame yourself into change, it will only work temporarily.
This week, learn why managing your desire is so difficult and emotional and discover methods for understanding the process of desire within your body.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/337
Preparing for failure is an essential aspect of creating change in your drinking. You will not want to simply say “no” every night. This is natural and should be expected. Having tools and tactics to get you through moments when you don’t want to do the work makes a big difference when it comes to changing your relationship with drinking.
This week, learn how words and willingness can help you to reframe your experiences of disappointment and restlessness as they come up. Discover the reason you don’t stick to the goals you set of a morning in the evening, and how to change the way you approach frustrating experiences.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/336
Drinking is linked to our day-to-day life in so many different ways, from daily routines and productivity to physical and emotional health and relationships. When you change your relationship to drinking, many other things can change, and it all starts with one simple exercise.
This week, learn how to identify compelling reasons to change your relationship with alcohol and why identifying these reasons is essential in creating lasting change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/335
There are certain thoughts and beliefs you hold that may be perpetuating your drinking. Noticing these thoughts and beliefs will enable you to break them down, develop trust with your body and mind, and take action toward creating habitual change.
In this episode, learn 5 reasons you continue to drink even though your body is giving you another signal and how to unpack your seemingly unconscious habits so you can make the change you want.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/334
Huge commitments, such as a lifetime without another drink, can feel limiting to the point of inaction, avoidance, and pure terror. But small steps can help you make space for more change.
This week, consider taking the idea of a lifetime of sobriety off the table. Discover methods for responding to excuses without fear, and learn to make lasting change with more ease.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/333
Many of us use drinking to numb negative emotions. Over time this creates a habit of needing a drink to manage your negative emotion. The same thing occurs when we try to augment positive emotions; our positive emotions start to not feel as good without a drink.
This week, learn how to move away from augmenting positive emotions and drinking when you feel good. Discover why augmenting emotions has a huge impact on your brain, experience, and habit and how to practice the skill of finding peace and contentment in the moment.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/332
We all have the ability to think differently, change our emotional state, and create new habits. Opportunity to change begins with identifying feelings and shaping new responses through our commitments.
Learn the difference between rules and commitments, why working with rules keeps you from the root of your desire to drink, and why commitments are a powerful tool for true transformation.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/331
This week, learn how to use failure as a tool for growth, to understand your habit, and to make honest assessments and adjustments that suit you and your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/330
Knowing how to confront your urges to drink takes practice. It takes both knowledge and know-how.
This week we learn why there is nothing wrong with you if you are struggling with your relationship with moderation.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/329
Understanding how and why urges exist enables you to address them with clarity and create ease and levity in your relationship with alcohol.
This week, discover why your urge is not the enemy, how to eliminate the power they hold over you, and how to confront your urges without fear.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/328
The reasons you keep drinking are simple. The work that is required to address your drinking takes time and attention, but it is far from out of reach.
In this episode, learn the reasons you keep drinking, and some key tools to help you manage your mind and create an environment where drinking less becomes easier and easier.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/327
The process of deciding on your end goal can be a challenge when changing your relationship to drinking. It is okay to not exactly know what you want, beyond knowing that something needs to change. In this episode, learn the power of freeing up your mental energy so that you can worry less about drinking, and spend more time creating, enjoying, and cultivating other aspects of life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/326
The rules you have established for when you’re out on the town may be slipping because you have not accounted for your brain’s emotions and expectations. In this episode, learn how to respond to your inner dialogue and your urges with clarity that ignites insight.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/325
Find out why backsliding doesn’t have to mean giving up on your goal to drink less, why you actually need backsliding to make real habit change, and how you can prevent it from derailing your progress.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/324
Find out why no matter how many times you break your commitment to drinking less, you can always intervene and get back on track. Learn how to bring awareness to that moment so you can consciously decide what you want to do next.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/323
The moment you decided to give in, to order another one, to take a sip, you made a decision.
This week, learn how to reevaluate the nitty-gritty moment right before having a drink and why bringing awareness to this moment will help you keep your commitment in the future.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/322
No one’s perfect, and even if you don’t intend to drink during your break, it’s likely that you will. Learn why your commitment to drinking less never seems to last, and how preparing for your commitment in the lead-up changes everything on your break.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/321
Your drinking habit was created after years of messaging you absorbed. It’s not a disease or a reflex or a character defect. Learn how to think about your drinking habit without blaming yourself, and find out how to empower yourself to change your drinking habit without the self-abuse or shame.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/320
Whether you want to drink less during the week, take a break for 30 days, or stop drinking altogether, there is one question you need to ask yourself. Tune in to learn what the first step to changing your drinking habit is and how to get started today.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/319
Discover a solution to your negative emotions that doesn’t include drinking, and find out why this solution will help you change your relationship with drinking for good.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/318
Find out why slip-ups on your break from drinking are not a problem, and the skills you need to master to finally feel in control of your drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/317
In this episode, learn how to change your drinking habit without relying on motivation, and the trick to generating motivation with your thoughts.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/316
Despite what you might be thinking, the number of times you’ve tried to cut back in the past and then failed doesn’t matter. Your ability to change your drinking boils down to your mindset. Find out why change seems impossible for you and why it’s not.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/315
If you’re trying to stop drinking or drink less, it might seem like a great idea to get rid of all the alcohol in your house. However, as you’ll learn in this episode, removing temptation doesn’t magically fix your habit. Find out what getting rid of the alcohol in your house implies and where to channel your efforts instead.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/314
Pausing your drinking for Dry January (or at any time of year) can feel like you’ve pressed pause on fun and pleasure. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Tune in this week to learn how to infuse more fun into your life even when you’re not drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/313
Around this time of year, many people set resolutions to change their drinking. They follow the same process they always have, slip up, and wonder why nothing changes. This week, learn a new way to think about the steps you need to take to change your drinking habit and drink less this year.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/312
The new year is a great time to reevaluate your relationship with drinking. Whatever the goal for your drinking habit is, it will require a shift in mindset that comes with some discomfort. This week, learn what that shift entails and how to get started.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/311
The new year is around the corner, and you are so ready for this to be the year you change your drinking habit permanently. In this episode, find out the crucial first step you need to take if you want to create lasting change with your drinking habit in the new year or any other time of year.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/310
Narrating your desire to drink is a tool you can use to bring awareness and curiosity to your thoughts. In this episode, learn how to use this simple tool to ignite real change in your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/309
You are 100 percent capable of changing your drinking habit, but first, you have to believe it’s possible. This week, learn how to start developing that belief in your ability to change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/308
Believing that your personality causes your drinking habit is a trap that far too many people get stuck in. This week, learn how to get out of this trap, the truth about how your personality impacts your drinking habits, and how to think about your habit in a more accurate and effective way.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/307
Learn four practical ways to drink less during the holidays or any other time of year. Find out why these simple hacks are so effective, and how to make the most of them before the holidays.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/306
The holidays are often seen as a period of overindulgence in all areas, not in the least drinking. But they don’t have to be this way. Discover how the holidays can actually fast-track a change in your relationship to drinking, and where to start with this work so you can enter the new year without feeling defeated.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/305
Your to-do list and the voice inside that urges you to do more have a significant impact on your desire to drink. In this episode, learn how to tame your to-do list, quiet your inner taskmaster, and take control of your drinking while getting the rest you need.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/304
There will come a time when you have a drink after saying you wouldn’t. What you make that moment mean changes everything.
This week, find out why preparing for when you drink more than you intended to is so powerful on your habit-changing journey, and how to do it.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/303
Learn why breaking your drinking commitment does not mean you have failed, and how to use this moment as an opportunity to learn instead of self-sabotage.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/302
This week, discover why your current understanding of drinking in moderation isn’t going to help you change the habit and the importance of tuning inwards when deciding how much you’re going to drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/301
If you’ve been wanting to change your relationship with drinking, you have likely heard some of the conventional wisdom people share about doing this.
However, what you’ve been taught about drinking and the drinking habit isn’t true. Find out why here.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/300
My guest today is Dr. Katrina Ubell, Master Certified life coach, doctor, and author of How to Lose Weight for the Last Time, where she addresses changing your drinking habit as well as your overeating habit.
In this episode, Katrina and I discuss why these two habits can go hand in hand, and how to work on changing your overdrinking habit, overeating habit, or both.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/299
Resenting other people for drinking and yourself for not isn’t going to help you on this break or in changing your habit. The key is getting curious, and in this episode, you’ll find out why.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/298
Every year around Sober October, there is lots of advice shared about how to take a break from drinking.
In this episode, learn the truth about common Sober October advice, and how to actually use this break as an opportunity to create lasting change in your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/297
You’ve done the work to not avoid or resist the urge anymore. But, you still find yourself drinking when you don’t want to. What's going on? In this episode, you’ll find out the real reason you keep giving in despite all you’ve learned about the habit and the work you’ve done on your urges. Discover the next level of changing your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/296
Krista St-Germain shares what grief is, why it’s important to process through, and how to cope with the feelings that come with it. Find out how grief can be leveraged to change your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/295
In this episode, I’m sharing why drinking isn’t your best option for escaping a meltdown and how to instead, find out what you emotionally need in that moment.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/294
This week, discover why deprivation can be a good thing, and the purpose it serves on your journey to change your drinking. Then, learn how to use deprivation to shed light on your habit so you can change it for good.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/293
If you want to have a normal relationship with alcohol, there is one thing you have to start paying attention to. In this episode, find out what it really takes to have a normal relationship with alcohol and how to change your current relationship with drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/292
The need to decompress after a stressful day is normal. But drinking isn’t your only option. This week, learn how to decompress without drinking and how to transform your relationship with stress.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/291
If not drinking for 30 days sounds like a good idea, but right now is just not a good time to do so, you are likely experiencing resistance. Tune in this week to learn how to embrace everything that resistance has to teach you so you can create real and lasting habit change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/290
Learn from real-life examples how to apply my tools to drink less or not at all. Discover the hidden roadblocks in your way and the exact steps you need to change the habit. Sign up at rachelhart.com/secret
In this episode, learn what to do when your urges are barely noticeable but you’re still drinking when you don’t want to be. Find out how to respond to these urges without depending on willpower.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/289
The way you consume drinks can tell you a lot about your habit. You might struggle to leave any wine in the glass or the bottle, or you might find yourself drinking way faster than your friends. This week, learn how to know when you truly don’t want to drink anymore so you can stop feeling compelled to drink what’s left in your glass.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/288
If you only let yourself relax by pouring a glass of wine or a beer or by making a cocktail, there could be a deeper issue. In this episode, find out why you’re not allowing yourself to relax without a drink in hand, and how to start relaxing drink-free.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/287
When you’re stuck in a rut, it can feel like you’re repeating the same habit over and over again. Drinking every night or every weekend, unable to stop. If this sounds familiar, tune in to discover how to finally get out of your rut with drinking and start making progress on changing your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/286
Tune in this week to learn how to deal with the overwhelm of changing your habit of drinking. Once you learn and implement this solution, you will be unstoppable.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/285
It is possible to avoid getting off track with your progress, and it’s not by having more willpower. This week, discover how to create lasting change to your drinking habit despite all the obstacles life throws your way.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/284
Tune in to learn why your urges do not control you or your decision to drink. Find out how to start shifting your mindset so you can take back control of your drinking habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/283
Discover why your drinking habit has very little to do with the number of drinks you consume or what your goal is for drinking less. Find out what actually matters when you do this work.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/282
In this episode, find out why it is totally possible for you to change your drinking no matter how many times you’ve tried in the past. You’ll learn the exact skills you need to follow through on your plan to change your habit.
