Explore every episode of the podcast The Big Drink Rethink

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 146

Why does asking for help feel so impossible, especially when you're a mum, and everyone else seems to be coping just fine? In this episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Vic Vanstone, author and host of Sober Awkward to talk honestly about early motherhood, the loss of self, and the drinking that came along for the ride.

Vic shares how she went from backpacking party girl to new mum in Australia, and why alcohol became her way of finding "the old me" again. Anna reflects on swapping a career built on planning and control, for the chaos of a newborn, and the performance of being the perfectly put-together mum. Together they explore why the people closest to us are often the hardest to tell, the shame that keeps us stuck, and the moments that finally made them reach out.

Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Surprised by how hard motherhood really is

00:57 Meet Vic Vanstone, host of Sober Awkward and author

03:26 The shock of trying to merge a “party self” with new mum life

07:50 Using alcohol to reclaim the “old me”

13:22 The pressure to perform motherhood for others

17:10 Alcohol as the only tool for managing big emotions

22:26 The shame and stigma that make it hard to ask for help

28:30 How rock-bottom moments with partners force a rethink

34:36 The power of saying, “I think I have a problem with alcohol”

36:33 The “merry-go-round” therapy epiphany: you get to step off 42:09 Anna's route in: This Naked Mind and getting curious

43:07 Why reaching out for help doesn’t have to be dramatic

47:31 “Find your people” - how to keep seeking support until it fits

48:38 Breaking the booze cycle for the next generation

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

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 and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

For free tools and to receive Anna’s newsletter, The Rethink Edit, visit: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources

Join the The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab, Anna’s ‘inner circle’ on Substack, 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. https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Victoria Vanstone:

Victoria Vanstone is a British-born, Sunshine Coast-based writer and podcast host. She got sober after hitting a low point on her bathroom floor and started writing about it on her blog, Drunk Mummy Sober Mummy - honest, funny, and unsparing about motherhood, anxiety, and life after booze. That voice led her to co-create Sober Awkward, now with over 7 million downloads and named "culture-changing" by The Guardian UK.

She's the author of A Thousand Wasted Sundays (runner-up, 2024 Australian Independent Book Awards) and Mumming: A Year of Trying, and Failing, to be a Better Parent, a memoir on the impossible standards of modern motherhood.

Victoria lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and three children, and speaks and writes wherever honesty, failure, and a good laugh are welcome.

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 145

Why do so many of us feel we need a drink to be confident at parties, gatherings, even among friends? In this episode, Anna Donaghey untangles the deep-rooted belief that alcohol provides confidence, and invites you to question where that story really comes from.

With lived experience and psychological insight, Anna guides you through the "costume" we put on with every glass, and the subconscious beliefs driving our drinking behaviours. She breaks down the science behind nerves and explains why true confidence can't be poured from a bottle and how what you're really after might be presence, not performance.

Make sure you listen to discover practical mindset shifts and tools for handling social situations alcohol-free.

Highlights:

00:00 Why we often reach for a drink before entering a party

01:32 The hidden belief: “Alcohol gives me confidence”

02:50 How subconscious beliefs shape our drinking behaviours

05:36 Digging deeper: is the real belief “I’m not enough as I am”?

06:25 Nerves are natural, not a sign of weakness

07:06 Alcohol as a “costume” in social settings

10:09 Questioning our beliefs: “Says who?”

11:20 Remembering a time before alcohol

13:14 The difference between confidence and lowered inhibitions

16:45 Why alcohol delivers only a “borrowed” confidence

17:41 I am enough as I am, and confidence is something I build

19:30 Tools for managing nerves: relabel anxiety as excitement

20:45 Using genuine curiosity when meeting new people

21:26 When anxiety is actually a signal to honour your needs

22:13 Confidence means choosing the right rooms for you

22:31 Get your free worksheet at https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/toolkit-optin

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

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 and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

For free tools and to receive Anna’s newsletter, The Rethink Edit, visit: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 144

Who am I? What do I stand for? What kind of life do I want to live? These aren't questions reserved for lecture halls. If you've ever tried to change your relationship with alcohol, you've already been asking them.

