The Big Drink Rethink

Jaksot

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  Ep 134: Drowning in Data But Starved of Insight | Rethinking Alcohol 30.07.2026 12min

  What if all the sleep scores, step counts, and readiness reports in the world still leave you missing the point? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the paradox of our “self-quantified” age: we collect endless data about our bodies, yet remain confused about why we reach for that Friday night drink.Why do so many of us meticulously track our health and download optimisation apps, but still pour a glass (or two) at the end of the week even though the data says it’s a bad idea? Anna explains why metrics alone can’t change behaviour and why the real question isn’t “What does the data show?” but “What are you truly thirsty for?”Highlights:00:00 Intro: Obsessed by health data but still drinking?00:44 The archetype: data-obsessive, wine-on-Friday person02:04 We’re more quantified, and less self-aware, than ever03:21 Data isn’t enough to change behaviour05:30 We’ve stopped asking about causes and focus on numbers instead06:53 The wine and wellness routines: same job, different means07:33 Understanding your body is useful but it’s only the doorway08:23 The answer is found in your life, not your data09:45 The core unmet needs that drive drinking10:06 Meeting your deeper needs transforms your relationship with alcohol10:44 The real question: what is this drink telling me about my life?11:29 Next week: Lindsey Frances using data as the start, not the end, of self-discovery12:11 The question to sit with: not your sleep score but what are you thirsty for?Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 133: Why Waiting Until You’re Ready Rarely Works | Rethinking Alcohol | 23.07.2026 50min

  What if the real reason you feel stuck around drinking isn't a lack of willpower or information, but simply that your thinking can't yet see another way? Anna Donaghey is joined by Doug Fleener, author of "Start with What If" and creator of the "What If Rule", a simple, three-step practice for creating new perspectives in real time.Drawing on his own journey from addiction to leadership roles at Bose Corporation, Doug shares how change really happens: through interruption, curiosity, and asking different questions. Together, he and Anna explore why curiosity trumps willpower, and how tiny shifts - like asking, "What if I just didn't drink today?" can unlock entirely new possibilities.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Welcome to The Big Drink Rethink00:45 What if what keeps you stuck isn’t willpower?01:01 Meet Doug Fleener02:14 The “What If Rule”: change in real time, not ‘someday’03:23 Doug’s 30,000ft wake-up call06:09 The power of interruptions and rock bottoms07:11 Why it feels easier to change your state than change your life15:15 The real impact of asking “What if I didn’t drink just today?”16:21 Why avoiding forever/never thinking makes change possible17:47 “I’ll tackle it when I’m ready” - and how action actually creates clarity23:10 The What If Rule explained: Pause, Question, Go31:43 Why one pause matters even if you still have the drink33:13 How identity, habit, and depletion drive drinking autopilot37:52 Future journaling: setting intentions for who you want to be41:12 Drinking as a default off-switch for discomfort43:08 How to sit with feelings (instead of pushing them down)45:42 “Nobody ever wishes they drank more”46:47 The permission to start small49:12 You don’t need a plan, just the next question.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Doug Fleener:After years of struggle with addiction and self-doubt, Doug rebuilt his life from the inside out. And his journey shaped his belief that transformation begins with one simple question: What if?As the author of “Start With What If” and “The Day Makes the Year (Makes a Life)”, and the creator of The What If Rule, Doug helps people see challenges, habits, and everyday moments in a new light. His insights are practical, hopeful, and deeply human - showing how anyone can create better perspectives and possibilities starting today.Connect with Doug:Website: https://www.dougfleener.com/Book “Start with What If?”: https://www.dougfleener.com/dougsbooks
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  Ep 132: Why Doesn't Summer Feel Like a Break? | Rethinking Alcohol | 16.07.2026 17min

  Summer is supposed to be the easy season, so why does it so often leave us more tired, pressured, and frazzled than ever? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the myth of the "restful summer" and the invisible standards that pile up as the weather warms: be the memory-maker, the joy-creator, the calm presence. It's a pressure that fuels depletion and quietly drives the urge for an evening drink, not for pleasure, but as an off-switch when rest feels out of reach.Drawing on psychologist Donald Winnicott's idea of the "good enough" parent, Anna reframes what it means to do summer well, and shares practical questions to help you carve out genuine breaks, lower the pressure, and gently move away from alcohol as your only way to switch off.If your summer doesn't feel like the break you were promised, this episode will show you you're not alone and point you toward a kinder, more sustainable way through.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why can summers be exhausting01:20 The real summer vs. the Instagram version03:20 Family life: chaos of young kids or grownup kids at home05:07 The “gap” between summer’s promise and reality05:26 Feeling the pressure to make memories06:03 Why we feel guilty when we finally get a break06:31 Evenings as the first off-switch and how that cues drinking08:03 Introducing Winnicott’s “good enough” concept09:52 Chasing the perfect summer sets up the craving for relief10:14 Good enough is actually enough11:27 Once you lower the bar, the craving (and pressure) loosens12:32 What your evening self actually needs13:47 What would actually make summer feel like a break for you?14:39 Specific examples for reclaiming space and calm15:47 “Good enough” as the true standard, not a consolation prize16:07 The real summer is messy (and that’s enough)Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 131: Q&A: I'm Drinking Less on Mounjaro. This Is Good News, Right? | Rethinking Alcohol | 09.07.2026 13min