Get full Show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/281
Learn how to practice new thoughts about drinking to ultimately change your mindset, allowing you to take it or leave it with drinking.
Get full Show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/280
Learn why compelling reasons aren’t the be-all-end-all solution to your drinking, and how to use them to effectively make changes to your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/279
Find out why the reasons you aren’t working on your habit change aren’t what you think they are, and how to get to the real reason you haven’t changed your relationship with drinking yet.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/278
Discover why you might know how to change your drinking habit but still not do it, why this isn’t serving you, and how to get real about your habit so you can change it for good.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/277
A glass of wine might feel like it’s helping with your anxiety, but it can’t provide real relief. Discover what’s really going on when you reach for a drink to feel less anxious, and what will help you feel better in the long-run.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/276
Learn the phases of changing your relationship with alcohol, what you’ll experience in each one, and how to get started on this journey of changing your relationship with drinking once and for all.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/275
Find out why you can drink less no matter how hard it’s been to say no before, and how to embrace the discomfort that comes with changing your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/274
Learn why drink manipulation happens and what to do when you notice it happening to you. These instances can be great opportunities to learn more about your habit, so tune in to find out how.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/273
This week, learn how to hop off the see-saw once and for all, and how to teach your brain new skills to change your relationship with drinking for good.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/272
In this episode, find out where to put your focus and energy to create real, lasting change in your relationship with drinking. You can cultivate success without leaning on discipline and determination, and this episode will show you how.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/271
If you’re scared of being judged for not drinking, listen in this week. I’m sharing why other people’s responses can feel so scary and how to explore this fear so you can feel confident in your decision to take a break.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/270
Backsliding can feel incredibly frustrating. In this episode, I’m sharing how to stop backsliding and the three skills you need to learn to prevent it from happening ever again.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/269
If you’ve tried to change your drinking habit many times before, the people in your life may be a little skeptical of your ability to create lasting, permanent change. This week, discover three steps to successfully change your drinking habit with or without the support of the people around you.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/268
After a night of drinking, it’s common to ask yourself questions like What is wrong with me? Why can’t I just say no? Why can’t I drink like everybody else? In this episode, I revisit why the questions we ask ourselves about our drinking matter and how you can intentionally choose to ask yourself more powerful ones.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/267
In this episode, discover the 3 steps for effectively dismantling your habit from the inside out, and how to successfully and permanently change your habit without setting any rules.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/266
Find out why you might be using drinking as a form of self-care, why this isn’t right or wrong, and a process for slowing down the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/265
In this episode, I share why having competing desires isn’t a problem, how you can better understand your urges, and then respond to them with intention and curiosity.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/264
In this episode, I share how feeling defeated impacts your ability to say no to a drink, and how you can use this feeling to learn more about your habit and create lasting change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/263
Listen in this week to find out what really creates connection in relationships and how to change your habit while maintaining strong connections with others.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/262
You might think it’s the most reliable way to feel the way you want to, but it’s not. Find out why you keep turning to drinking to feel better and how to replace it with an option that truly is reliable and sustainable.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/261
In this episode, I show you why failure is part of the process of changing your habit and how to stop viewing having a drink as a bad thing.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/260
In this episode, I share why choosing to live powerfully can make saying no to a drink feel good, and why willpower alone isn’t enough to change your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/259
In this episode, find out why feeling virtuous won’t help you change your relationship with your habit and neither will feeling punished when you say no. Instead, learn how to make the decision not to drink from a place that creates lasting change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/258
This week, learn what fading affect bias is and how it affects your drinking, why trying to focus on the shame and regret drinking brings you won’t help, and what will help you create permanent, sustainable change to your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/257
Learn how to change your relationship with drinking by going to the source. Find out how to handle the discomfort of saying no to your desire and, if you’re a coach, how to better help your clients with this.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/256
Discover what the real cause of your drinking habit is, why you’ve been conditioned to have this problem, and where to start if you want to change your relationship with drinking and all those other numbing behaviors.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/255
You might think that there’s no point in trying to drink less over the holidays. Or, you might think that even if you do make a change, there’s no way it will last. Discover how to break free from these thought patterns and start evolving into the next version of you, someone who has a radically different relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/254
This week, I invite you to reconsider what you’re making your overdrinking mean. There is a purpose for it, and once you understand what it is, your relationship with your desire will completely change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/253
In this episode, find out why labeling yourself as bad when you say yes to a drink does not make you a bad person, and why indulging in judgmental labeling like this actually fuels your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/252
This week, learn why the purpose of taking a break isn’t to get better at following rules or to get healthier, and how to stop constantly worrying about your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/251
What I offer you in today’s episode is to dig a little deeper into your permission-giving thoughts. Learn how to examine your desire to drink and the permission your brain comes up with, and how they both impact your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/250
No matter your reason for taking a break, asking yourself “what is enough?” is important. In this episode, learn how to explore your habit through the idea of enoughness and why quantity isn’t the only thing to focus on when examining your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/249
If you take your drinking habit and your break from drinking really seriously, I invite you to stop. In this episode, you'll discover what happens when you ditch the seriousness you bring to your habit and instead get curious about why you’re approaching it this way.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/248
I have great news: you don’t have to worry about future drinking urges anymore. In this episode, find out why urges aren’t a problem or something you need to worry about, and how to respond when the desire to drink inevitably comes up.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/247
In this episode, find out why avoiding people who drink won’t make changing your habit any easier and what to do when you are around people who are drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/246
You need to understand your urges so you can respond to them differently, and this takes time and practice. In this episode, you’ll learn about the tools that will help change how you respond to urges and how to practice using them every day.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/245
The fine print on a bottle of beer usually says something like “drink responsibly” or “enjoy in moderation.” But most of us have no idea what that actually means. So in this episode, find out what this contradictory messaging means and what you need to do to change your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/244
If you want to understand what you’re getting out of your drinking habit, listen in. I’m sharing the desires that uncorking a bottle might be satisfying for you, and how to change your habit sustainably.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/243
Tune in today to find out if you’ve been sabotaging yourself with unproductive optimism and what to do instead to actually change your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/242
The thought “I feel behind” is common when trying to change your relationship with drinking. You might see the peers you used to party with growing out of it, and this thought will come up. Tune in today to find out why feeling behind with your drinking is so common, how to handle it, and a useful way to view this thought on your break from drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/241
In this episode, I share what it means when an old urge to drink shows up and how to handle it. Find out why old urges can help you understand your habit and how to change your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/240
After a night of drinking, it’s normal to have some physical and/or mental side effects. But a few days later, you decide to imbibe again, forgetting all about those side effects. In this episode, I share what drinking amnesia is, why it happens, and how you can use it as a tool to change your relationship with drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/239
In this episode, find out how to take ownership of your drinking habit, drop the self-abuse, and slow down the process so you can make a conscious decision to drink or not.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/238
When you decide to take a break from drinking, the people around you will have opinions about it. But only one person’s opinion matters when it comes to your drinking habit. Learn how to have their back and honor their choice, whatever it may be.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/237
In this episode, you’ll learn about an exercise that reveals your unconscious thinking about drinking, some of the obstacles you might experience, and why doing this exercise is so helpful for changing your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/236
There are deeper factors that impact your desire to drink and your relationship with alcohol, and these factors aren’t addressed by saying no. In this episode, find out why abstinence from alcohol doesn’t change the habit and the three things that actually will change your habit on a deeper level.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/235
When you believe the drink in front of you is superior to other drinks, your desire for it changes. In this episode, find out if the “good stuff” really is that good, and how labeling a drink as good or bad impacts your desire and your ability to change the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/234
In this episode, learn how to navigate the urge to drink that comes after getting unexpected news, and find out how to handle uncertainty without running to the liquor cabinet.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/233
When it comes down to it, the answer to the question of how long it will take to change your relationship with alcohol is very simple.
Tune in this week to hear what will really determine how long it will take you to change your drinking habit and how you can make it happen.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/232
2021 is halfway over and it’s the perfect time to evaluate your progress with changing your drinking habits. In this bonus episode, I’m sharing a simple exercise to check in with yourself and help you reframe the process of habit change. Grab a pen and paper and get started. Learn more at rachelhart.com
Alcohol can lead to physical and mental aftereffects the next day, but viewing it as a punishment could actually be making it harder for you to change your habit. Tune in today to find out why hangovers have little to do with your drinking habit, your morality, or your ability to change your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/231
You can decide to drink non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails during your break or decide not to. There’s no right or wrong decision because both can teach you about your habit. In this episode, I’m showing you why non-alcoholic drinks and the glasses they come in have less to do with our drinking habit than we think they do.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/230
Discover all the ways alcohol can teach you about your habit and how to allow it to become your teacher. Learn how getting curious about your drinking habit changes everything.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/229
Find out why your urges to drink seem to go on and on, and how you can make them super easy to deal with. Learn three tools that put an end to these neverending urges so you can create sustainable change in your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/228
When you’re on a break from alcohol, it’s easy to dismiss all the times you make the decision not to drink. Find out why giving yourself credit for saying no is so important and why it matters when changing your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/227
Find out what your drinking intuition is trying to tell you, why you should listen to it, and what happens if you don’t. Learn how your intuition guides you to what is right for you and how it can help you create the relationship with alcohol you’ve always wanted.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/226
Hear Pippa’s story of taking a break from alcohol multiple times over the past few years and what these breaks have taught her about her songwriting. If you believe you can’t be creative without a drink in your hand, Pippa’s journey will inspire you to reconsider.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/225
Many of us have a deep-seated belief that progress is marked by the number of days we’ve gone without drinking, but this idea causes more harm than help. Find out why your streak doesn’t mean what you think it does, and what to focus on instead if you truly want to change the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/224
In this episode, find out why there is so much pressure to declare that you’re never drinking again and why you don’t have to make that decision (unless you want to). Discover the real decision you need to make if you want to change your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/223
So often, people find that the habit of pouring a drink at the end of the day is less about alcohol, and more about establishing that they’re off the clock. Learning why and how you do this is essential to changing your relationship with alcohol. In this episode, I share why it’s so common for people to pour a drink as a proxy for saying no to work, family, and their to-do list, and how to break this habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/222
You might wish that you could go back in time and stop yourself from taking that first sip, but you can’t. And the truth is, you don’t need to. Tune in today to learn why no matter how early you started drinking, it is still possible for you to change your habit. I’m sharing why you aren’t a lost cause and how to make saying no to alcohol a lot easier.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/221
Find out why the days, weeks, and months leading up to your decision to drink are critical to changing your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/220
Listening to others getting coached can benefit your progress. Tune in today to hear part of a live coaching call with three of the participants in the 30-Day Challenge. You will gain valuable insights into why shaking your desire to drink is so hard, how to spend your time not drinking, and how to rebuild trust in yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/219
When you over-identify with family members who also have the habit of drinking, you lose sight of your ability to change your habit. Listen in today to find out what plays an even bigger role in your drinking habit than your family tree, and how to harness it so you can change your relationship with alcohol for good.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/218
Tune in today to find out why your brain is so committed to regretting past drinking behaviors and how this pattern of thinking is preventing you from moving forward with your break. You will learn how to stop beating yourself, and instead, how to make decisions around alcohol you will be proud of.