This week, Anna Donaghey is joined by Peg O'Connor, professor of philosophy, author and a woman in long-term recovery, to bring philosophy out of academia and into everyday life. Together they make the case that anyone grappling with change is already a philosopher at heart.

Peg shares her lived experience of addiction and what it taught her about shame, self-belief and the quiet pull of living on autopilot. She and Anna explore why recovery works better as an ongoing experiment than a fixed identity, and how reclaiming genuine agency and a sense of belonging to yourself can change everything.

Whether you're sober, sober curious or simply questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about who you are and who you're becoming.

Highlights:

00:00 Meet Peg O'Connor: philosopher, author, and recovering alcoholic

01:16 The big questions addiction and philosophy both ask

03:26 Why everyone in recovery is already a philosopher

04:09 Ancient philosophy: "How do we live and flourish?"

09:10 Knowing you're in trouble, but unsure how to change

12:00 The fatalism and isolation of shame

14:53 39 years sober and still treating every day as a new experiment

18:45 Hitting all of life's benchmarks but still losing yourself

21:31 Alcohol freedom as a gateway not the destination

22:28 Happiness as despair’s hiding place (Kierkegaard)

24:05 Functioning on autopilot; the tyranny of "fine"

26:14 The torment of not feeling fully present

32:09 The transformative question: "What do I deserve?"

33:04 Why philosophy doesn’t judge, but invites exploration

34:19 What philosophers say about will and change

38:40 Painting a vivid picture for your future; setting a new compass

40:12 Embracing agency and accepting responsibility

43:09 Stoic wisdom: controlling what you can, accepting what you can't

47:05 Dialogue is at the heart of philosophy and recovery

47:48 Peg’s new book: “Recovering Character: Overcoming Addiction and Belonging to Yourself”

53:08 Examining life is what makes it worth living.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Peg O’Connor:

Peg O’Connor has been a professor of philosophy for more than thirty years.

Active in her own addiction to alcohol, Peg came to recognise she was deeply disoriented in her own life. She didn't recognise herself and had no idea who she was or wanted to be. She had no self-respect. She didn't belong to herself but rather to the alcohol she was drinking, the unrealistic expectations she put on herself, and a boatload of grievances.

She knew she didn't want to keep living the way she was. Knowing what we don't want to do or be is a first step to changing - but it isn't enough. Philosophy became Peg's travelling companion on the journey to find out who she is, and what she stands for. She believes it helped her to get and stay sober - helping her name what she had lost and plot a course to get it back. Or create it for the first time.

Connect with Peg:

Website: https://pegoconnorauthor.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 143

This episode explores one of the most persistent beliefs about drinking: the idea that alcohol is essential for relaxation. If you've ever found yourself reaching for a drink after work or on a quiet afternoon almost automatically, you're not alone. Your host Anna Donaghey shares how this learned habit is driven by deep-seated beliefs, many of which never truly belonged to us in the first place.

With clarity and compassion, Anna examines the gap between what alcohol actually does in our bodies and the soothing myth we've been sold. She explores why we come to rely on alcohol to "switch off," how these patterns are modeled by family and culture, and the powerful role of questioning our inherited beliefs. Along the way, she offers science-backed insights into alcohol's real impact on stress and sleep, plus practical, gentle alternatives for anyone ready to try something new.

Highlights:

00:02 Automatic drinking after work: is it really relaxing?

02:02 How beliefs drive thoughts and thoughts drive drinking habits

03:47 The deeper belief: “I can’t relax without alcohol”

05:16 Why “switching off” often means marking a change of state

06:08 The truth: first drink relaxes you, then belief takes over

07:12 Family, culture, and media model alcohol as the only way to unwind

08:09 “Says who?”, questioning where our beliefs come from

09:12 Is alcohol actually removing stress or just postponing it?