  "I'm drinking less on Mounjaro, should I see this as a win?" It's a question landing in Anna Donaghey's inbox more and more, and in this listener Q&A episode, she gives it the thoughtful answer it deserves.Medications like Mounjaro, originally prescribed for diabetes and weight management, are quietly dialling down people's desire for alcohol often without them even trying. Anna explores what the emerging research tells us about GLP-1 drugs and the brain's reward system, why the effect on cravings may not last, and why it's so important not to skip the deeper work of understanding your relationship with alcohol, even when the urge has gone dormant.Because here's the real opportunity: this "hiatus of desire" is a rare window for self-enquiry, not a shortcut. Anna shares her perspective on the risks of treating pharmaceuticals as a simple fix, and offers practical reflection prompts for anyone noticing their cravings have changed.If your desire to drink has suddenly gone quiet, this episode will help you ask the question that really matters: what was it saying in the first place?Here are the Highlights:00:00 Intro: The rise of questions about Mounjaro and drinking01:05 The listener question: Drinking less and craving less, now what?02:23 How GLP-1 drugs (Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy) work in the body03:39 What research is saying about reduced cravings and reward04:45 Animal trials, human reports, and what’s not FDA approved06:06 The real opportunity: getting curious about why you are drinking07:12 Why “the drug quietens the craving, but doesn’t explain it”07:26 Why the effect isn’t permanent, dose reduction and recurrence08:04 The “hiatus of desire” and what you can do with this rare space10:00 Warning: Why “Mounjaro helps you quit drinking” is a risky narrative10:44 Addressing the myth of an instant pharmaceutical solution11:13 Practical advice: Get curious about what’s under your habits12:08 Plans for a deeper dive with expert guests coming soonFREE WEBINAR: How to Get Unstuck: A Year Inside a Community That's Changing Lives. Anna and fellow coach Tabbin Almond are excited to announce they’re hosting a free webinar on Thursday 9 July to share what they’ve learnt about what women actually need when they want to change their relationship with alcohol. You can register to grab your spot here: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/webinarAnna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 130: What Your Holiday Is Telling You | Rethinking Alcohol | 02.07.2026 51min

  What if your next holiday could tell you more about your drinking than any ordinary day? Anna Donaghey is joined by travel writer and longtime non-drinker Teresa Bergen to explore why holidays are such a flashpoint when it comes to alcohol.They unpick the cultural scripts that equate travel with "letting go," the invisible pressure to drink in airports, at resorts, and on work trips, and how travel can act as a mirror for your relationship with alcohol. Teresa shares decades of sober travel, surprising lessons from writing The Sober Travel Handbook, and the vividness of seeing the world clear-headed.Listen to rethink your travel story and design holidays that match what you actually want.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Rethinking drinking on holiday01:29 Teresa’s story: 38 years as a non-drinker and the “holiday script” 05:19 Why do we link travel to letting go of alcohol? 10:13 The bizarre normality of airport drinking at dawn14:12 “No drink = no fun” & what it’s like to break the social norm 18:11 Why holidays reveal our biggest beliefs and fears about alcohol 23:30 The benefits of holidays without drinking27:11 Building holidays around your real interests, not just the booze 46:48 Practical tips for a non-drinking holiday 49:00 Find links to Sober Travel Handbook & travel ideas in the show notes 50:02 How to rethink your “holiday script” and try something new.FREE WEBINAR: How to Get Unstuck: A Year Inside a Community That's Changing Lives. Anna and fellow coach Tabbin Almond are excited to announce they’re hosting a free webinar on Thursday 9 July to share what they’ve learnt about what women actually need when they want to change their relationship with alcohol. You can register to grab your spot here: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/webinarAnna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Teresa Bergen:Teresa Bergen is a travel writer and long-time sober person who wants to help others in recovery see the world without picking up a drink. She's the author of Sober Travel Handbook: Navigating the World Alcohol-Free, in which she shares tips for avoiding airport bars, business networking without the booze, navigating well-meaning friends who want you to drink with them, and many other common situations. She helps non-drinkers strategise and plan for travel so that they can confidently experience other places and cultures and have new adventures while minimising their chances at relapse. Connect with Teresa:Teresa’s website: https://teresabergen.com/The Sober Travel Handbook: https://teresabergen.com/easy-portland-outdoors/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresa.bergen/Some sober travel links recommended by Teresa can be found in The Big Drink Rethink Toolkit here: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/toolkit-optin
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  Ep 129: What Does Curiosity Look Like This Summer? | Alcohol Coaching 25.06.2026 26min