Get full show notes and more information here:https://rachelhart.com/217
Listen in today to learn how to identify what kind of relationship you have with your brain and how that affects your relationship with alcohol. Find out what to do if you’ve been blaming your brain for your habit, and how to change it.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/216
Tune in today to find out why your urges are absent, how to learn about your habit without the desire to drink, and how to use absent urges to your advantage in changing your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/215
While it might seem like using alcohol to escape is serving you, drowning your sorrows won’t make the pain go away. Listen in today to understand how grieving can affect your habit, where to find the agency to say no, and an exercise you can use to work through your emotions drink-free.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/214
In this episode, Molly shares her journey of changing her relationship with alcohol and learning to have fun drink-free. You’ll learn why changing the habit is possible for anyone- even you.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/213
In this episode, you’ll discover the real effects alcohol has on your sex life, and learn how to question your reasons for drinking before getting intimate.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/212
Beating yourself up over having a drink won’t help you say no next time. Learn why you need both knowledge and know-how to change your relationship with alcohol, and how to get it.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/211
What experiencing unsettling dreams about drinking alcohol means and how they can actually help you change your habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/210
Tune in to learn the real reason you’re drinking more than you might be comfortable with and why taking a break from drinking in the right way will help you to create more pleasure, wonder, and magic in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/209
Tune in to learn why we tend to care about what other people think and what you can do to change this. Discover how the brain works so that you can change longstanding habits and show up differently in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/208
Why not sticking to your resolutions doesn’t make you a bad person, it simply means that your attention is in the wrong place.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/207
This New Year, I’m inviting you to gift yourself the skill of learning to love your company. Your companionship with yourself is the most important relationship you’ll ever have, and I guarantee you’ll start seeing powerful shifts when you start committing to becoming your own best friend.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/206
Join me on the podcast this week to discover how to really analyze how the habit of drinking is playing out in your brain, and what you can do about it. All you need is a piece of paper, something to write with, and a willingness to give it a try.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/205
If you believe right now that alcohol is fueling your habit and that getting rid of it is the solution to your desire, I urge you to listen closely this week. You can’t say no to a drink if you don’t first understand why you’re saying yes, and I’m showing you how so many people have a false story that keeps them stuck in the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/204
Listen in this week as I show you the wealth of information that urges can provide when you’re willing to examine them, and how doing this work will help you manage urges in every single area of your life. You’ll find that doing this work saves you time and energy in the long run, and it will reveal patterns of the habit that you may not yet be conscious of.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/203
Tune in this week as I show you what commitment truly means, and how so many of you are inadvertently teaching your brains the wrong solution to the habit. This was my own experience for so many years, and I know that having the realization of what commitment really entails will finally get you on the right track.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/202
Join me on the podcast this week as I show you the role that rituals play in our lives, and why our brains don’t like changes to our norm. I believe that there is an unforeseen opportunity available to us all this year in creating rituals that matter, and I’m challenging you to try it out.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/201
How often do you speak to yourself with language that celebrates you? Does saying you’re amazing, talented, beautiful, or successful out loud make you want to crawl under a rock? I know it does for me. But staying in a lukewarm place about yourself is leading to consequences you likely don’t want in your life, and so I’m showing you just how powerful learning to celebrate yourself can be.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/200
Tune in this week as I show you where people get tripped up when it comes to changing their relationship with alcohol. If things feel fine or flat to you right now, know that nothing has gone wrong, and I’m inviting you to get curious about how to start creating a life that feels more vibrant, connected, and pleasurable without alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/199
2020 has been a year of people wanting to hit fast-forward on life, to the end of the pandemic, or to the end of this election season. You might be reaching for a drink - or eating or overworking - to handle how you’re feeling but no matter the activity, they are all fueled by the same belief that you can’t handle what’s going on, and I’m showing you why this is a lie.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/198
We tell ourselves that we want a drink to feel normal, or that we deserve it after the day we’ve had, but all of these thoughts that might be coming up for you are just desire confusion. And today, I’m showing you why it gets in the way of changing the habit, and what you can do when it arises.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/197
Listen in this week to discover how the advent of happy hour or cocktail hour came about, and why humans came to need this as a relief from their toils. It’s really no wonder so many people are in need of a cocktail hour, and I hope this episode helps you examine your desire for a drink at the end of the day in a different light.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/196
Listen in today as I show you why the question of trust comes up so often when it comes to drinking, and how your thoughts about why you can’t trust yourself are self-fulfilling prophecies. I’m outlining the misguided ways in which people try to prove that they can trust themselves, and what you really need to create a firm faith and reliability in yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/195
Why the belief that you shouldn’t feel the way you do is so problematic. The tendency to spiral into judgment over how you feel is never useful, and the truth is that it could be stopping you from discovering so much more about the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/194
Listen in this week as I outline 3 reasons why you have developed a habit around drinking, while someone else who drinks might not. This question of why me? can be so frustrating to live with, and I’m showing you how to use the tools I teach to start bringing awareness to your unconscious decisions and habits.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/193
Join me this week as I show you why we drink to like people and one simple practice that will help you evaluate your relationships. There is so much freedom in learning to be around anyone, no matter the choices they make, and I’m showing you how to do the work of enjoying the people in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/192
Join me this week to discover what self-sabotage means and why mislabeling it is so problematic. Beating yourself up for making decisions that are at odds with your goals is only going to lead you down a shame spiral where you will find no answers, so instead, I’m inviting you to use two tools that are built into us as humans to start bringing consciousness to the inner workings of the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/191
You do not need to wrestle the habit of drinking into submission with force!
Listen in today as I show you what it takes to say no and follow through on your commitment. Making the effort is important, but without the understanding of what is driving your habit, I promise, you won’t get far.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/190
Listen in this week to discover why the thought, “Everyone drinks,” is problematic, and why we need to reframe the way we think about alcohol. It’s time to start exercising the power of your mind so you can start showing up differently, and you’ll soon be able to create a new belief system that serves you.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/189
Listen in this week to discover what milestone you should be focusing on when changing your relationship with alcohol. You don’t need anything outside of you to unlock it, and shifting the focal point to harnessing the power of your mind is going to be transformative.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/188
Join me this week to discover why the key to unwinding the habit and shifting your relationship with alcohol is all about embracing change. You have the power to change your default thought patterns and responses, and realizing this will show you that you have so much authority over yourself and that you don’t need to control what’s happening outside of you to feel better.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/187
Listen in today as I show you that you have the power to edit and change the thoughts in your mind. Understanding that you have the skills within you to create new traits and that it’s 100% possible to change your beliefs about anything in life means you don’t have to live with your default thinking and instead, you can give yourself the freedom to come up with alternatives that serve you.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/186
Tune in this week to discover how to let go of the constant flip flopping you might be doing with your drinking. I’ll be diving into why you are doing this, how to get curious with the thoughts and stories you have about the habit and yourself, and why you have to be willing to see everything that might be going on in your unconscious brain.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/185
Join me this week as I show you why suffering feels so personal and what the work of depersonalizing suffering looks like. Doing this deep work makes the process of change so much easier, and when you are able to get out of woe-is-me and see that you don’t have to make the habit about you at all, you’ll find yourself feeling more connected and able to lay the groundwork for the future you want.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/184
Join me this week as I show you why I don’t think fixating on the downsides of drinking is helpful, and why the myth of hitting rock bottom to change is not only a lie, but one that keeps you knee-deep in shame. I’m also sharing the 3 things you need if you want to change your habits forever, and why looking at the full picture is so crucial in this process.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/183
Join me today as I share my viewpoint on abstinence and moderation when it comes to changing the habit. The premise and focus of both of these approaches are totally wrong in this work, and I’ll be outlining why we believe these paths to be the only options, and how you actually have the power to change your desire without falling into either one of these traps.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/182
Join me today as I show you the importance of learning how to embrace discomfort. I’ll be sharing why I don’t buy into the myth that hitting rock bottom is the key to changing our habits, and how deliberately trying to find purposeful discomfort will help you focus on results you want beyond the immediate moment.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/181
Tune in this week as I show you what might be going on if you’re not where you want to be with the habit, and how removing blame and shame are so important if you want to be curious about why you haven’t been able to create change. Many people believe no one changes in July, that it’s too late in the year, but I know that this can be the time where you stop fixating on drinking and start focusing on you.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/180
Listen in this week as I highlight how you might be engaging in a power struggle when you hold onto three thoughts about drinking, and why the real struggle isn’t between you and the alcohol. Too many people come to this work and neglect to pay attention to their emotions, but I’ll be showing you why connecting in with how you’re feeling is vital to learning how to change the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/179
Join me today as I share the four most important and unexpected discoveries that you’ll experience when you apply the tools I teach here to your life and taking a break. This is a meta-skill, and you’ll find that this goes far beyond just changing your drinking. You’ll be able to chase bigger dreams, change anything about your life that you might be unhappy with, and everything else becomes a piece of cake.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/178
Join me today as I show you how the work I teach is dramatically different from common approaches out there, such as AA, and why, as a society, we’ve bought into the idea that we need to shame and guilt ourselves into being "better." Learning the skills I teach here not only help you change your relationship with desire, but they transcend the habit for you to use in every area of your life for the rest of your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/177
Listen in this week as I share some of the most common excuses and reasons people give me for why their situation is different or unique, and why your brain will always try to prove that to you. I’m highlighting some of the lessons I teach here that are key to changing your relationship with alcohol, and from there, you’ll be able to see for yourself if this approach will work for you or not.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/176
Join me on the podcast this week as I highlight why believing that changing habits is hard stands in your way and slows down your progress, and how you’re being fed messages about alcohol that make it seem like you don’t have the power to stop, even if you want to.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/175
Join me on the podcast this week as I show you what the real urge work entails, and why the ability to feel restless when you have the desire to drink is key in extinguishing the mental drama that comes up in those moments. You have the power to take charge of your brain and change the habit, and this simple three-step process I’m sharing today is going to get you on your way.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/174
Join me on the podcast this week as I show you what getting curious about your thoughts means and why most people aren’t in the habit of doing this. This topic is a big one to start unraveling, but one that is so crucial to changing any area of your life. And when you start seeing how wrong your brain can be, there is no limit to your transformation.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/173
Join me on the podcast this week as I outline the four most common reasons you think you drink too much and the real reasons why. Choosing to believe these thoughts that simply aren’t true is keeping you stuck in a cycle of creating results you don’t want in your life. The true reason you drink is simple, and I’m showing you how understanding this will help you build the necessary skills to change the habit and any other area of your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/172
As humans, we haven’t evolved to innately enjoy the taste of alcohol. If you were honest with yourself, you might remember your first experience of it as a teenager or young adult causing a burning sensation or even gagging. Today, I’m showing you what it means to acquire a taste for alcohol, how it works, and why, if you want to change your relationship with drinking, it’s necessary to see how you’ve learned to like it.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/171
