The Big Drink Rethink

Episódios

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  Ep 141: ‘I Need Alcohol To Cope’. Says Who? 17.09.2026 16min

  What if reaching for a drink when life feels overwhelming isn’t actually helping you cope, but is instead blocking your real resilience? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the powerful belief that “alcohol helps me cope” and why it might be time to rethink it.Anna walks listeners through how our beliefs drive our thoughts and behaviours, using real-life examples and her own experience during maternity leave, to break down the difference between numbing and coping.You’ll learn how to identify the underlying beliefs fueling your urge to drink when things get tough, why numbing with alcohol doesn’t actually resolve hard feelings and the cultural scripts and common myths that keep us reaching for alcohol. If you’ve ever felt like you “need” a drink to get through tough times or want to trust yourself to deal with life’s challenges without alcohol, this episode is for you. Check out the free worksheet and resources mentioned at https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources to continue your exploration.Highlights: 00:00 Introduction 01:34 How beliefs drive drinking: breaking down the behaviour-thought-belief chain 02:36 The “alcohol helps me cope” belief and why it’s so fundamental 04:20 Distinguishing between drinking for crisis vs. drinking for everyday discomfort 07:17 Alcohol as the UK’s “favourite coping mechanism” 10:33 Evidence: Alcohol worsens depression, anxiety, and stress over time 12:54 Practical tool: Name the hard thing out loud or write it down 14:58 Reflection exercise: “I don’t think I could cope with ___ without a drink.” 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 140: The Craving Isn't The Enemy | Rethinking Alcohol | 10.09.2026 54min

  What if the craving you feel for a drink is actually a craving for relief, regulation, or connection, and there’s another, more healing way to get it? In this episode, your host Anna Donaghey is joined by breathwork practitioner Jon Paul Crimi, whose powerful personal story weaves together addiction, grief, emotional numbness, and a breathwork experience that profoundly shifted his life. They discuss why most people reach for alcohol (it isn’t what you think), how drinking becomes our “solution” for regulating uncomfortable emotions, and the striking similarities between addiction and the universal longing for a shift in state. Jon Paul breaks down what breathwork really is (spoiler: it’s not just box breathing!) and shares how circular, connected breathwork specifically offers a physiological and emotional “reboot” making space for release, self-connection, and even joy. Anna shares her first-hand experience with his class, highlighting how breathwork can offer real, lasting relief that alcohol promises but can’t deliver.Whether you’re sober-curious, in recovery, or just looking to break free from unhelpful patterns and cravings, this conversation points to practical, science-backed ways to rethink your drinking.Highlights: 00:00 Welcome & intro to breathwork 01:01 Jon Paul’s story: addiction, loss, and seeking relief 04:13 When drinking goes from fun to just problems 07:29 The emotional “arrest” that comes from early drinking 08:25 Grief, trauma, and the search for tools 11:05 Why our brains equate alcohol with relief 14:15 What finally made sobriety stick 19:26 How breathwork entered Jon Paul’s life 12 years into sobriety 22:44 The first breathwork class: from scepticism to transformation 28:01 How breathwork helps regulate cravings, states, and emotions 30:17 Craving isn’t the enemy, it’s information 34:10 Breathwork vs. psychedelics: power inside YOU 35:48 What actually happens in a circular breathwork class 39:00 “Turning off your brain” and moving into your heart 46:08 Using breathwork for current and past pain, grief, and shame 52:16 Cravings, choices, and living an extraordinary 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.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Jon Paul Crimi:Jon Paul Crimi is a world-renowned breathwork facilitator, teacher trainer, and recovery advocate - known for a zero-filter, East Coast approach that strips breathwork of its "New Agey" reputation and replaces it with something practical and results-driven enough to win over sceptics, CEOs, and everyday people alike.He started out as an actor, celebrity fitness trainer, and sober coach in Los Angeles, carrying his own struggles with alcoholism, addiction, and low self-worth long before he found a way through them. Almost by accident, around 15 years ago, he wandered into a breathwork class and had a transformation so profound in that first session that it reshaped the entire direction of his life. He's now 26 years sober, and that lived experience - not theory - is what sits underneath everything he teaches.His method is trauma-informed at its core, built around somatic release, nervous system regulation, and processing the emotional weight people carry without always knowing it. It's also gone mainstream in a way few breathwork practices have.He runs weekly live classes, digital workshops, and his Emotional Detox course. You can find him, and all of it, at: https://breathewithjp.com/
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  Ep 139: Toolkit 101 – How To Identify Your Drinking Beliefs | Alcohol Coaching | 03.09.2026 26min

