Episodes
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Counting drinks is a common strategy that many people use to try to drink less, but it can often backfire and leave you feeling frustrated and ashamed.
While it can be a useful awareness-raising tool in the beginning, relying on external rules and numbers disconnects you from your own inner authority and doesn't address the unconscious desires driving your drinking.
Instead of trying to become a perfect rule-follower, the key to lasting change is developing a strong sense of authority over yourself and your choices. In this episode, I share why this matters so much and how you can start to cultivate it. By the end, you'll have a new perspective on why counting drinks hasn't worked for you in the past and a roadmap for what to focus on instead.
Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/399
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Do you ever wish you could just be a "normal" drinker? Do you fantasize that if you could fix your drinking, you'd finally feel okay about yourself?
The truth is, becoming a normal drinker isn't really about the alcohol. It's about the story we tell ourselves - that if we can just change this one thing, we'll be worthy and whole. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work that way.
In this episode, I dive into the fantasy of normal drinking and share the worst and best news about what it really takes to change your relationship with alcohol and with yourself.
Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/398
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How many problems in your increasingly complex life can be solved by a one-size-fits-all solution? Not many. And yet, society insists on prescribing such an approach when it comes to drinking less.
Everyone’s relationship with alcohol is different, and the only way to change your habit is by finding an individualized approach. But how? It all starts with discovering the root cause of your drinking.
That’s why I’m so excited to announce that my book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, is officially available. Listen in today to hear how this do-it-yourself guide will help you discover the right solution for you and your brain.
Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/397
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Do you like being alone? It’s a simple question that can offer great insight into your relationship with alcohol, which is why today’s episode revisits this crucial concept.
If you have a low tolerance for solitude, you likely seek out distractions instead of spending time alone, including pouring a drink. But if you could actually learn to enjoy this time, you might be able to change that habit.
Listen in to learn how the quality of your thoughts when alone impacts your feelings and actions (the think-feel-act cycle), what you can do about them, and how these changes can positively affect your drinking habits.Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/396
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No matter where you are on your journey to changing your relationship with drinking, there’s one question you’ll need to be prepared to answer—and it’s one that you may struggle with or dread: “Do you want a drink?”
While you’re trying to find the perfect response, you might actually be missing out on why saying no is so difficult in the first place. Luckily, there is a simple technique that can help you.
Listen in to learn this practice, specifically what to notice after saying no, why you should avoid lying when someone asks “why not?”, and what their response says about their relationship with alcohol.Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/395
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Does there always seems to be chatter in your brain about alcohol? Whether you should drink tonight, whether you should have just one more, or any of the questions you ask yourself after a night of drinking.
You might be surprised to hear it has nothing to do with how much you drink. It’s a result of how your brain is structured and how you’re socialized. And once you understand the why, you can learn how to quiet the chatter.
Listen to learn why this chatter is normal and how it can be used as an opportunity to get to know yourself better and tap into your wisdom (instead of your cravings) to implement change.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/394
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You may have asked yourself the morning after a long night of drinking or while sitting across from someone sipping their first cocktail as you finish your third: "Why can’t I drink like everyone else?"
But what if your drinking has little to do with alcohol? Instead, what if it's a matter of coping with your humanness? In that case, the problem is actually the conversations our society has about drinking.
Tune in to discover why our one-size-fits-all approach to drinking interferes with your ability to intelligently examine your relationship with alcohol and your cravings- and what to do about it.Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/393
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Humans have a long history of using alcohol for medicinal purposes. While drinking can often numb your pain in the moment, it actually creates more stress on the body.
When we repeatedly turn to alcohol for relief from insomnia, chronic pain, or other ailments, our brains start to believe that drinking is the only way out of suffering. But in reality, alcohol increases inflammation in the body, disrupts sleep, and diverts energy away from healing.
Tune in to today’s episode to learn about this Drink Archetype, including what The Remedy prevents you from doing—such as distinguishing pain from suffering—and how to use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with alcohol.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/392
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If you find yourself constrained by your life and living up to expectations of who you should be, you’re not alone. You spend so much time adhering to societal conventions that, every once in a while, it can feel freeing to rebel against the rules—by pouring a drink and living uncensored.
Having a drink to let go of pressure and expectations can feel good in the moment, but this is The Release—one of the eight Drink Archetypes—in action, and it teaches your brain that alcohol is needed to cope with the pressure you’re under.
Tune in to today’s episode to learn how The Release teaches your brain to associate alcohol with freedom, the impact of this, and why the feeling of “screw it” before turning to drink is preventing you from dismantling society’s expectations…and your own.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/391
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When you're bored it’s easy to be tempted by a drink. After all, a little buzz can help pass the time. But have you ever considered what your brain learns when you do this?
You might be surprised to discover that the faster you reach for a drink when you’re bored by what you’re doing, the more intolerable boredom becomes. This is what happens when The Hourglass—one of the eight Drink Archetypes—is activated.
In today's episode, learn more about what The Hourglass teaches your brain and what you need to do if you want to drink less when boredom strikes.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/390
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Humans have a long history of using alcohol as “liquid courage.” But did you know this can actually make your insecurities and anxiety worse?