Join me this week as I outline what coping really means and why I chose to come up with a definition for it myself. I’m offering a couple of key questions you can ask yourself to see if your coping mechanisms are producing results you like, so you can choose different thoughts that may serve you better if they aren’t.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/170
Join me this week as I show you why positive thinking backfires, how to redirect your brain in a way that will help you move forward, and the true power of learning to manage your mind. Letting go of positive thinking will allow you to make space for all of your experiences and give you deeper insights into how to move through your negative emotions in a cleaner way.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/169
Join me this week as I show you how to come out stronger on the other side of this pandemic, and how you can find moments of peace and joy once you let go of willpower. Telling yourself that you need to know an end date isn’t going to make the process any easier, and the same is true when you’re trying to change the habit of drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/168
People will tell you that “all bets are off,” liquor stores are “essential” services, and alcohol is “needed” to cope with this crisis. They’re wrong. You don’t. You can use this time to learn how to have your own back and believe in your ability to see yourself through anything, including a pandemic. Want to learn how? Check out my special class on coping with COVID-19 anxiety https://rachelhart.com/covid19
Join me this week as I walk you through how to start creating emotional fluency for yourself, and how this is going to help you figure out a new way to respond and relate to your emotions. Through this work, you’ll feel more empowered over your emotions and find different ways to examine your think-feel-act cycles.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/167
In the middle of this pandemic are you busy or bored? Do you wish you had the opposite problem? Today, I’m explaining how both being busy and being bored are really the same thing and offer us the same opportunity: learning how to manage your mind. All you need is one simple tool. Check out my previous episode, #48 How Questions Work In Your Brain, and start practicing this skill today https://rachelhart.com/48
What is hope really, and how can you have more of it at a time like this? Not to be confused with idealism, optimism, or wishful thinking, hope is a muscle that you can strengthen. Join me on this episode as I explain how you can create more hope in your life no matter what is happening, and check out an earlier episode, #43 Be Where You Are, to learn how to cultivate this skill https://rachelhart.com/43
Right now resentment toward others abounds. Many people are certain that others have it easier or are responding to the virus in the wrong way. The problem with resentment is that there’s no upside for you. We never know what someone else’s emotional experience is like, no matter how certain we feel. If you want to learn how to let go of this emotion, check out my previous episode #62 Self-Pity https://rachelhart.com/62
COVID-19 has put into such sharp relief what’s actually important in life because it’s made death so much more present in our daily lives. Learn how you can use this time to really focus on what you truly desire and how you want to spend your time. A simple exercise will help you get crystal clear on what it is you deeply want. To go deeper into the topic of what you really desire check out an earlier episode #42 Celebrating You. https://rachelhart.com/42
Are you feeling conflicted about whether or not you’re making the right decision. This special episode of the podcast will teach what this conflict is really about and how to have your own back no matter what you decide. You don’t need to make all the right decisions in order to feel safe and secure tomorrow. If you want to learn more about why you are conflicted and how it gets in the way of creating the life you want, check out my previous episode #53 Why You’re Not Taking Action https://rachelhart.com/53
Struggling to pull yourself away from the news right now? By asking yourself what’s the purpose of consuming more information, you’ll start to shed light on what reading the headlines obsessively is really all about. Learn how to consume news in a mindful way that keeps you informed and your negative emotions at bay. To go deeper into the skill of shifting your mindset, check out my previous episode #69 Believing New Things https://rachelhart.com/69
Join me this week to see how trying on a new belief about attempting new things can make you unstoppable on your journey to creating change. Instead of thinking that taking a break from drinking should be easy, the opposite could be just the thing that starts you down the path to success in the long-term.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/166
Too often we think self-care is impossible when crisis hits or that it has to be a big production in order to make a difference. But there’s a simple trick you can use to build more self-care into your life no matter what is happening: finding the pleasure hidden in plain sight. Tune in to learn how. If you want to understand why a lack of self-care has you searching for relief at the end of the day, listen to my previous episode #59 I Deserve It https://rachelhart.com/59
Terror is not an everyday emotion, but right now it’s something that a lot of people are experiencing. When you are terrified your brain shuts down and goes into chaos. The way out is to look at what’s happening in your brain. If the thought of losing loved ones terrifies you, this episode will show you how to regain control. To understand the power of opening your eyes to what is happening, check out my previous episode #31 The Willingness to Look https://rachelhart.com/31
What happens when your world turns upside down? Is the loss of your normal routine freaking you out? Join me for this special episode where I talk about why people create and cling to routines, and how you can make peace with uncertainty when your regular routine flies out the window. To go deeper into this topic, check out my previous episode #63 The In-Between Time https://rachelhart.com/63
Scarcity doesn’t just fuel the habits of overeating and overdrinking, it has people running to the store and emptying the shelves of toilet paper. The real problem with scarcity isn’t overconsumption, it’s that it blocks problem solving.
This episode will show you how to shift into abundance and solve problems no matter what’s happening around you. To learn more about the role of scarcity in habit formation, check out my previous episode #33 What is enough? https://rachelhart.com/33
Who can take a break from drinking at a time like this? Making the decision not to drink when the world is giving you permission to imbibe is one of the most powerful steps you can take to change the habit. Not only does it rewire the brain, it reinforces that you are the ultimate authority no matter what is happening in the world. To learn more about the “rolodex of excuses,” check out my previous episode #78 https://rachelhart.com/78
Are you diligently using hand sanitizer during the day, only to fix yourself “Quarantinis” as soon as the evening rolls around? If you’re feeling anxious about COVID-19 there are better ways to deal with your anxiety that doesn’t take a toll on your immune system.
Starting today I’m releasing a new series of special episodes to help anyone who is struggling with anxiety about COVID-19. To understand the subtle (and surprising) toll that drinking takes on your immune system, check out my previous episode, #49 Settling When it Comes to Your Health https://rachelhart.com/49
Join me this week to see if you identify with the examples I’m using to highlight how we often find excuses to not actually do the work required to change the habit. There’s no need to blame or shame yourself if you see yourself in these instances. All it takes is recognizing the underlying reasons for it, and I’m laying it all out for you here.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/165
You don’t need to drink your way through a pandemic. If you need help managing fear, anxiety, constant worry, news overload, or the urge to drink (or eat) your woes away, look no further.
I’m offering podcast listeners a special hour-long class I taught members of the Take a Break program to help them manage COVID-19 anxiety. Get instant access to the hour-long class at rachelhart.com/covid19
Join me this week to discover why you might catch yourself wanting a drink when you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious about something in your life. Pouring a drink to feel better only serves to perpetuate a vicious cycle and will always backfire on you in the long run. So today, I’m showing you how you can actually worry less, and in turn, reduce your desire to numb out using alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/164
Join me this week as I define terms and show you what is actually going on with the person who is pitying your situation. Yes, being pitied isn’t ideal, but it’s something I don’t experience anymore, so I know this is possible for you too. All you have to do is start looking at your thoughts and the way you’re showing up when you’re saying no, and I’m giving you some tips today on how to do just that.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/163
Even if your friend is angry at you, or someone is blaming you for something that happened, their forgiveness isn’t what you need. Listen in today to discover why your forgiveness is the only thing you ever need, and how you can start this process to start changing your relationship with alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/162
Join me this week as I show you why we want to hold onto shame, why it can feel like such a singular experience, like you’re the only one going through it, and how you can start letting go of shame while still changing the habit in the long-term.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/161
Join me on the podcast as I show you the power that lies in valuing your opinion of you first, and knowing that your inner voice is your built-in expert who knows what’s right for you. Listening to her might not come easily to you at first, but building this skill will reap benefits not only when it comes to the habit, but in every other area of your life too.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/160
Join me this week as I show you what awkwardness is and how it’s created, why you are trying so hard to avoid this feeling, and how you can start to change your relationship with it. Erasing this emotion from your human experience isn’t going to happen, so instead, you can discover how to embrace it, find comfort in it, and see how it can lead to your growth.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/159
If you know how the think-feel-act cycle works, you’ll understand the importance of your thoughts and the language you’re using. So today, to give you a clear idea of how I successfully transformed my desire and my relationship with alcohol, I’m sharing all the actions I took and the commitments I stuck to in that period to make it happen. I didn’t just hope that it would be different, I wasn’t just saying no or crossing days off a calendar, and the good news is that you can do the same too.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/158
Tune in this week to discover how cultivating curiosity can help you see your think-feel-act cycle more clearly when it comes to the habit, and why asking questions can serve you so well, just like it did in my life. If you want to create change in your life, this is something you can’t avoid doing.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/157
On this episode, I’m showing you how to always have your own back, no matter the actions you take. You might not think of the habit as something you do when you’re feeling particularly bad, but I guarantee there are more subtle emotions bubbling under the surface, and I’m offering some questions you can ask yourself to gain some clarity.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/156
Join me this week as I show you how to truly create a new version of yourself in the new year. The think-feel-act cycle plays a huge part in this process, and understanding how the stories you’ve unconsciously taught yourself to be true is going to be what helps you create a radically different relationship with alcohol and with yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/155
2010 was the year I started questioning my brain about my own potential, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. 10 years on now, I can’t believe the things I’ve achieved, and I want the same for you too. So this week, I’m sharing the misguided beliefs I had about what potential really meant, the types of thoughts that were killing my potential, and how to start tapping into yours.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/154
Join me this week to discover how you can start having your own back to change anything in your life. This is the key to stepping out of the habit of numbing, and I’m showing you where to start looking to begin managing your mind and getting your needs met in the most freeing way ever.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/153
On this episode, I’m going to redefine what it means to be a good host or hostess, how to get over common obstacles you might face that diminish your own enjoyment of the party, and how to create what I call a host manifesto that has been so useful to me. I’m also showing you how the patterns of dealing with your anxiety aren’t actually helping it go away, and what you can do instead.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/152
Join me this week as I dive into the real cause of why you’re overdoing anything in your life, whether it be overdrinking or anything else. Understanding how you’re stoking that fire inside of yourself, even when you’re trying to work to extinguish it, is key to long-term change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/151
Join me this week as I discuss how to use the concept of the forbidden fruit to break free from desire and deprivation. I know I felt like I was going to suffer in this vicious cycle forever, but looking at your thoughts will illuminate exactly how you are the one keeping yourself imprisoned here.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/150
The cycle of binging and restricting really rears its head during the holiday season, and that’s why it is the perfect time to understand what is happening with your desire to over-consume to get out of this cycle for good. I’m discussing the fundamental misunderstanding of this cycle that I’ve experienced myself and see in my clients all the time, and why trying to be perfect and hone in on willpower doesn’t work.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/149
Join me this week as I explore a fairly advanced concept, but one that I think you’ll benefit hugely from. I spent years using the excuse of an impossible time period to not change the habit of drinking, and I’m hoping this reframe will help you see that this is how you can experience the most life-altering growth, not just concerning your drinking, but everywhere else in your life too.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/148
In today's episode, I'm talking about how taking a break from drinking can help you get back in touch with the reason why you are here. I'll tell you how I realized that consuming too much was keeping me from feeling the full range of human experience, and how taking a break helped me confront that. And I'll cover what I think is our reason for being here and how to practice embracing it.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/147
Join me this week as I highlight the connection between the habit of drinking and your emotions. Understanding the process that takes place is so crucial to making sustainable change, and without truly practicing the thought work required, you won’t ever get to the root cause.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/146
Today I'm talking about the three reasons you drink too much (actually). I'll tell you how I figured out that my drinking wasn't caused by my personality or something that was inherently wrong with me. And we'll talk about allowing urges, how to stop believing your excuses, and why you need to examine the reasons behind your drinking (instead of hiding them away).