  What if summer didn't have to be scripted by booze? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey answers a listener's question: "What does it actually mean to get curious about my drinking this summer?"Anna dismantles "summer scripts", the invisible associations between alcohol and fun, relaxation, or connection. Instead of forcing abstinence or restriction, she offers a gentle, practical process: What are you really looking forward to at each event? What job are you asking alcohol to do? What meaningful moments might you notice if you step out of autopilot?Whether you want to quit, cut back, or just understand your habits, this is about empowered choice, not deprivation. Expect relatable validation, zero judgment, and practical reflection tools you can use straight away.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Anna welcomes listeners to a summer Q&A episode 01:30 Listener question: “What does being curious mean?” 02:20 How curiosity became Anna’s most powerful tool 03:54 How watching, noticing, and observing can make occasions richer 05:25 The energy drain of strict “quitting” vs. the freedom of curiosity 06:29 How the drinks industry scripts our summer 09:06 What are your “summer scripts”? 10:53 Why simply SEEING the script changes everything 12:17 Practical reflection: Questions to ask before, during, and after events 15:26 What job are you giving alcohol? Stress relief, connection, or ritual? 18:11 Experimenting with non-drinking, not as a rule, but as a test 19:28 What do you remember about these events? 20:41 Setting a feeling-based intention for your summer 22:12 Tiny experiments that help you learn what you really want 24:06 Pick one event this summer to do differently 26:23 How one curious occasion can change your entire perspective Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 128: Rewriting the Summer Drinking Script | Rethinking Alcohol | 18.06.2026 43min

  What if summer didn’t have to be “powered by” alcohol? In this episode, Anna Donaghey invites sobriety and life coach, Casey McGuire Davidson, to unpack why the summer and its long evenings, and sunny terrace, feels so tangled with the urge to drink. Is it really about the Aperol Spritz… or are we longing for something deeper, like freedom, nostalgia, or a younger version of ourselves?Together, they challenge the myth that summer is for “letting go” and drinking, and instead explore the possibility that these months could offer more: clarity, energy, presence, and real joy.If you’re worried you’ll be missing out or feel resistance to change, this episode delivers validation, surprising science, and practical ways to romanticise sobriety rather than alcohol.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why is summer so “loaded” with drinking?01:04 Meet Casey McGuire Davidson: podcast host & ex-corporate high-achiever04:47 How we don’t realise how much we’re missing by focusing on alcohol07:10 Romanticising alcohol vs. romanticising sobriety08:29 Sober travel: what’s really possible when you’re present10:40 The discomfort and magic of your first sober summer12:17 The “sober summer bucket list” approach13:11 Why summer is the best time to rethink your drinking habits16:42 Are we craving the drink, or a lost version of ourselves?23:42 How the drinks industry scripts our summer fantasies27:09 Alcohol’s real deception: convincing us we’re not enough without it28:00 “Why isn’t this moment enough?” Getting honest about cravings30:15 The science behind why alcohol seems to make us happier37:09 The “joy of missing out”: freedom, energy, and real presence41:00 What’s the biggest surprise on the other side?Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Casey McGuire Davidson:Casey McGuire Davidson is a Life & Sobriety Coach, speaker, and host of the Top 100 Mental Health show The Hello Someday Podcast for Sober Curious Women. Featured on Good Morning America, NPR, HuffPost, The New York Times, NBC News and more, she helps high‑achieving women change their relationship with alcohol so they can drink less and live more.Connect with Casey:Website: Hello Someday CoachingPodcast: The Hello Someday Podcast for Sober Curious WomenInstagram: @caseymdavidsonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloSomeday/
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  Ep 127: Same Feeling, Different Fix: Co-dependency Explained | Rethinking Alcohol | 11.06.2026 58min