The Mask is one of eight Drink Archetypes, and it teaches your brain to associate a buzz with feeling confident around others. But when it feels like a drink is necessary to have fun, saying no will interfere with your desire to feel confident and enjoy yourself, making it difficult to abstain or moderate.
In this week’s episode, discover why the short-term confidence you can get from drinking can lead to increased anxiety over time and what to do to fix this.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/389
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There are no shortages of pop-culture examples in which someone is seen drinking to numb their pain—likely because people have been using alcohol to drown their sorrow for centuries. But the fact is, doing so can prevents you from coping effectively.
The Escape is one of eight Drink Archetypes and it teaches your brain that whatever negative situation or series of events happening in your life is too much to handle. You’re then caught in a cycle of using alcohol more frequently (and in greater quantities) to dull your feelings.
Tune in to this episode to learn more about how The Escape is activated, why this archetype makes it even harder to change your relationship to drinking, and the three things you're not doing when it is present.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/388
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The concept of drinking to relax is nothing new. It goes hand-in-hand with the belief that you deserve a drink—whether it’s after a hard day’s work or because it’s your “me time” routine. In reality, using alcohol as a treat can backfire.
The Reward is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and it can wrongly teach your brain that alcohol is the only way to unwind as well as convince you that drinking is a permission to stop working or to make time for yourself.
Tune in to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of The Reward, including what inactions this archetype is leading to and how you can use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with drinking as a means of relaxing.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/387
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Humans have long used alcohol’s ability to facilitate bonding by lowering people’s defenses. But you may be surprised to discover that when alcohol becomes your go-to way to open up, it can actually block your ability to connect with others (even with those you feel close to).
The Connector is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and not only does it teach the brain that alcohol helps you lower your guard around others, but it may also leave you worried that a potential change to your drinking could threaten certain relationships.
Listen to this episode, as we take a deep dive into how this archetype can make it difficult to abstain or moderate and the three key things you probably don’t realize you’re not doing when The Connector is activated.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/386
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If you're someone who often reaches for a drink because “it would make things more special,” then you may recognize The Upgrade drink archetype—one of eight unconscious patterns that influence why you drink.
Identifying this pattern is the first step in changing your relationship with alcohol. The next is understanding how The Upgrade impacts what your brain is learning.
For instance, the desire to use alcohol to elevate an experience teaches your brain to associate drinking with a reward and, as a result, you’ll see any situation without a drink as lacking. But, by using the think-feel-act cycle, you can teach your brain something new.
Tune in this week to explore The Upgrade, how it is negatively training your brain, and the ways you can use the think-feel-act cycle to begin to change these unconscious habits.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/385
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Believe it or not, overindulgence is a part of the human experience. So why is it that you consider this natural impulse to be negative?
Whether it’s drinking, eating, spending or something else, it's easy to associate overindulgence with your character and make it mean something negative about you. Throw in the societal and moral baggage, and this belief really hinders your attempts to change.
It can lead to a vicious cycle—one in which you cease being curious about why you’re drinking and, instead, find yourself unconsciously chasing after a magical place where overindulgence doesn't happen.
Tune in this week to discover why overindulgence isn’t itself a problem and what’s actually necessary in order to change your relationship with alcohol.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/384
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If you routinely drink too much, should you just stop drinking? What if you keep drinking, even though, deep down, you don’t believe you can moderate? These are fraught questions that often bring up a lot of fear and shame.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is to approach the question from a different angle. In order to do this, you must explore the contradiction underlying the habit.
Everyone walks around with contradictions inside them. You say you want to lose weight, but you keep eating junk food. You want to make the most of life, yet you keep wasting hours on your phone. And you want to drink less, yet you keep going back for more.
Instead of blaming and shaming yourself, what if the contradiction is the key to change? Perhaps behaviors you view as deeply illogical, make perfect sense.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/383
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Listen to Rachel’s conversation with Kara Loewentheil, a Master-Certified Life Coach and author of Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head and How to Get It Out.
Together, they discuss some of the hidden reasons why you might reach for a drink when you’re feeling anxious at a party, overworked, afraid of making mistakes, or wanting to avoid disappointing someone.
Discover why the first step to stopping any behavior that feels compulsive has nothing to do with creating the “perfect” plan to follow. Learn what you should do instead and why it may feel counterintuitive.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/382
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You want to change your relationship with drinking, but other than listening to the podcast, you’re not doing anything about it.
This paralysis, while frustrating, is actually very normal.
Explore the three reasons this happens and how they relate to your cravings, your beliefs about failure, and your vision of the future.
Discover why your unwillingness to act isn’t illogical but actually an important piece of how the habit works.
In this episode, you’ll find a new perspective that will help make it easier to take the plunge and stop waiting around for your drinking to change on its own.
Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com
Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/381
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Who cares? How many times have you poured yourself a drink after silently uttering these words to yourself?
If you’re like most people, the answer is a lot.
Hidden behind “Who cares?” is a powerful tension that, if revealed, will help you say no to your cravings.
Tune in and discover why this particular excuse is so good at sabotaging your commitment and what’s actually required in order to successfully change your relationship with alcohol.
Do you know your drink type? Take the free Drink Archetype quiz and discover which of the eight drinking patterns applies to you: http://drinktype.com
Want to feel more in control and have a healthier relationship with alcohol? Join the Take a Break membership: https://rachelhart.com/tab/
Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/380
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