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/145
Today we'll talk about subtle willpower and how to identify it. I'll tell you all about a situation I was in recently that triggered my willpower and how I coached myself through it. And we'll chat about why learning to manage your mind is such a better approach than relying on gritting your teeth and just getting through things.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/144
Today I’m addressing the idea that you can shame yourself into better health and why it’s such a destructive pattern. We’ll talk about why so many of us have this belief, why shame never creates productive thoughts, feelings, and actions, and what you can do instead of shaming yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/143
In this episode, I'm talking about the concept of insuring your brain and what you can do to make sure you're mentally stimulated on a daily basis. It's incredibly important to break out of habits and routines if we want to stay sharp, just like it's important to keep learning and to seek out discomfort. Our brains are perpetual problem-solving machines, and without any problems to solve, they can get rusty with disuse.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/142
Take a break from drinking this month in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. All month long, Rachel is teaching a special bonus course on optimal health. If you’ve ever used a drink to deal with chronic pain, insomnia, injury, or any other health-related issue you won’t want to miss it.Learn how to make your health a priority and change the habit of drinking for good. Sign up at https://www.rachelhart.com/join
In this episode, we'll discuss health avoidance, why we tend to do it, and the impact it has on our minds and bodies. We'll also revisit why the think-feel-act cycle can be such an effective tool for managing pain and other health-related thoughts and feelings. And we'll talk about some of the facts around how alcohol affects the body, why knowing the facts can help you make decisions, and why it's worth taking a closer look at any reluctance you may have about going to the doctor.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/141
In this episode, we'll talk about optimal health and why many of you are settling for less-than when it comes to your physical and mental wellbeing. I'll tell you why the think-feel-act cycle is a great tool for improving and managing your health, and why being able to manage your mind is a key part of a healthy life. And we'll discuss alcohol's effects on the body, how to separate physical pain from emotional suffering, and how to stop settling for feeling subpar.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/140
In this episode, I'm breaking down goal drama and giving you tools to catch your brain in the act. We'll talk about why our brains create drama, why it can be so exhausting, and how to reframe the "problem" of taking a break as a "project" instead. Remember: now is the perfect time to begin taking a break - it's an ongoing project to work on, rather than a big scary problem you have to solve.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/139
What an obstacle mirage is and how to identify them in your own thinking. We'll talk about why our brains make them, why it's your responsibility to debunk them, and why this is all great news for your own power and autonomy. I'll also tell you about common obstacle mirages and how to handle them, and you'll learn why supporting yourself is one of the most critical ingredients of this process.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/138
In this episode, I want to emphasize that your drinking doesn't mean anything about who you are as a person, your character, or whether or not you're valuable. I'll share the piece of advice this friend gave me and talk about why it was so unhelpful in the moment, but how I now realize that it mirrors our society's beliefs about drinking and individual control. And I'll tell you all about what it takes to change your habits and transform your relationship with alcohol and with yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/137
Why panic, fear, and shame are such poor motivators, why you have to understand the "why" behind your current habits, and why you should have a plan for failing. Keeping your resolutions can't just be an exercise in willpower - because that will end in frustration and shame. Give yourself everything you need to change your habit for good!
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/136
Why we shouldn't set up a false choice between drinking and having fun versus not drinking and having less fun. I'll tell you about why socializing without alcohol is a common obstacle for people taking a break and how to be onto your thoughts when they say you have to drink to have fun. And I'll dive into the thoughts behind the habit of consuming to enjoy events, how you were actually born to have fun, and how can tap into that instinct again with practice and time.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/135
In this episode we're talking about the thought "I don't want to stop drinking" and how to approach it. We'll talk about why even a temporary break can be such a powerful tool for understanding the thoughts and feelings that are underpinning your desire to drink. And we'll also break down why you can't just look at drinking vs. not drinking as good vs. bad behavior and why shaming yourself won't get you the results you want.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/134
In this episode I redefine failure and talk about why it isn't a bad thing. I talk about why our thoughts are what makes failure seem like a negative, painful experience, and why we need to stop making failure mean something bad about ourselves. And I share the many teaching opportunities failure gives us if we're willing to slow down and get curious about our thoughts, feelings, and actions surrounding failure.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/133
From the time we're children we're taught how to show up for other people: parents, friends, teachers, and eventually bosses. We're taught to seek other people's approval rather than prioritizing our approval of ourselves.
In this episode, I dive into all of this in-depth and explain how you can get better at showing up for yourself. I talk about why it can often feel like there are two versions of ourselves - one who wants to keep promises and one who just wants to break them - and how the think-feel-act cycle plays into this. And I highlight why it's so important that you accept yourself and believe that you're capable of change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/132
The right book at the right moment can change everything. I’ve put together a list of my favorite books for all my podcast listeners. They cover everything from addiction, habit change, food, sex, love, money, creativity, productivity and more. Text your email address in all lowercase letters to 415-275-6589 and reply BOOKS if you want to grab a copy.
In today's episode, we're talking all about being wrong, why we cling so hard to being right, and how to build up your capacity for being wrong about yourself. I'll share some of the reasons why your brain likes to be right and how this can get in the way of changing your drinking and other habits. And we'll look forward into the future at what lies on the other side of being willing to be wrong about yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/131
In this episode I dig into how we can create motivation to stop drinking, and why the idea that you have to hit rock bottom in order to create change can be so harmful. I talk about this thought "I just like to drink" and how I dealt with it when I realized my relationship with alcohol was having increasingly negative consequences. And I share what it's really like on the other side of drinking and why I find so much more joy in everyday life now that I've recalibrated my brain's response to pleasure.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/130
How to reduce drama, create more neutral thoughts, and slowly but surely create a less dramatic existence. I provide a lot of real-life examples in this episode that you can apply right away. They cover everything from drama about time, to drama about to do lists, to fears and anxieties about our appearance and relationships.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/129
In this episode, I focus on what drama is, why we create it, and how to tell if you're creating drama for yourself. I talk about how to slow down your brain's dramatic tendencies and retrain your brain to have more neutral thoughts. I'll tell you all about how drama connects to the habit of drinking, and next week we'll do a deep dive on a tool that will help you create less drama.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/128
How compare and despair may be keeping you from changing your habit of drinking. Compare and despair comes up in all areas of life, so it's important to understand how this thought pattern makes you feel isolated, worthless, and disempowered when you're actually the opposite. I share some examples of compare and despair, how to recognize when you're in this mindset, and how to get off this mental treadmill and start to make changes in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/127
Listen in as I review the Rolodex of Excuses and talk about the tenets of the work I do with clients. Then we'll dive into these next-level excuses, why your brain is so good at coming up with them and how to deal with these sneaky justifications.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/126
In this episode, I talk about how alcohol affects your sleep, two of the common instances where I see people drinking to fall asleep, and why it's actually totally normal to be unable to sleep sometimes. I also dive into the thoughts and emotions that often accompany insomnia and why your thoughts about sleep are probably compounding your physical tiredness.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/125
In today's episode, I'm breaking down the take-it-or-leave-it mindset so you can assess whether it's really something you want to work toward. I talk about creating an indifference to alcohol and what that will look and feel like, and how you can get there. And we'll talk about why it's so important to examine the thoughts and feelings underpinning your relationship to alcohol, rather than focusing just on the quantity of what you're drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/124
This episode is about why things may seem to get worse when you take a break from drinking. Spoiler: things aren't actually getting worse - you're just finally seeing them for what they really are. Once you stop numbing your feelings with alcohol, you may realize that things aren't pretty. Tools like the think-feel-act cycle can not only help you move through this uncomfortable, difficult transition - they can help you realize on the other side of the struggle, a beautiful life is waiting.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/123
This episode walks you through the process of understanding whyyou overdrank the night before and how you can react differently the next time your urge to drink arises. We'll explore how the Think Feel Act cycle interacts with your desires and how to press pause on that urge to drink. And I'll give you a list of questions to ask yourself so you can better understand your actions and change them in the future.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/122
This week, I'm discussing how you can picture a future version of yourself who doesn't have the desire to reach for a drink. This may seem dubious, and I'm sure many of you are going to question this concept, but honing the practice of imagination, to step out of the current box you're in, will transform the way you think about the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/121
Tune in as I analyze the four comments from others that my featured listener struggles with and how you can formulate a response when faced with similar questions. This will not only help you apply the work more deeply to changing the habit, but it will also transform any area of your life that you're working to better.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/120
In this episode, I talk about why "it doesn't matter" is such a sneaky, detrimental thought. I walk through some of the situations where it's most common for this thought to crop up, and what you should say to yourself instead. And I breakdown exactly what message you're sending yourself when you negate all of your efforts by telling yourself that they don't matter.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/119
Listen in as I dive deep into the concept of commitment and explain why it plays a crucial role in changing your relationship with alcohol. I talk about why so many of us are ready to commit to others but not ourselves, and how this affects your relationship with yourself.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/118
Join me today to learn how using alcohol to numb feelings perpetuates the cycle of avoidance and sickness of your emotional immune system. Harm itself is not the problem here; the thoughts you have, the emotional distress that you experience when you are unable to tolerate how you feel, is what's harmful.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/117
Join me today as I break down why we stop daring ourselves and pushing the limits of what we think is possible after childhood and how you can start adding dares back into your life. You'll learn the number one question you need to answer to figure out what you need to start doing - over and over again - to finally disprove your brain!