  What if sobriety was just the beginning, not the destination? In this episode, Anna Donaghey sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Sarah Michaud, who draws on over 40 years of recovery and professional experience to explore the deep link between codependency, control, and unfulfilled needs. While getting sober is a huge step, Sarah reveals why the work often starts after the drinking stops as we swap one “fix” for another: relationships, work, food, or anything to soothe an uneasy mind.Together, they explore where codependency begins, how it shows up in everyday choices (from dinner to major life patterns), and why true freedom starts with honesty, first with yourself, then with others. If you find yourself always looking outside for relief or suspect that “people pleasing” is costing you your peace, this episode offers validation, hope, and practical first steps toward a healthier relationship with yourself.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Recovery is about more than drinking00:51 Meet Dr. Sarah Michaud: psychologist, author, and 42 years sober03:20 Getting sober didn’t fix everything; the real work starts after alcohol06:01 The cycle, looking for the next relationship, job, or fix12:05 What is codependency? Explained simply, and why it matters13:33 A brief history: codependency in addiction recovery14:23 The inability to be yourself out of fear of others’ reactions21:01 How unmet needs drive both drinking and codependency22:30 Childhood patterns, why we bring old survival tactics into adulthood24:07 Why many people swap addictions after sobriety33:37 How community and reality checks break denial35:00 Compassion is essential, but so is responsibility for your experience50:17 You can know the truth and still take your time deciding what to do52:54 “I am responsible for my thoughts, feelings, and behaviours”54:42 Start by letting go of one thing you do for others56:58 Don’t scroll past self-recognition; this is where the work starts.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Dr. Sarah Michaud:Dr. Sarah Michaud is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the field of addiction and co-dependency for over 30 years. She is also the author of One psychologist's recovery from co-dependency and addiction: A memoir and manual for freedom.She has been sober for over 40 years and brings her humour, directness, compassion and insight to support folks in recovery. She is also the cohost of a youtube channel called Leaving Crazytown with her best bud Finn where they talk all things recovery and have lots of laughs.Connect with Sarah:Website: https://drsarahmichaud.com/
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  Ep 126: BONUS EPISODE: The Version Of You On The Other Side with the Gavin Sisters | Rethinking Alcohol | 09.06.2026 31min

  What if rethinking your relationship with alcohol wasn't about restriction, but about discovering a new version of yourself? Anna Donaghey introduces a raw and funny conversation between the Gavin Sisters, who went from "beer-swigging, Chinese takeout comedy double act" to thriving, teetotal vegan wellness entrepreneurs.Starting with Sharon's health crisis, the Gavin Sisters share how identity naturally shifts when you let go of the rituals that no longer serve you. Through illness, single motherhood, and career shakeups, they show how quitting drinking can open up a bigger life. If you worry you won't be "you" without alcohol, this episode offers a hopeful, relatable new script.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: The “identity question” behind drinking habits02:14 The Gavin Sisters’ old routine: comedy, wine, and takeout04:08 Sharon Gavin’s illness, diagnosis, and the wake-up call08:19 Loretta Gavin on why she couldn’t imagine life without alcohol10:40 How pressure and pain pushed both sisters to make a change11:45 Why quitting alcohol was the “biggest needle mover”14:35 Firsts: sober holidays, Christmas, hens, and the surprising joy16:07 Sobriety doesn’t fix everything but it brings energy for real problems22:15 How stories about “who you are” can limit or liberate you25:02 Key advice for anyone in an identity shift: give it time28:37 Sharon Gavin on seeing wine as “anxiety in a glass”29:00 Fourteen years alcohol-free: real freedom and zero regrets30:00 Why it’s okay to just give up for a month30:45 Gratitude for Anna Donaghey and the journeyAnna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout the Gavin Sisters:Sharon and Lauretta are an acclaimed comedy double act who have appeared in numerous TV and stage productions and written plays for the West End.They went from red wine-drinking, Chinese take-out aficionados to advocates of a plant-based lifestyle. Sharon's diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disease was the turning point. Covered head to toe in a chronic rash and at times wheelchair-bound, with her husband gone and Lauretta, also a single mum, stepping in to care for them all, the sisters transformed their lives together.They transitioned to a plant-based diet, gave up alcohol and processed foods, and Lauretta retrained as a natural vegan chef. Sharon is now off all medication and back running.In 2018 they set up The Detox Barn, named by Condé Nast as one of the best wellness retreats in the UK for 2023 and 2024, and later launched Funki Coffee and the Gavin Sisters Wellness Show podcast.Connect with the Gavin Sisters:Website: https://gavinsisters.co.uk/The Detox Barn: https://gavinsisters.co.uk/pages/retreats-the-detox-barn
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  Ep 125: Breaking The 'Wine O'clock' Habit | Alcohol Coaching | 04.06.2026 25min

  Is your evening drink a true choice or just a well-worn ritual your brain expects at the end of every day?Your host Anna Donaghey breaks down the hidden psychology behind the “wine o’clock” habit. She explains the science of habit loops, why willpower alone can’t break the cycle, and offers a step-by-step framework for gently rewiring your automatic drinking response. Discover practical, compassionate tools to recognise your real needs and build a life that genuinely satisfies them with no white-knuckling required.If you feel stuck in the routine of pouring a drink as the sun goes down, this episode shows you how (and why) to change the script.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why we reach for a drink between 5–7pm01:24 The “witching hour” and the automatic pull toward alcohol02:18 What is a habit loop?04:26 The craving isn’t for alcohol, it’s for relief, calm, and transition06:14 Understanding neural pathways and why habits feel automatic08:21 The reward script: why your brain believes drinking is the solution09:19 Why willpower doesn’t work at “wine o’clock”21:33 What did you drop when alcohol became the answer?22:24 A new way through the evening, one day at a time23:46 Listen to Ep 124 with Beverly Meyer (GABA + the biology of stress)24:50 Find all the resources on Anna’s website, www.thebigdrinkrethink.com.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 124: Wired, Tired, and Reaching for Wine | Rethinking Alcohol and Your Nervous System 28.05.2026 48min