10:21 The science: alcohol as a stressor, not a stress-reliever

13:28 The turnaround: alcohol creates more stress than it relieves

15:17 Easy experiment: alternatives that signal “the day is done”

16:42 Free, simple rituals to replace the evening drink

17:28 Looking upstream at the real pressures behind drinking

18:18 You were never incapable of relaxing, you just weren't shown other ways.

Want some easy reset ideas? Have a listen to Episode 68: Toolkit '101': 5-Minute Resets: Go-To Alternatives to Alcohol: https://pod.fo/e/2cf33d

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 142

This episode touches on addiction and on the loss of a child to a fatal overdose. It's a tender one, so please take care whilst listening. And if that's not something you have capacity for today, it's completely okay to come back another time.

What if the person you love is slipping away beneath the weight of addiction, and you’re left battling shame, silence, and a culture that blames individuals while ignoring the deeper crisis? In this profoundly moving episode, Anna Donaghey speaks to Katie Rizzo, a mother who lost her son Nicholas to a fatal overdose after years of struggling with alcohol and substance dependence.

This is a story shaped by grief, but also by everything that comes after. Katie bravely challenges the stigma and secrecy that surround addiction within families and in society at large. She shares Nicholas’s sensitive nature, the anxiety that haunted him, and the relentless pressure to appear happy and successful. Anna and Katie discuss how addiction is viewed as a personal failing, why shame forces families into silence, and what it means to support a loved one with compassion rather than judgement.

You’ll hear firsthand about the ways social comparison, anxiety, and unrealistic ideals fuel substance misuse in young people and why the myth of individual willpower is so dangerous. Anna and Katie invite listeners to rethink not only how we talk about drinking, but how vulnerability, honesty, and community are the real routes to healing.

Highlights:

00:00 Trigger warning: addiction and the loss of a child

01:13 Who Nicholas was, behind the statistics and labels

03:46 How social pressure and anxiety feed substance use

07:13 Why “this isn’t the real me”: inside the mind of addiction

12:52 The myth of willpower, the reality of relapse

18:20 Family stigma and shame: breaking the silence

28:22 Why addiction is a human issue not a moral failing

35:51 Loving a person, not the addiction

41:30 “I’m not the mother who failed her son”, the truth about blame

44:42 Why compassion, vulnerability, and honesty combat shame.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Katie Rizzo:

Katie Rizzo is a mother, former high school science teacher, and writer based in Arizona.

Her oldest son, Nicholas, died from an accidental overdose after a long struggle with anxiety and addiction - first to alcohol, then to benzodiazepines and prescription opioids.

Since his passing, Katie has found her way through grief with the support of Al-Anon and grief communities, and has turned to writing as a way of processing what she's lived through. She is the author of two forthcoming books: Trimesters of Grief (October 1st) and a poetry collection, None of Them Are You (November 1st).

Connect with Katie:

Website: https://katierizzo.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 141

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 140

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 139

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 138

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 Roselli

00:40 Alina’s unraveling, burnout, alcohol and not knowing herself

02:46 The culture of drinking and starting at 15

05:55 Seeking belonging and landing in “image-driven” circles

10:07 What is “outside-in” living and how it shaped Alina’s self worth

12:28 When alcohol shifts from fun to medicine

15:46 How self-image creates our lives (and can keep us lost)

16:43 Burnout as a wake-up call

17:40 Trying everything (yoga, therapy, self-help) but not getting better

23:27 Filling the “God-shaped hole” - how misaligned living leaves us empty

26:04 Making hard changes and letting go of old identities

28:46 Why inside-out living is terrifying and ultimately liberating

30:10 “Pain pushes until the vision pulls”: learning to listen to your soul

32:43 Finding calm, silence, and the right conditions to truly meet yourself

34:19 Discovering introversion, the need for solitude, and creative renewal

36:29 How the small actions revealed a bigger self and a life worth keeping

39:32 How to reconnect with your needs and stop abandoning yourself

41:36 The courage in honesty and the gifts waiting in the unknown

43:42 Acceptance, creativity, and the joy of simply feeling okay

46:35 Becoming yourself changes the world around you

49:33 People have no idea how amazing they are

50:19 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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 offers