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/116
Today, we're going to do something a little different here on the podcast: I'm doing my very first Listener Q&A! I receive so many questions from you all, I want to start answering them on the podcast so everyone who listens can benefit from my answers.
To start us off, I'm answering a question about surrender. Is surrendering the answer to walking away from alcohol?
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/115
I'm talking all about relationship manuals and how we use them as a way to avoid taking responsibility for our own thoughts, feelings, and actions. I'll tell you how your brain will always find something new to complain about, even if people in your life do change in the way you want them to. And I'll share how this tactic is ultimately pointless because you are the key to changing your drinking - nobody else.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/114
I discuss boredom, what's "wrong" with it, and what it has to offer us. Boredom provides a window into our minds, which is precisely why it's so beneficial yet so terrifying. I'll ask you to examine why you think it's such a problem to be bored and whether you like to be alone with your own mind. And I'll also share some of the benefits of boredom that come along once you get through the initial discomfort of being left alone with your own thoughts.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/113
Listen to this episode as I describe catastrophizing, why the brain does it, how it connects to overdrinking, and what you can do to start changing this pattern. I walk through the process of catastrophizing and discuss the effects it can have on your brain and your body. I also share some helpful tips for raising awareness of this behavior and gently guiding yourself to stop jumping to the worst case scenario anytime things don't go according to plan.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/112
On this week's episode, I talk about how worrying what other people will think is hardwired into our brain as a survival tool. I also cover why it feels like everyone drinks and why it seems like drinking is "normal." Once you realize that your brain is just trying to help you, you can begin to talk back to your mind and create new evidence that will support your new habit of not drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/111
Join me on this week's episode as I talk about why shame is never a productive or useful approach to changing our habits. "I should know better" is a lie that prevents us from practicing new behaviors and changing our brains. You need to leave the judgment behind, put on your scientist hat, and observe your brain and emotions if you want to create lasting change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/110
Listen in to this week's episode as I talk about how people often use learning as a way to avoid uncomfortable emotions. I talk about how learning often feels like a great excuse for why we're not taking action - e.g. "I don't know enough yet to change" - and how you can shift this mindset.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/109
This is a quick episode but a really important exercise. Join me as I talk about how I changed the narrative around my drinking and realized that I didn't actually love to drink. I'll also share several questions I want you to ask yourself, and we'll challenge the belief that often underlies this pattern: that your life won't be as good if you stop drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/108
Listen in as I talk about how you can shift your perspective on the lower brain and interact with your inner toddler in a new way. I talk about how the lower brain evolved to maximize our chances of survival, but can't really differentiate between good and bad habits. I'll also share how you can start to talk to your inner toddler in a calm and constructive voice that will help you move past all the negative emotions that can come up when you have to resist an urge.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/107
Join me today to discover how understanding the facts around the shift in your drinking habit can help you understand how the think-feel-act cycle fits in your brain’s search for an outlet for the negative emotions you were invariably feeling at the time. You can learn new ways to cope with negative emotions that do not create negative consequences and taking a break is a powerful tool to start with.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/106
I teach clients a four-step response to desire that creates space between feeling the urge and acting upon it. These steps are: pause, listen & watch, neutralize, and travel into the future. Listen in as I walk through these steps, and share how to implement them and how they work with the think-feel-act cycle to help you move past your urge to drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/105
Join me today as I talk about authenticity and drinking. Learn why so many of us are so afraid to be who we really are and the rewards you will reap by being your authentic self - doing this work, wrestling with this part of your brain - if you are brave enough and courageous enough to do it.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/104
In reality, emotions only last in the body for about 90 seconds. You can do anything for 90 seconds, right? But each time we cut off the experience of our emotions, we teach ourselves we're not capable of handling them. Listen today as I share my experiences with emotional tunnel vision and how you can escape the tunnel and take a wider perspective.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/103
Today, I want to talk to you about why it’s so hard to dream, why it can be so difficult to create a vision, and why the habit of drinking will make it even harder. Listen in to hear how you can choose a different course for the new year to help you stop playing small!
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/102
You have to know how to manage your brain if you want to get off the treadmill of chasing happiness and never reaching full satisfaction. Drinking is one way we keep ourselves in this cycle; we turn to drinks to feel better in the moment, but become more dependent on drinking as a consequence.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/101
In celebration of our 100th episode of the Take a Break podcast, I’m combing through the archives of the past 99 episodes and pulling out some of the most important concepts and lessons from each episode. This is an excellent review for you to look at what your next layer of work is and if you’re a new listener, you’re getting the best overview you could possibly get to help you figure out which episodes you need/want to dig deeper into first.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/100
Struggling with something like overdrinking - or overeating, excessive spending, any other habit that's out of control - often goes hand-in-hand with feeling powerless. The fact is, you are anything but powerless in this process. That's the beauty of the think-feel-act cycle: it allows you to identify the thoughts and feelings that are creating undesirable actions, and you can then choose to start changing these thoughts and feelings.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/99
Listen in as I describe the crucial differences between wanting something to change and committing to making it change. Tons of my clients have been able to change not only their relationship with alcohol, but how they approach all of their goals and dreams. Committing to change may not feel easy in the short run, but it's much easier (and rewarding) in the long run than it is to be trapped in the passive limbo of wanting change.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/98
I used to be really committed to a lot of my beliefs about drinking, like "not drinking is boring" and "everybody drinks," and they held me back. On this episode, I share a technique called "The Turnaround" that helped me challenge these beliefs and finally change my thoughts, and eventually, my desire.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/97
Join me to find out how to identify the stories that you have around alcohol – what it does for you, how it hurts you, what it does for other people – in order to get the full idea of the cause and effect of these thoughts.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/96
On this episode, I'm talking about how to change your mindset around confronting obstacles. Instead of being surprised by the challenges that pop up, you can anticipate and solve them ahead of time. I break this process down into three steps that will help you make a game plan for dealing with any kind of obstacle.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/95
I can't tell you exactly how long it will take you to shift your desire; that's different for everyone. But I do know that if you're willing to be uncomfortable over and over and over again, you can succeed. Listen below as I talk about my experience with these questions, how they relate to the think-feel-act cycle, and why you are the reason for your success - not the tools, program, or coach you might use.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/94
If you’re going to change, you have to consider your beliefs about your capacity for change. If you tell yourself that you never finish anything or describe yourself as a quitter, you probably feel defeated and don’t end up changing your actions. That’s how the think-feel-act cycle works, right? Listen to this week’s episode to hear why challenging this thought and countering your brain’s confirmation bias are incredibly important for changing your habits.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/93
When you've taken a break from drinking in the past (or maybe right now) have you felt frustrated by the fact that you're still unhappy... even without the "cause" of your undesired behavior out of the picture? Join me today as I address why uncovering the real you can be so uncomfortable and confrontational and how shifting your thoughts away from just your actions can have a tremendous impact on your journey of taking a break.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/92
Have you ever experienced anxiety that feels so intense you're certain something terrible is going to happen? Do you experience that anxiety around alcohol and taking a break from drinking? Join me today as I break down where anxiety comes from and what you're probably doing in response to it that is keeping you from seeing it clearly. I'm also sharing a step-by-step process you can use to work through anxiety when it shows up!