  What if that evening glass of wine isn't just a habit, but your body reaching for balance it's missing elsewhere?Anna Donaghey is joined by certified clinical nutritionist Beverly Meyer to decode the neuroscience behind our relationship with alcohol, specifically GABA, the nervous system's key calming neurotransmitter, and why modern life is quietly depleting it. Beverly shares practical, food-first strategies to genuinely restore GABA levels and explains why your body is always trying to help you, never sabotage you.If you've ever wondered, "Why can't I just say no to that drink?", this episode is for you.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Alcohol and why nervous system regulation matters01:06 Meet Beverly Meyer: clinical nutrition and the missing GABA link05:14 GABA 101: The neurotransmitter explained in plain English10:05 Does alcohol “pretend” to be GABA?12:22 Are you GABA deficient before you ever pick up a drink?16:24 When alcohol “parks” on GABA receptors and why that matters 18:13 Alcohol as a solution, not the problem- the real story about depletion20:00 Changing the drinking conversation21:09 Why food matters most25:00 Paleo eating and asking “What did humans evolve to eat?”28:18 Why Beverly ditched Wi-Fi and breakfast cereal40:09 Herbal strategies for sleep and stress45:27 Your body is on your side, learn to listen and support it47:15 Where to find out more.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Beverly Meyer:Beverly Meyer is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN) who has been in practice since 1985. Her journey into functional health began in the 1970s when, facing a debilitating virus that traditional medicine couldn't resolve, she sought out alternative practitioners - and never looked back. Hospitalised twice with Epstein-Barr Virus and living with chronic pain, hormonal issues, severe anxiety and poor sleep, she didn't just study these conditions. She lived them.In 2016, told to put her affairs in order after a mysterious health crisis, Beverly did what she has always done - researched her way to an answer, identifying a rare genetic disorder herself and finding the treatment she needed.Today she shares her knowledge through her website, consultations, and her long-running podcast Primal Diet - Modern Health, and is particularly known for her work on sleep, anxiety and the adrenals.Beverly’s website contains hundreds of articles, a free eBook, a newsletter and an online store that offers supplements to support a huge range of health needsFind out more: https://www.ondietandhealth.com/
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  Ep 123: How Big Is Your World? | Rethinking Alcohol | 21.05.2026 20min

  What if alcohol isn’t just a habit, but quietly shrinking the size of your world, dulling joy, and making ordinary pleasures feel like “not enough”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey shares honest insights from her own journey, exploring how drinking can subtly narrow both what you do and how much you feel.She unpacks the concept of the “hedonic threshold,” showing why your favourite activities may start feeling flat, and how even small milestones (like a child’s birthday) come to feel incomplete without a drink. Anna also gets real about what happens when you start to cut down: why everything can feel dull at first, why that’s normal, and how given time, colour and excitement quietly returns to the things you love.This episode is for anyone curious about changing the way they think about alcohol.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: When the world starts to shrink 01:19 The subtle ways alcohol “shrinks” your world 04:44 When joy becomes muted and life feels flat 06:14 The hedonic threshold: Why dopamine matters 07:55 Why ordinary pleasures start feeling not enough 09:53 The key questions to ask yourself 10:15 How activities drop away when drinking more 11:46 When drinking becomes the point 12:35 A sharp illustration: Prosecco at a one-year-old’s birthday 16:27 Why giving up alcohol feels flat at first 17:59 How your world starts to expand again 19:32 A gentle prompt: Is your world quietly contracting? 20:03 How to connect, find resources, and support.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 122: Building a Life You Don't Want to Escape From | Rethinking Alcohol | 14.05.2026 45min