  What if your drinking is driven less by choice and more by invisible beliefs running beneath the surface? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey breaks down how beliefs act as our “operating system,” quietly driving our thoughts and behaviours, especially around alcohol. Anna reveals why it’s so difficult to spot the beliefs shaping our drinking, how to distinguish between a thought and a belief, and why simply changing behaviour rarely works unless you dig deeper. With practical examples and the “reverse chain” technique (starting with your behaviour and working backwards), Anna offers clear tools, including the powerful “downward arrow” method to help you uncover the beliefs at the root of your drinking habits and gently rethink your relationship with alcohol.Highlights: 00:00 Welcome & intro 00:41 Recap: The belief “pyramid” and last solo episode 01:20 Why beliefs matter more than thoughts or behaviours 03:10 The difference between a thought and a belief 05:07 Real-world examples: how beliefs quietly shape our actions 12:18 “Alcohol, please help me...”, the jobs we hand to booze 13:38 How habits and beliefs wire together neurologically 14:44 Aaron Beck’s model: core beliefs vs. automatic thoughts 15:35 Why starting with your behaviour is the key to spotting beliefs 16:14 Step-by-step: working backwards from behaviour to belief 24:23 Free guide to run this process anytime 25:30 New episodes: breaking down the most common alcohol beliefs 26:14 Where to find helpful resources. For the worksheet referred to in the episode, visit the toolkit full of free resources on Anna’s website thebigdrinkrethink.com, and download ‘How to Identify Your Drinking Beliefs’ Listen to Episode 137: The Beliefs Driving Your Drinking | Rethinking Alcohol, where Anna shares about the “Pyramid of Belief" and how deeply rooted feelings of “not enough” shape much of our behaviour, including our drinking habits.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 138: Pain Pushes Until Vision Pulls | Rethinking Alcohol | 27.08.2026 50min

  What if the life you’re chasing, and the drinking that comes with it, are both keeping you from the life you really want?In this honest conversation, Anna Donaghey welcomes recovery and transition coach Alina Roselli, who shares her journey from living “outside-in” - seeking validation, people-pleasing and pushing through burnout, to soul-led sobriety and deep self-acceptance.Together, they explore why we can lose ourselves trying to meet other people’s expectations, how burnout and exhaustion can force us to question the life we’re living, and why transformation isn’t simply about giving up alcohol, it's about discovering who you are without it.They also explore self-worth, radical honesty, the trap of external validation and practical ways to start living more “inside-out”.For anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol, their sense of purpose, or whether there could be more to life, this episode offers an invitation to stop chasing approval and start coming home to yourself.Highlights:00:00 Welcome & introduction to Alina Roselli00:40 Alina’s unraveling, burnout, alcohol and not knowing herself02:46 The culture of drinking and starting at 1505:55 Seeking belonging and landing in “image-driven” circles10:07 What is “outside-in” living and how it shaped Alina’s self worth12:28 When alcohol shifts from fun to medicine15:46 How self-image creates our lives (and can keep us lost)16:43 Burnout as a wake-up call17:40 Trying everything (yoga, therapy, self-help) but not getting better23:27 Filling the “God-shaped hole” - how misaligned living leaves us empty26:04 Making hard changes and letting go of old identities28:46 Why inside-out living is terrifying and ultimately liberating30:10 “Pain pushes until the vision pulls”: learning to listen to your soul32:43 Finding calm, silence, and the right conditions to truly meet yourself34:19 Discovering introversion, the need for solitude, and creative renewal36:29 How the small actions revealed a bigger self and a life worth keeping39:32 How to reconnect with your needs and stop abandoning yourself41:36 The courage in honesty and the gifts waiting in the unknown43:42 Acceptance, creativity, and the joy of simply feeling okay46:35 Becoming yourself changes the world around you49:33 People have no idea how amazing they are50:19 How to join The Big Drink Rethink community.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 Alina Roselli:Alina is a recovery and transition coach who believes we are in an epidemic of not knowing who we truly are. Through her recovery and coaching work, she is witnessing firsthand how most people are living as smaller versions of themselves without knowing it. She's developed Soul Coordinates, a portrait that bypasses the mind entirely and reveals who you actually are underneath the survival strategies. Her online community and course, The Naked Soul Path on Skool, is an accessible way to come home to yourself in community. Her own journey through burnout, addiction recovery and self loss is the source of everything she offersConnect with Alina: https://www.alinaroselli.com/
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  Ep 137: The Beliefs Driving Your Drinking | Rethinking Alcohol | 20.08.2026 20min