Connect with Alina: https://www.alinaroselli.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 137

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 & intro

00:40 The "not enough" beliefs we rarely examine

01:13 Why this episode isn’t (really) about alcohol at first

02:14 What is the Pyramid of Belief

05:04 How our minds filter reality

05:57 How a single shame-triggering moment forms a core belief

09:03 Why you’re not flawed and how “not enough” beliefs got there

10:30 Anna Donaghey’s own formative “not smart enough” moment

13:39 The modern "comparison machine"

14:20 How alcohol soothes the “not enough” wound

16:15 Key question: “What is my drinking actually trying to answer for me?”

16:27 Find your own “I’m not enough” belief

17:47 What “I need...” before a drink reveals about your core beliefs

17:59 Why pinning down beliefs (not just thoughts) is tricky

18:42 Announcing a series exploring specific “not enough” beliefs

19:37 None of this is your fault

20:23 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 136

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 alcohol

01:13 Decades of "normal" drinking and the invisible exhaustion under it

04:45 Compulsive self-fixing, failed solutions, and obsessive searching

06:12 The pink book, ADHD traits, and why self-help didn't always land

10:21 ADHD as a chronic dopamine deficit

11:08 Instant dopamine hits: why nothing's enough

12:44 Why attempts to cut down usually fail: it's not a "willpower" issue

15:03 Alcohol's social acceptance hides its true addictiveness

18:02 ADHD drinking: urgency, intensity, and chasing the unattainable

23:19 Why 4pm is the real problem, not "having a drink problem"

24:16 Racing head syndrome: alcohol as the only "off switch" that works

29:19 Hyperfocus, the evening crash, and alcohol as relief not reward

31:13 Rejection sensitivity and rejection-sensitive dysphoria in ADHD

33:28 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 past

46:22 New ways to soothe the nervous system

51:40 Growth mindset: you're not stuck, and social skills can be learned

53:37 ADHD as a superpower if you channel it right

56:40 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 135

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 use

02:03 What boardrooms and AA rooms have in common

05:15 The trap: shame, disconnection, and feeling unworthy

06:09 Why suffering feels the same in £1000 shoes or 99p flip-flops

09:36 Success as an external “cage”; failing on the inside

12:14 Coping at the top: alcohol and other numbing strategies

13:32 Addiction is disconnection, so what comes first?

15:13 Alcohol as a (false) shortcut to connection and significance

17:06 What are people really thirsty for? Purpose, enough-ness, & joy

22:30 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 pain

40:08 Universal issues, whether you run hedge funds or trim hedges

45:08 Simple, accessible tools for regulating your nervous system

48:01 “Simple, but not easy”: choosing your hard

49:20 Lindsey’s own journey - making sense of emotions after quitting

54:09 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s story: why sobriety trumps career success

54:55 Serving others, and the real sources of flourishing

55:23 Where to find Lindsey Frances and resources for sophrology

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 134

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 person

02:04 We’re more quantified, and less self-aware, than ever

03:21 Data isn’t enough to change behaviour

05:30 We’ve stopped asking about causes and focus on numbers instead

06:53 The wine and wellness routines: same job, different means

07:33 Understanding your body is useful but it’s only the doorway

08:23 The answer is found in your life, not your data

09:45 The core unmet needs that drive drinking

10:06 Meeting your deeper needs transforms your relationship with alcohol

10:44 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-discovery

12:11 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 133

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 Rethink

00:45 What if what keeps you stuck isn’t willpower?

01:01 Meet Doug Fleener

02:14 The “What If Rule”: change in real time, not ‘someday’

03:23 Doug’s 30,000ft wake-up call

06:09 The power of interruptions and rock bottoms

07:11 Why it feels easier to change your state than change your life

15:15 The real impact of asking “What if I didn’t drink just today?”