  What if rethinking your drinking didn’t start with “giving up” alcohol, but instead you created the kind of life you don’t want to escape from? In this episode, Anna Donaghey sits down with adventurer and educator Belinda Coker to explore how rediscovering adventure, nature, and forgotten passions can quietly make alcohol fade into the background, no willpower or rock bottoms required.They talk honestly about growing up with normalised drinking, the “aha” moment that prompted Belinda to get hiking boots back on, and now teaching others how action, not theory, builds real confidence. She shares practical advice from her own journey, how immersing herself in adventure, house-sitting, and creativity helped her let go of drinking, and how to navigate tricky emotions (and triggers) in sobriety.Whether you’re just curious, stuck in a rut, or ready for a big change, this story has uplifting lessons for anyone wanting a richer, more expansive life with or without alcohol.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Meet Belinda Coker: Rethinking drinking isn’t always about alcohol01:25 Belinda’s story: adventure, midlife, and rediscovering passions02:58 Realising I had a drinking problem, only in hindsight05:19 Divorce, difficult periods, and drinking to cope07:00 Hiking becomes the new reward10:22 What adventure offers that alcohol can’t11:27 How new routines slowly nudged out drinking13:43 Returning to what you loved before alcohol14:41 When Friday nights become about flow, not wine18:12 Simple living, big happiness (and saving money)20:47 Why Belinda finally chose to stop drinking alcohol for good21:30 Recognising emotional triggers for drinking23:31 How she handles hard days now28:00 Why being honest about difficulties matters29:55 The “hike your own hike” philosophy for sobriety36:19 Out in the wild: zero desire for a drink41:29 How to get unstuck42:26 Where to find Belinda Coker and her work.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want" is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Belinda Coker:Belinda Coker is an Australian hiker, writer, and educator who helps women rebuild confidence through practical adventure and responsible travel. She has completed solo hikes from Australia’s Red Centre to crossing Greenland’s Arctic Circle, experiences that shaped her belief that confidence grows through action, not theory. Through her platforms, Soul Treader and The House Sitting Collective, she teaches how structure, trust, and responsibility create genuine freedom and stability in life.Connect with Belinda:Website: https://soultreader.com/
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  Ep 121: Toolkit '101' - How to Party Without Alcohol 07.05.2026 28min

  Parties are supposed to be fun. So why does going alcohol-free feel so hard in a room full of drinkers? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey draws on years of experience as an alcohol mindset coach and as someone who still actually goes to parties, to give you the toolkit she wishes she'd had.This one is practical from start to finish. Anna walks you through how to prepare before you arrive, what to bring, how to handle the "just have one!" brigade, and how to manage that rising self-consciousness when the energy in the room starts to shift. She also talks honestly about the drunk gap, why it exists, why it's not your fault, and how to stop letting it ruin your night.You'll leave with real scripts for declining drinks, strategies for those tricky social moments, and a reminder that waking up clear-headed the morning after a party is actually kind of wonderful.Whether you're newly alcohol-free, sober-curious, or just exploring what a night out could look like without drinking, this episode has you covered.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why parties without alcohol feel daunting 01:24 “But what do I actually do?” Why practical tools matter 02:13 The importance of a “before” plan – know your WHY for the night 05:44 Arrive calm, don’t underestimate your pre-party state 06:16 Why you need a drink in your hand within 30 seconds 07:01 Always have an exit plan (and travel independently) 07:57 No more “performative suffering” - enjoy your alcohol-free drink 09:55 You don’t owe anyone an explanation (scripts for awkward questions) 12:21 Seek out “real” conversations (and the power of good questions) 16:40 When others act weird about your not drinking16:25 Understanding the party “arc” when the “drunk gap” opens 18:12 Missing out, or a sign it’s time to go? The case for an early exit 21:20 Why caring what others think fades over time 24:02 The underrated joy of a hangover-free morning after 25:10 The essential party toolkit 27:08 How sober socialising becomes second nature Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 120: The Shortcut To Belonging | Rethinking Alcohol | 30.04.2026 53min

  Why does alcohol feel essential to parties, celebrations, and big social events? And what’s really at stake when you rethink your drinking in those spaces? Anna Donaghey is joined by Evan Cudworth, a self-described “party coach,” who shares his personal journey through alcohol-fueled confidence, alter egos, and radical new rituals.Together, they explore why we outsource energy and confidence to booze, how nostalgia can keep us stuck, and why the real “party” has to start within. Evan Cudworth breaks down his unique framework for building confidence and joy without alcohol and offers stories from both wild raves and deep silence at Burning Man.Whether you’re worried you can’t party sober (or just curious how presence can replace performance), this episode shares new possibilities.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: The myth that drinking is the party01:16 Why parties without alcohol feel unimaginable07:21 Creating alter egos: who are we trying to access?09:31 The “alcohol is a credit card” analogy11:42 How social norms & culture shape drinking14:44 Parties as rituals: St. Patrick’s Day and celebration engines20:30 The act of doing shots and what it really signifies24:42 Sober rituals and the power of intention29:56 The party within: reclaiming confidence and aliveness33:59 Building new evidence: is partying sober actually crap?34:44 The 7-stage “Party Within” framework44:41 Stop chasing nostalgia, what if you created joy instead?48:22 “Live more, numb less”, a new party philosophy51:05 The ultimate invitation: be the energy you want to see52:03 When it’s not about you: making others feel they belongAnna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Evan Cudworth:Evan Cudworth is, as far as anyone can tell, the world's first & only party coach - and he believes partying will save humanity. A nerdy UChicago graduate who came up in the underground rave & music scenes. Alongside his own struggles with validation, alcohol, & substances, in the post-pandemic chaos he created The Party Within, a 7 step framework for high-achieving adults who've been sold the lie that optimisation and fun are opposites.His argument is simple and a little heretical: the wellness industrial complex has made us more isolated, more rigid, and worse at being in a room together -and the cure is learning to actually party in our modern world.He's inspired thousands to libertate their social lives from anxiety, scrolling, & substances, and his work has appeared in GQ, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Teen Vogue.He's here to make the case that partying might be the thing that saves us.Connect with Evan:Website: https://partycoach.me/
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  Ep 119: The Act of Showing Up | Alcohol Coaching 23.04.2026 35min