  What if your drinking habits aren’t really about alcohol at all, but about the quiet, powerful beliefs sitting beneath the surface? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey dives into the “Pyramid of Belief”, a simple framework that explains how deeply-rooted feelings of “not enough” shape much of our behaviour, including drinking.Using lived experience and insights from Dave Gray’s "Liminal Thinking," Anna breaks down how our early experiences, the culture we grow up in, and the swirl of online comparison, all reinforce beliefs like “I’m not smart enough,” “I’m not interesting enough,” and “I’m not enough, full stop.” She explores why alcohol so often becomes the go-to answer for the emotional discomfort those beliefs trigger and guides listeners through the first, vital steps to uncovering what they’re really thirsty for.Highlights:00:00 Welcome & intro00:40 The "not enough" beliefs we rarely examine01:13 Why this episode isn’t (really) about alcohol at first02:14 What is the Pyramid of Belief05:04 How our minds filter reality05:57 How a single shame-triggering moment forms a core belief09:03 Why you’re not flawed and how “not enough” beliefs got there10:30 Anna Donaghey’s own formative “not smart enough” moment13:39 The modern "comparison machine"14:20 How alcohol soothes the “not enough” wound16:15 Key question: “What is my drinking actually trying to answer for me?”16:27 Find your own “I’m not enough” belief17:47 What “I need...” before a drink reveals about your core beliefs17:59 Why pinning down beliefs (not just thoughts) is tricky18:42 Announcing a series exploring specific “not enough” beliefs19:37 None of this is your fault20:23 Resources & how to join The Big Drink Rethink community.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 136: The Alcohol - ADHD Connection | Rethinking Alcohol | 13.08.2026 59min

  Why does alcohol seem to have a different, more intense pull for some people - and could undiagnosed ADHD be the missing piece of the puzzle? In this episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Matt Wing, a midlife mentor who spent over 30 years in a cycle of high achievement and high-functioning drinking, before a late ADHD diagnosis reframed everything.Together, they explore the misunderstood relationship between ADHD and alcohol use, bust the myth that it’s a simple willpower problem, and break down the real, neurological drivers behind compulsive drinking.Highlights:00:00 Intro: Meet Matt Wing, midlife mentor, exploring ADHD and alcohol01:13 Decades of "normal" drinking and the invisible exhaustion under it04:45 Compulsive self-fixing, failed solutions, and obsessive searching06:12 The pink book, ADHD traits, and why self-help didn't always land10:21 ADHD as a chronic dopamine deficit11:08 Instant dopamine hits: why nothing's enough12:44 Why attempts to cut down usually fail: it's not a "willpower" issue15:03 Alcohol's social acceptance hides its true addictiveness18:02 ADHD drinking: urgency, intensity, and chasing the unattainable23:19 Why 4pm is the real problem, not "having a drink problem"24:16 Racing head syndrome: alcohol as the only "off switch" that works29:19 Hyperfocus, the evening crash, and alcohol as relief not reward31:13 Rejection sensitivity and rejection-sensitive dysphoria in ADHD33:28 Why social drinking feels so necessary (and so hard to quit)34:38 "Time blindness": why the ADHD brain struggles with "forever”43:04 The missed ADHD generation: making sense of the past46:22 New ways to soothe the nervous system51:40 Growth mindset: you're not stuck, and social skills can be learned53:37 ADHD as a superpower if you channel it right56:40 Where to find Matt Wing and resources to get 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.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Matt Wing:Matt Wing is the founder of Midlife Mentor, a coaching and content brand for midlife adults who want to change their relationship with alcohol without calling themselves an alcoholic or sitting in a recovery group. He's the creator of the 4PM Reset Method, built around the idea that most people don't have a drinking problem, they have a 4PM problem: the daily window where old habits take over. Matt speaks from experience, not theory, and has helped clients through his 30-Day Reset, 90-Day Deep Work, and 1:1 coaching programmes. He shares free tools and weekly insight through his newsletter, The Friday Feeling, and on Instagram @midlife.mentor, where he's built a community of over 100,000 followers.Connect with Matt:Website: https://www.midlifementor.me/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midlife.mentor
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  Ep 135: What Have You Got To Be Unhappy About? | Rethinking Alcohol | 06.08.2026 56min