16:21 Why avoiding forever/never thinking makes change possible

17:47 “I’ll tackle it when I’m ready” - and how action actually creates clarity

23:10 The What If Rule explained: Pause, Question, Go

31:43 Why one pause matters even if you still have the drink

33:13 How identity, habit, and depletion drive drinking autopilot

37:52 Future journaling: setting intentions for who you want to be

41:12 Drinking as a default off-switch for discomfort

43:08 How to sit with feelings (instead of pushing them down)

45:42 “Nobody ever wishes they drank more”

46:47 The permission to start small

49:12 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 132

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 exhausting

01:20 The real summer vs. the Instagram version

03:20 Family life: chaos of young kids or grownup kids at home

05:07 The “gap” between summer’s promise and reality

05:26 Feeling the pressure to make memories

06:03 Why we feel guilty when we finally get a break

06:31 Evenings as the first off-switch and how that cues drinking

08:03 Introducing Winnicott’s “good enough” concept

09:52 Chasing the perfect summer sets up the craving for relief

10:14 Good enough is actually enough

11:27 Once you lower the bar, the craving (and pressure) loosens

12:32 What your evening self actually needs

13:47 What would actually make summer feel like a break for you?

14:39 Specific examples for reclaiming space and calm

15:47 “Good enough” as the true standard, not a consolation prize

16:07 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 131

"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 drinking

01:05 The listener question: Drinking less and craving less, now what?

02:23 How GLP-1 drugs (Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy) work in the body

03:39 What research is saying about reduced cravings and reward

04:45 Animal trials, human reports, and what’s not FDA approved

06:06 The real opportunity: getting curious about why you are drinking

07:12 Why “the drug quietens the craving, but doesn’t explain it”

07:26 Why the effect isn’t permanent, dose reduction and recurrence

08:04 The “hiatus of desire” and what you can do with this rare space

10:00 Warning: Why “Mounjaro helps you quit drinking” is a risky narrative

10:44 Addressing the myth of an instant pharmaceutical solution

11:13 Practical advice: Get curious about what’s under your habits

12:08 Plans for a deeper dive with expert guests coming soon

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/webinar

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 130

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 holiday

01:29 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 dawn

14:12 “No drink = no fun” & what it’s like to break the social norm

18:11 Why holidays reveal our biggest beliefs and fears about alcohol

23:30 The benefits of holidays without drinking

27:11 Building holidays around your real interests, not just the booze

46:48 Practical tips for a non-drinking holiday

49:00 Find links to Sober Travel Handbook & travel ideas in the show notes

50:02 How to rethink your “holiday script” and try something new.

FREE WEBINAR: How to Get Unstuck: A Year Inside a Community That's Changing Lives.

Anna and fellow coach Tabbin Almond are excited to announce they’re hosting a free webinar on Thursday 9 July to share what they’ve learnt about what women actually need when they want to change their relationship with alcohol. You can register to grab your spot here: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/webinar

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 129

What if summer didn't have to be scripted by booze? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey answers a listener's question: "What does it actually mean to get curious about my drinking this summer?"

Anna dismantles "summer scripts", the invisible associations between alcohol and fun, relaxation, or connection. Instead of forcing abstinence or restriction, she offers a gentle, practical process: What are you really looking forward to at each event? What job are you asking alcohol to do? What meaningful moments might you notice if you step out of autopilot?

Whether you want to quit, cut back, or just understand your habits, this is about empowered choice, not deprivation. Expect relatable validation, zero judgment, and practical reflection tools you can use straight away.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Anna welcomes listeners to a summer Q&A episode

01:30 Listener question: “What does being curious mean?”

02:20 How curiosity became Anna’s most powerful tool

03:54 How watching, noticing, and observing can make occasions richer

05:25 The energy drain of strict “quitting” vs. the freedom of curiosity

06:29 How the drinks industry scripts our summer

09:06 What are your “summer scripts”?

10:53 Why simply SEEING the script changes everything

12:17 Practical reflection: Questions to ask before, during, and after events

15:26 What job are you giving alcohol? Stress relief, connection, or ritual?