  What does it really mean to “show up” in your life and how is that different from simply “turning up”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey explores one of the most honest motivations she hears from people rethinking alcohol: the desire to be present. She shares why presence goes so much deeper than physical attendance. Alcohol is often used as an emotional buffer, and what’s possible when you start showing up as the unfiltered version of yourself at home, at work, and in every room you enter.Anna offers a powerful reframe: real presence is not just a skill for parties, but a life skill that transforms relationships and the texture of daily life. This episode is packed with gentle invitations to experiment with being genuinely present for yourself and the people who matter most.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Intro: Today we’re exploring the quest for true presence01:32 The difference between turning up and showing up03:41 How alcohol acts as a costume, buffering us from authenticity07:05 Alcohol, performance, and the “gap” we’re trying to bridge10:55 Children and loved ones can feel when you’re only “half there”11:54 A new version of attention is possible13:13 The surprising gifts of ordinary, real-time connection14:19 Why social events can feel the hardest17:06 Learning to trust your own presence20:06 Reframing sobriety: not deprivation, but a richer experience23:26 Real presence includes awkwardness and dullness24:14 Letting your actual energy lead is both vulnerable and enough27:35 Real confidence versus performed confidence30:07 Showing up is a gift to others, not just yourself34:37 Final question: will you turn up or show up?34:46 What’s coming next: unpacking the cultural architecture of alcohol and social life.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 118: When Avoidance Stops Working with April Day Garcia | Rethinking Alcohol | 16.04.2026 55min

  What happens when the strategies we rely on to avoid pain, achievement, busyness and constant momentum stop working?In this powerful conversation, Anna Donaghey is joined by April Day Garcia, author of The Room to Be Brave: Sometimes the way forward begins with going back, to explore how avoidance can hide in plain sight, especially for high-functioning people disguised as success.April shares how chasing achievement and belonging led her further from herself, with alcohol acting as a quiet form of escape. When a period of forced stillness changed everything, she began the deeper work of healing, returning to the “rooms” where old beliefs began.This episode offers a hopeful reframe: avoidance isn’t failure, it’s protection and real change starts not with becoming someone new, but with coming home to who you already are.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Intro: Rethinking avoidance with April Day Garcia00:45 The art of avoidance and the illusion of achievement02:27 April’s memoir mapping unravelling through literal rooms05:11 Running from the pain, and chasing achievement09:33 How avoidance can sometimes look like high performance11:31 No room for vulnerability, linking emotions to old, unsafe moments13:49 Alcohol’s role in numbing, postponing, and belonging16:50 Avoidance creates new problems, emotional costs rise20:35 The clear rupture: seeing darkness reflected in family23:07 Having a breakdown broke the cycle, and led to giving up alcohol38:09 The hardest rooms: confronting your own mistakes and shadow work41:55 Old beliefs aren’t yours and reclaiming your true self44:12 Redeveloping your rooms and rewriting your story52:36 Choose your hard, start with one room54:04 Healing isn’t failure, sometimes your truest self is waiting in the rooms you feared most.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout April Day Garcia:April Day Garcia spent years in forward motion - busy, capable, and running without knowing it. As a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Reiki practitioner, and self-described chronic over-doer, she was excellent at moving through life while avoiding the rooms that needed her most.Sober since August 2024, April has been doing the harder work: going back into the experiences that shaped her deepest beliefs about herself, sitting in those spaces long enough to heal them, and discovering that who she was on the other side had been there all along. Her debut memoir, The Room to Be Brave: Sometimes the way forward begins with going back, is the story of what it means to stop running - and be brave enough to go back.Connect with April:Book: https://a.co/d/01NvRuC9Instagram: @theroomtobebraveWebsite: https://www.aprildaygarcia.com/
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  Ep 117: The Art of Avoidance: Why Alcohol Works…Until it Doesn’t 09.04.2026 17min