  Why do high-flying CEOs, investors, and ultra-successful leaders, people with every resource at their fingertips, still end up stuck, lonely, and reaching for a drink?In this episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Lindsey Frances, a leadership psychologist. Together they unpack the universal experience of feeling trapped by drink, the myth that outer success delivers inner fulfilment, and why human suffering pays no attention to your bank balance.Is the pull to drink really about stress, status, or socialising, or is it something deeper: unmet needs for purpose, connection, and calm? As Lindsey and Anna discover, real change starts with a single question: what are you truly thirsty for?Highlights:00:00 Intro: High achievers & high-functioning alcohol use02:03 What boardrooms and AA rooms have in common05:15 The trap: shame, disconnection, and feeling unworthy06:09 Why suffering feels the same in £1000 shoes or 99p flip-flops09:36 Success as an external “cage”; failing on the inside12:14 Coping at the top: alcohol and other numbing strategies13:32 Addiction is disconnection, so what comes first?15:13 Alcohol as a (false) shortcut to connection and significance17:06 What are people really thirsty for? Purpose, enough-ness, & joy22:30 Why high achievers can’t just “stop”26:12 Sophrology and imagining a life beyond work (and drinking)30:27 What does constant “fight or flight” feel like?36:31 Why you can’t biohack your way out of pain40:08 Universal issues, whether you run hedge funds or trim hedges45:08 Simple, accessible tools for regulating your nervous system48:01 “Simple, but not easy”: choosing your hard49:20 Lindsey’s own journey - making sense of emotions after quitting54:09 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s story: why sobriety trumps career success54:55 Serving others, and the real sources of flourishing55:23 Where to find Lindsey Frances and resources for sophrologyAnna’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 Lindsey Frances:Lindsey Frances is a clinical sophrologist, legacy and wealth psychologist, preventative health expert and data-led performance coach, helping high performers, CEOs and investors master financial and emotional stress, sleep and self-regulation through a unique blend of sophrology, biometrics and behaviour change psychology.In 2021, she opened a private sophrology cabinet on the Alpine French-Swiss border, where she has since guided clients ranging from cross-border executives and athletes to burnout recoverers towards calmer nervous systems and more sustainable performance.Connect with Lindsey:Website: https://www.lindseyfrances.co.uk/
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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.comLinkedIn: 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 different rules around alcohol?10:13 The bizarre normality of airport drinking at dawn14:12 “No drink = no fun” & what it’s like to break the social norm18:11 Why holidays reveal our biggest beliefs and fears about alcohol23:30 The benefits of holidays without drinking27:11 Building holidays around your real interests, not just the booze46:48 Practical tips for a non-drinking holiday49:00 Find links to Sober Travel Handbook & travel ideas in the show notes50:02 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.comLinkedIn: 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 episode01:30 Listener question: “What does being curious mean?”02:20 How curiosity became Anna’s most powerful tool03:54 How watching, noticing, and observing can make occasions richer05:25 The energy drain of strict “quitting” vs. the freedom of curiosity06:29 How the drinks industry scripts our summer09:06 What are your “summer scripts”?10:53 Why simply SEEING the script changes everything12:17 Practical reflection: Questions to ask before, during, and after events15:26 What job are you giving alcohol? Stress relief, connection, or ritual?18:11 Experimenting with non-drinking, not as a rule, but as a test19:28 What do you remember about these events?20:41 Setting a feeling-based intention for your summer22:12 Tiny experiments that help you learn what you really want24:06 Pick one event this summer to do differently26:23 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.comLinkedIn: 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/