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/91
Today, I want to talk about how we cope with negative emotions, the actions that we take in response to them. And specifically, what it means to numb how you feel. Join me on this episode of Take a Break for a look into why we numb, how to tell when you're using a numbing action to avoid facing your negative thoughts and emotions, and why awareness is key.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachelhart.com/90
Do you find yourself searching for the motivation to change your habit of drinking… or anything else in your life? I have some good news for you today that can help end your search. Join me this week as I share how you can build the skill of motivation by taking action every day.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://rachelhart.com/89
Most of you probably have thoughts along the lines of, “That’s just who I am,” “I’m just someone who has no impulse control,” or “That’s just my personality. I can’t change it.” But what if it’s not “just who you are” but actually something you can change? Today, I want to talk to you about a new and different way of considering who you are: Personality vs Mindset.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/88
Whether your numbing action is overdrinking, overeating, overworking or any other overindulgence, you may have had the thought, "Why can't I ___ like everyone else?" Today I'm breaking down the belief that many of you are caught up in of wanting to be like everyone else. I share how the questions you're asking yourself are leading you to the shameful conclusion that there's something wrong with you and how you can choose other thoughts.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/87
People hate admitting that they judge others negatively, however, we all do it. On this episode, we’re talking about the Mirror Effect – why you judge other people harshly – and what that means about your thoughts about yourself. We also take a look at how you can use the understanding of this concept as a tool to help you change your drinking habit or improve any area of your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://rachelhart.com/86
Have you ever felt like you either do everything right and do everything you said you were going to do or you've thrown it all out the window and allow yourself to cut loose and eat, drink, or do whatever your heart desires? Tune in as we take a look at the idea of perfectionism in relation to our drinking habits and how our thinking about earning our worthiness impacts our desire to drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/85
On this episode, we explore why people are drink pushers and why we avoid them and blame them for our own choices around drinking. We also look at what we need to understand about the think-feel-act cycle and how it’s driving the action of pushing other people to drink. Join me to discover how to handle the situations where someone is trying to persuade you to drink to help you feel empowered rather than pressured.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/84
Do you feel like, no matter how much progress you make toward changing your drinking habits, you always focus only on the times when you stray from the path to your goals and constantly beat yourself up over it? Today, we take a look at how using certain kinds of language when we don’t do as we planned impacts meaningful growth and how a subtle shift can make all the difference when you’re trying to change your drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/83
You must practice in order to create change, right? On this episode, we take a look at the real reasons why you might be having an issue with socializing without alcohol and how regular practice can make this process (as well as any other sticking point in your journey) easier and more enjoyable.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/82
On this episode, we’re talking about impulse control – the essential meta-skill for getting anything done - and how it can be applied to so many areas of your life including changing your drinking habits. I explain what you need to do in order to stop your impulses from running your day and manage them as they arise and how this will help you achieve your goals and build a better relationship with yourself in the process.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/81
On this episode, I talk about the tools that I taught myself when it came to changing my drinking. They are the tools that gave me the ability to manage my mind, respond to my urges in a different way, and learn to handle my desire instead of immediately acting on it. These are the same tools I use in many different aspects of my life that allowed me to write a book, launch a podcast, and build a successful coaching business.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/80
On this episode of Take a Break, we take a deep dive into the topic of emotional health and take a look at why it matters. I show you what good emotional health is all about (and this may actually surprise you) and what gets in the way of achieving it. Lastly, we explore how and why you should invest in your mental health and what that looks like.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/79
On this episode, we take a look at how you regularly fall victim to your Rolodex of excuses and fail to make meaningful progress in changing your drinking habits. Join us as I explain how to identify those permission-giving thoughts, call them out for what they are, and teach your brain that you’re the one that has the ultimate authority over the decisions you make.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/78
On this episode, we take a look at how pouring a drink can become a marker for the end of one segment (generally work) and help you transition into a different, more relaxed part of your day. Tune in as I explain why we as human beings need markers and transitions in our everyday life and how using alcohol as a marker can get in the way when you want to change your habit of drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/77
On this episode, we take a look at why your to-do lists may not be as helpful as you think and how they can actually work against you. I explain how your thinking about your to-do list may affect your desire to pour yourself a drink and give you the process you can use to turn your list into something that serves you.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/76
To find out more about The Six Week Solution self-study course, visit http://www.rachelhart.com/six-week-solution
On this episode, we take a deeper dive into the think-feel-act cycle and how you can actually apply it in your everyday life in a way that creates meaningful change. Listen in as I share a powerful framework that you can use to go from the thoughts that you’ve possibly been thinking your entire life to thoughts that serve you on your journey of changing your drinking habits.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/75
On this episode, we take a look at why I discourage my client from using words like abstaining when they are working on changing their drinking habits. I also explain why your desire for alcohol (or anything that tastes great to you) is so strong and outline the exact steps that you can follow in order to completely lose that desire.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/74
On this episode, I show you why your enthusiasm starts to fade once you take action and why it’s absolutely normal. Tune in as I show you how you can use the think-feel-act cycle to counteract your loss of enthusiasm, stop getting caught in defeat, and see your goals through until you achieve them!
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/73
Have you ever thought to yourself: “You know… I’ll start this on Monday (or another day)”? Today, I want to dig into what is really happening when you think this thought of delaying action and how it unfolds in the think-feel-act cycle. I explore why it’s so easy to fall into the trap of, “I’ll start tomorrow” and give you some tools that you can start using right away to finally let go of this thought.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/72
On this episode, we take a look at what a story and anyone’s past really is. I also share an exercise that will help you shake free of the stories that you’re telling yourself that are creating negative results for you right now to help you stop spending a lot of time and energy wishing that you could go back and change your past to feel better.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/71
In this episode of Take a Break, I want to dig into the idea of triggers, or being triggered, and explain the pitfalls of this word and why you need to start to conceive of it in a different way. Listen in to find out how letting go of the idea that you’re triggered or that someone is triggering can help you with your process of changing your drinking habits and simply feeling better overall.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/70
Today, I show you how to create new evidence when it comes to your relationship to alcohol and your ability to successfully take a break. This work will require you to challenge your thoughts, but it's vital to successfully changing the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/69
I’m diving deep into people-pleasing and the toll it can take on your state of mind. When you commit to pleasing everyone, you might think it takes the pressure off, but I’m going to tell you why the results you expect aren't the ones you get.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/68
This week, I want to talk to you about what really makes something special, sexy, fancy, or sophisticated. We'll also explore how the messages you get about alcohol being "adult" and "refined" can hold you back, and how important it is to examine these beliefs and question them when you want to change the habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/67
Join me on this episode as I walk you through the process of becoming an observer of your thoughts and emotions and explain how you can begin changing them to help you take a break in a sustainable way.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/66
Today, I want to talk to you about honesty and your inability to be honest with yourself or people around you. Listen in to find out why you’re having trouble being honest, why your brain thinks drinking is a good idea, the problems that it causes, and what you can do today to start overcoming it.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/65
On episode 8, we talked about urges, what they are all about, and how to handle them. This week, I want to go deeper and give you a new way to think about an urge in a very helpful way as you’re doing this work.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/64
You’ve taken a break from drinking and you’re getting amazing results. You’re enjoying yourself, not just physically but also emotionally; you're starting to see that there’s a different way of being without needing or wanting a drink. Yet, there's a part of you that feels unsettled. You can't shake the thought that sometimes it feels like you don't know who you are anymore.
I call this period “the in-between” time. You’re in the place where you’re shedding one identity and beginning to create a new one. And, unfortunately, this place of uncertainty brings up a lot of fear for people.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/63
Join me this week as I explain how to use the think-feel-act cycle to prevent feelings of self-pity. You’re going to learn why feeling pity for others isn't helpful, as well as why it’s impossible to change your habits when you're allowing yourself to wallow.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/62
On this episode of Take a Break from Drinking, we take a look at why you resist listening to your body and instead prefer to manufacture a sense of false confidence and sense of happiness by pouring yourself a drink. Join me as I show you how you can get started with listening to your body and the incredible changes you will experience as a result.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/61
Tune in this week as I explain why people get into the habit of augmenting positive emotions with external rewards rather than simply enjoying them, and what you’re teaching your brain when you do, as well as the potential downsides. Discover how to tell whether you really need to augment a positive emotion, analyze your situation, and decide on the best course of action in line with your goals. I promise you, guys, by doing this work, you will be able to experience so much more joy, wonder, contentment, gratitude, and love than you can imagine!
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/60
This week on the podcast, I'm discussing why thoughts like, "I deserve it" which appear kind, are actually just the brain's way of keeping the habit alive and well. By using the think-feel-act cycle you'll be able to see how to redirect your permission-giving thoughts into something that can fuel change.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/59
This week, we explore the seemingly impossible task of taking a break from drinking. Join me as I share with you the one belief you're holding on to that isn't serving you, and discover a simple, foolproof, and most importantly, accurate belief you can replace it with to help you change your drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/58
Join me this week as we explore the role of dopamine in your brain and teach you how to challenge your thinking when you're struggling to have a good time. I also explain the ways in which you might be hindering your progress when it comes to changing your drinking – especially if you're struggling to enjoy yourself with a glass in your hand!
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/57
Join me this week as I delve into why your opinion of you should be your number one priority, and how focusing your energy there is the key to successfully changing the habits, like drinking, that aren't serving you. We'll explore how focusing on the results you're getting is fundamental in shifting your mindset.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/56
The belief that you need to escape your life in order to solve your problems is incredibly common. I'll explain why this is, how this belief works in the think-feel-act cycle, and why this can cause problems when you want to take a break from drinking.
Tune in this week as I show you how you can use situations where people are drinking to your advantage, and successfully change your desire to drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/55
On this episode of Take a Break from Drinking, we delve into the pros and cons of labels and why human use them to describe ourselves and others. I dissect three most-common labels connected to the struggle with alcohol, and explain why you may choose not to label yourself when it comes to the think-feel-act cycle.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/54
Today, I want to talk about the reason why you’re still not taking action, or why you might be playing around with the idea, but not committing to change. Tune in as I share a powerful exercise to help you identify and understand the alternative option you’re weighing instead of taking it entirely off the table to commit to what you want.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/53
In Episode 22 I talked about whyyou need a compelling reason. Today, I want to take this work even deeper and so that you can find one that works for you, and understand how to avoid the most common mistakes. I'll also show you how to connect with your compelling reason on a regular basis to make sure you don’t fall back into your old, unwanted patterns.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/52
This week, I explain why alcohol and food are NOT your friends and how that thinking is holding you back from creating meaningful change in your life. Tune in to hear about five important thing s that food and alcohol will never be able to do for you and why you might want to consider reaching out to a flesh-and-blood friend if you’re working on changing your drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/51
This week, we're talking about why you’re actually moving backward if you’re not growing and how changing your view of discomfort will not only set you up to have an entirely different year but how it can set you up to have an entirely different life.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/50
On this episode, we explore how having a regular habit of drinking may be affecting your physical wellbeing and why many of you don’t attribute it to what you’re putting in their body.
Tune in to find out why you should consider not settling when it comes to your health and see how much better you may feel after taking a break.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/49
On this episode, we explore how you use questions – a huge part of the chatter that goes on in your mind – to keep yourselves stuck and unable to change your drinking habits. We look at what happens in your brain when you pose questions to yourself and why the odds are stacked against you.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/48
Join us on this episode as we pull back the curtain on where your rebellion around drinking comes from and why it’s crucial to understand this when working on changing your habits. We also explore how using certain language can increase your desire to drink and how to begin reducing your unconsciously created rebellion that's getting in the way of taking a break.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/47
This week, we’re going deep into the Cycle to take a look at how you can go from understanding the framework to actually using it as a tool. Listen in as I break down each individual part of the Cycle in detail and show you the process of how you can begin applying it to change your drinking habits and transform your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/46
In this episode of Take a Break from Drinking, we pull back the curtain on how the language you unconsciously use to describe your feelings and urges, can actually be unhelpful. The good news is that once you understand how this process works, you can harness different metaphors to help you change your drinking.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/45
In this episode, we take a look at why the holidays seem to never change and what you can do to have a different experience this year, especially if you're working on taking a break from drinking. I share powerful tools and strategies that you can use this season to help you interrupt your habits and finally get the results that you want.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/44
In this session, I explain how you can learn to cultivate the skill of “being where you are” – a practice that will reveal just how often your brain goes into the negative past or negative future.
Tune in to find out how you can identify unconscious negative thoughts and emotions that contribute to how you feel and the relief that you're seeking at the end of the day.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/43
Today, we explore the power in learning how to celebrate you. We look at why we often turn to a drink to celebrate ourselves, how to start building a different skill, and the benefits of this practice.
Get full show notes and more information here:http://www.rachelhart.com/42
This week, we explore the power in of learning how to celebrate you. We'll look at why we often turn to a drink to celebrate ourselves, how to start building a different skill, and the benefits of this practice.