  What really drives us to reach for alcohol, and why is avoidance so quietly powerful in our habits? In this episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the psychology behind using alcohol as a coping mechanism, revealing how it silences discomfort and acts as a fast-acting state change in our modern lives. Drawing from her own lived experience and insights from her Substack “The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab,” Anna explores how avoidance is not weakness, but a deeply human strategy rooted in our biology and history.She dives into the difference between signals (those uncomfortable feelings and nudges) and state changes, explaining how alcohol overrides what our mind is trying to tell us. With practical examples and gentle guidance, Anna encourages listeners to get curious about their own habits, question the signals they might be silencing, and imagine life with alternative strategies that don’t come at such a cost.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Welcome, this week we are exploring the theme of avoidance01:03 How alcohol is used to numb and silence discomfort02:20 The British Medical Council: alcohol as the nation’s favourite coping mechanism04:04 Avoidance as an intelligent survival strategy, not denial05:12 Our ancient brain responds to discomfort06:00 Alcohol as a fast-acting state changer, it quietens the alarm08:23 Alternative avoidance strategies: work, scrolling, food09:09 We have a regulation systems, relief can be instantly available10:01 Learning to listen to discomfort13:17 Anna’s Sunday “unease”, discovering the real signal beneath the habit14:04 Signals as information about our needs and alignment15:07 When avoidance no longer works, what comes next?16:04 Imagining alternative strategies without the cost of alcoholAnna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 116: Tiny Clarity Moments 2 | Alcohol Coaching | 02.04.2026 16min

  Why do we agonise over disrupting the social flow by saying “no thanks” to a drink, even when alcohol is quietly disrupting so much more in our lives? In this thought-provoking solo episode, Anna Donaghey explores the micro-moments of clarity that often crop up when we consider changing our drinking habits. Drawing from a recent conversation with Ry Gavan, Anna explores how alcohol quietly sits behind so many social occasions, becoming a synchronised ritual, yet the real disruptions to our wellbeing are often overlooked, minimised, or accepted as “just life.”She examines the tension between the fear of social awkwardness and the reality of how quickly our circles adapt, and offers practical tools to handle that brief moment of discomfort.This episode is for anyone ready to question the script, trust those quiet nudges, and make choices around alcohol that genuinely align with who they are.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Welcome to “Tiny Clarity Moments 2”01:06 Wanting better sleep, energy, patience, but fearing social awkwardness03:20 The imagined disruption versus reality04:26 Ry’s true story: friends adjust, little actually changes05:01 The disruptions we tolerate: poor sleep, lost weekends, tension07:16 A question to ask: what disruptions am I already accepting?07:47 How do you make it easier to say no?09:41 Why you don’t owe an explanation10:44 Changing the subject and shifting the conversation11:04 The power of holding an alcohol-free drink in your hand11:33 Reframing: you’re just doing something different tonight13:31 Embracing quiet confidence, normalising intentional choices14:23 What disruption is really worth worrying about?15:22 Creating space for others by asking honest questionsThe first part of this mini-series on Tiny Clarity Moments can be found here on Apple or here on Spotify.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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  Ep 115: When Alcohol Is the Backdrop 26.03.2026 47min

  What happens when we question alcohol’s role as the backdrop to almost every social moment? In this powerful episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Ry Gavan from DRiNKLiNK, a Scotland-based charity supporting families affected by someone else’s drinking, for an honest conversation about the ripple effects of alcohol in our lives.Rather than focusing solely on “extremes,” Anna Donaghey and Ry explore why alcohol’s real power lies in its expectation: its presence at celebrations, commiserations, sport, family gatherings, and so much more. They explore the underlying fear of social disruption when someone opts out, the tension between belonging and authenticity, and the surprising reality that our imagined social fallout rarely materialises.This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the social script around drinking, the underestimated impact of alcohol, and what actually changes (for the better) when you step outside the expectation.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Intro: Exploring alcohol as the expected backdrop01:04 The tension of opting out02:08 Ry’s story05:24 Social rituals, identity, and the anxiety of changing your “role”09:50 Alcohol is woven into Scottish life, sports, family, and celebrations11:28 Grey area drinking, and challenging the “boring” label14:43 Underestimating the real disruption of drinking15:15 Alcohol’s impact on deaths, hospitalisations, and NHS strain18:34 How one change can influence others in the group19:26 Belonging anxiety, why standing out feels risky, but rarely is22:36 Moving beyond thinking alcohol as the “glue” of social connection29:53 Confidence and learning to love who you are33:53 Underestimating the real impact of drinking35:26 DRiNKLiNK’s work and impact40:07 Alcohol and social inequalities42:28 Testing your assumptions and finding new evidence44:43 Gamifying sobriety, progress, joy, and positive change46:15 How to connect with DRiNKLiNK and share your story.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Ry Gavan:Ry Gavan works with DRiNKLiNK, a Scotland-based charity supporting people affected by someone else’s drinking.He’s passionate about destigmatising sobriety and challenging the expectation that alcohol is required for connection.His work focuses on the ripple effects drinking has on families and communities and what changes when we begin to see clearly without it.Connect with Ry:Website: https://drinklink.org/