Don’t miss this story of how I transformed my idea of what my birthday should be to what it could be. I hope it will give you inspiration about what is possible when it comes to celebrating yourself.
Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/41
Join me on this episode as we talk about how the idea of being blessed can actually work against you and may prevent you from changing your drinking. If you ever thought to yourself, “I’m so blessed… I have no right to feel this way or complain," this episode is for you.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/40
On this episode, I'll explain what's really behind the veneer of alcohol and what to do if you discover that your real life isn't as enjoyable without a drink in your hand.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/39
On this episode of Take a Break, I share why your relationships are NOT obstacles to changing your drinking and explain what really is standing in the way of change.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/38
On this episode of Take a Break from Drinking, I explain the science behind why your brain wants things to be easier and how to move forward.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/37
How you can take a break in a sustainable way, in a way that will be different than your previous attempts, and what NOT to do. Today, we get into why you should consider making a shift from focusing on removing a substance from your life to becoming a person of substance. I also cover 6 different things you should avoid doing when you want to successfully take a break, and how to turn this time into the period of meaningful personal growth and learning to understand your desire.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/36
This week, I'm talking about a concept that sets my approach apart from others when it comes to changing your drinking: alcohol is morally neutral. No matter the costs or benefits in your life, drinking isn't a vice and abstaining isn't a virtue.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/35
On this episode, I’m going to show you that you do not need to choose between not drinking, getting the results you want in your life, or connecting with people but staying stuck with the same negative results you don’t like.
If you feel like taking a break from drinking is going to get in the way of your social life, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/34
On this episode, I’m going to show you why humans are built for connection and how the brain can be tricked into believing that connection isn't possible without a drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/33
This week, we take an in-depth look at how your habit cycle works and what you need to do in order to understand your unique signals. We explore three key ingredients that go into forming habits and how understanding yours will help you on your journey. Join me on this episode as I share a step-by-step process to help you start identifying your cues and use them to ultimately change the habit and change your desire to drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/32
On this episode of Take a Break, we look at why we are so afraid to look at our problems and why it’s impossible to change course if you’re hiding from those issues. I explain how much power there is in the willingness to look head-on at whatever isn’t working in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/31
On this episode, I explain why you absolutely must be willing to experience the whole spectrum of emotions if you want to use the Think, Feel, Act Cycle as a tool for changing your drinking. We cover the three main reasons why people avoid feeling certain emotions and how understanding this can help you take control of your desire to drink.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/30
Discover why you beat yourself up, the detrimental effect that has on you, and why beating yourself up is doing more to keep you stuck than to change your actions. Tune in to find out how you can stop beating yourself up so that you can understand why you sometimes drink more than you want and how to change this habit.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/29
Today, we're talking about why so many of us are constantly hunting for relief and turning to a drink to feel better. We'll explore exactly why you continuously need “something” to lessen the discomfort of your day-to-day life and why drinking to take the edge off is not sustainable.
Listen in to find out what you can start doing today to change the habit of drinking as means of relief without succumbing to stress, anxiety, or frustration.
Get full show notes, full transcript, and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/28
Tune in and find out why the human brain is uniquely equipped to change habits and why it feels as if you are at odds with yourself when it comes to drinking.
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to understand why your brain works the way it does and how you can use this information to create meaningful change in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/27
This week, we explore what exactly happens to us when we escalate our discomfort into chaos and how that creates seemingly irresistible urges to escape the negative emotions that come with it. Listen in to discover the process that you can use to not only to manage your desire to drink but also apply it to any problematic situation in your life.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/26
Today, we dive deeper into the topic of fun and explore one of the main reasons why people feel like they are missing out if they don't have a drink in their hand. Tune in as we talk about a routine that most people develop as they get older – consuming entertainment without much or any effort on their part. The habit of passively consuming fun prevents you from being able to generate fun on your own.
Join us as we look at the difference between creating and consuming fun, how shifting from consuming to creating is necessary if you want to take a break from drinking and become a more interesting person in the process.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/25
So many people feel like changing their drinking means signing up for a life without fun. You might even think, "I'm no fun when I don’t drink" or "This event will be unbearable without a booze."
On this episode, we’re taking a look at these two thoughts and how they are keeping you stuck. Join us as I explain how to stop outsourcing the perception of fun to alcohol and learn how to start having actual fun using the Think, Feel, Act Cycle.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/24
This week I am excited to show you exactly what happens to your brain when you think, “What if I fail?” and why you need to learn to deal with this thought, Join me as I explain how you can change your perspective of failure, set yourself free and keep moving toward your vision on a new you and a life that excites you.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/23
On this episode of Take a Break, I’m going to show you the missing piece preventing you from moving forward with your life and feeling fully in control. I’ll explain what you need to sustain you when you run head first into resistance and motivate you to keep taking action and moving forward even in you feel uncomfortable.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/22
This week, we’ll explore how one thought, "I just can't drink," can hold you back and keep you stuck in the never-ending cycle of feeling miserable, powerless, and probably pouring yourself a drink to escape. Tune in to find out how making a subtle change to your thinking can help you get closer to your goal of taking a break.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/21
On this week’s episode of Take a Break, we delve into what exactly creates everything you currently have and experience in your life. We cover how easy it can be to get into a pattern of turning to alcohol (or other distractions) to feel better when you look at your life and you don’t like what you see.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/20
On this concluding episode of our mini-series on the Think, Feel, Act Cycle, we’re tying it all together by talking about understanding your actions and why you do the things that you do in your life. Tune in to get the complete picture of how our thoughts drive our feelings and, in turn, our feelings drive our actions.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/19
This week, we uncover how emotions differ from our thoughts and why grasping this distinction is crucial to understanding why you drink more than you want and rely on alcohol in certain situations. I also explain how you can tell when you’re experiencing a feeling and what you can do to intentionally change how you feel.
Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/18
This week, I explain what your thoughts really are, how to separate yourself from your thoughts and why that is so crucial to changing your thinking and unlearning your desire to drink.
Tune in to discover this episode’s important tips and strategies that will help free you from societal and cultural conditioning, increase your awareness, and get you unstuck on your journey to taking a break.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/17
In this episode, I talk about how keeping your brain on autopilot and only doing the familiar, easy things in life, keeps you stuck and stunts your growth. Listen in to discover exactly why it is challenging to do difficult things and how they help you in the long run.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/15
Listen in to find out why I believe letting go of the concept of being on or off "the wagon" is crucial if you want to stick with your commitment.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/15
In this episode, we focus on the importance of questioning your thoughts, the ones that you hold on to as the “truth,” to determine whether or not they are holding you back from achieving your goals. I explain how holding a light to your thoughts and challenging them can help you begin taking small steps toward progress and living a life that you truly deserve.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/14
This week, we revisit a few important concepts we’ve talked about on previous episodes with a focus on one of the best ways of creating lasting change in our lives. I share my personal favorite way of looking at your drinking – an exercise that will help you get the complete picture of the issue and gain a new perspective beneficial to positive change.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/13
Listen in as I explain why so many of us use pouring a drink to hide from perfectionism and people pleasing and why it’s so difficult to cut back.
Discover how you can break the cycle of having a drink when you “need a break” from the relentless pressure of doing everything right and trying to keep everyone happy.
Get full show note and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/12
On this episode of Take a Break, we look at the difference between physical and emotional deprivation and how understanding this difference can be the key to making a lasting change in our lives. I explain what deprivation is all about, what creates it, and why you don’t have to constantly tell yourself, “I’m just going to have to live with this for the rest of my life.”
Get full show notes, transcripts, and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/11
On this episode of Take a Break from Drinking, we explore how feeling shame over our past creates a vicious cycle of staying in the dark and continuing to drink even more. We also look at the sticking points of cutting back when we focus on the past and what we can do to “change our past,” as impossible as it may sound.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/10
Join us as I explain why it’s so important to examine how alcohol is helping us in our daily lives and how we use it to “solve” our problems quickly and easily.
If you’re considering taking a break and want to start feeling like you're making headway rather than missing out, you won’t want to miss this important episode!
Get full show notes and more information here: http://www.rachelhart.com/9
Listen in as we pull back the curtain on why we feel urges and why that desire to drink may feel so strong to us. We cover why using willpower may not be the best way to deal with urges and what you can start doing today to best deal with them.
Get full show notes, transcripts, and more information here: http://bit.ly/2mhOPC4
Today, I share three unexpected benefits of taking a break from drinking that are going to prove that not only can you enjoy the emotional and physical perks you're already looking forward to, you can also learn to face your fears and enjoy an even better life than you have now!
Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2lvOboM
Today, we cover the four main reasons why we get stuck in this state of not being able to make up our mind, we explore the detrimental effects of indecision, as well as what we can do to move past it. Join us to discover the tools you can start using today to rid yourself of indecision and give yourself the best, most liberating gift that you can ever give yourself.
Get full show notes, transcripts, and more information here: http://bit.ly/2l5BOe1
On this episode, we cover the absolute best solution to dealing with questions about not drinking that will but also fuel your commitment to staying away from alcohol.
Get full show notes, transcripts, and more information here: http://bit.ly/2lBblqN
Today, we explore what confidence is all about and why it’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we need a drink to feel more self-assured and at ease in social situations. We take a look at the 4 important elements that contribute to the confidence deficit and how being aware of them will help you become more self-assured.
Get full show notes, transcripts, and more information here: http://bit.ly/2kWV910
On this episode of Take a Break, we’re talking about a common thread among people who like to drink – using alcohol to “take the edge off.” Join me today as I explore why we use alcohol to unwind and what we’re teaching our brain when we do so.
Listen in to discover a game-changing tool that will help you find the underlying problem and what is really going on with you rather than fighting with your often overwhelming desire to drink.
Get full show notes, transcripts, and more information here: http://bit.ly/2m5Grtw
Today, I share with you why using willpower to try to drink less is not the answer. We also explore how our thoughts drive our feelings and why it’s important to understand that our thoughts are not always an accurate representation of reality.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2kIbQNz
In today’s episode, I explain the 4 key pieces to my approach to taking a break from drinking, starting with how the story of alcohol is so enmeshed in our opinion of ourselves whether we decide to imbibe or not.
Listen in to learn how we’re going to work through the process of unraveling everything you think you know about why we drink and how we can control our desire for alcohol.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2lCH7GA
This podcast is unlike anything else you'll find out there.
It's not about convincing yourself that alcohol is bad or swearing it off for good, it’s about understanding a totally new approach to drinking less, drinking rarely, or not at all.
Start at the beginning, pick an intriguing topic, or go to thealcoholreset.com to learn the MOST IMPORTANT lessons from 250+ podcast episodes in 10 short and to-the-point audios.