18:11 Experimenting with non-drinking, not as a rule, but as a test

19:28 What do you remember about these events?

20:41 Setting a feeling-based intention for your summer

22:12 Tiny experiments that help you learn what you really want

24:06 Pick one event this summer to do differently

26:23 How one curious occasion can change your entire perspective

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 128

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-achiever

04:47 How we don’t realise how much we’re missing by focusing on alcohol

07:10 Romanticising alcohol vs. romanticising sobriety

08:29 Sober travel: what’s really possible when you’re present

10:40 The discomfort and magic of your first sober summer

12:17 The “sober summer bucket list” approach

13:11 Why summer is the best time to rethink your drinking habits

16:42 Are we craving the drink, or a lost version of ourselves?

23:42 How the drinks industry scripts our summer fantasies

27:09 Alcohol’s real deception: convincing us we’re not enough without it

28:00 “Why isn’t this moment enough?” Getting honest about cravings

30:15 The science behind why alcohol seems to make us happier

37:09 The “joy of missing out”: freedom, energy, and real presence

41:00 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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 Coaching

Podcast: The Hello Someday Podcast for Sober Curious Women

Instagram: @caseymdavidson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloSomeday/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 127

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 drinking

00:51 Meet Dr. Sarah Michaud: psychologist, author, and 42 years sober

03:20 Getting sober didn’t fix everything; the real work starts after alcohol

06:01 The cycle, looking for the next relationship, job, or fix

12:05 What is codependency? Explained simply, and why it matters

13:33 A brief history: codependency in addiction recovery

14:23 The inability to be yourself out of fear of others’ reactions

21:01 How unmet needs drive both drinking and codependency

22:30 Childhood patterns, why we bring old survival tactics into adulthood

24:07 Why many people swap addictions after sobriety

33:37 How community and reality checks break denial

35:00 Compassion is essential, but so is responsibility for your experience

50:17 You can know the truth and still take your time deciding what to do

52:54 “I am responsible for my thoughts, feelings, and behaviours”

54:42 Start by letting go of one thing you do for others

56:58 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 126

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 habits

02:14 The Gavin Sisters’ old routine: comedy, wine, and takeout

04:08 Sharon Gavin’s illness, diagnosis, and the wake-up call

08:19 Loretta Gavin on why she couldn’t imagine life without alcohol

10:40 How pressure and pain pushed both sisters to make a change

11:45 Why quitting alcohol was the “biggest needle mover”

14:35 Firsts: sober holidays, Christmas, hens, and the surprising joy

16:07 Sobriety doesn’t fix everything but it brings energy for real problems

22:15 How stories about “who you are” can limit or liberate you

25:02 Key advice for anyone in an identity shift: give it time

28:37 Sharon Gavin on seeing wine as “anxiety in a glass”

29:00 Fourteen years alcohol-free: real freedom and zero regrets

30:00 Why it’s okay to just give up for a month

30:45 Gratitude for Anna Donaghey and the journey

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 125

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 5–7pm

01:24 The “witching hour” and the automatic pull toward alcohol

02:18 What is a habit loop?

04:26 The craving isn’t for alcohol, it’s for relief, calm, and transition

06:14 Understanding neural pathways and why habits feel automatic

08:21 The reward script: why your brain believes drinking is the solution

09:19 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 time

23:46 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 124

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 matters

01:06 Meet Beverly Meyer: clinical nutrition and the missing GABA link

05:14 GABA 101: The neurotransmitter explained in plain English

10:05 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 depletion

20:00 Changing the drinking conversation

21:09 Why food matters most

25:00 Paleo eating and asking “What did humans evolve to eat?”

28:18 Why Beverly ditched Wi-Fi and breakfast cereal

40:09 Herbal strategies for sleep and stress

45:27 Your body is on your side, learn to listen and support it

47:15 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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 needs

Find out more: https://www.ondietandhealth.com/

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 123

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 122

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 alcohol

01:25 Belinda’s story: adventure, midlife, and rediscovering passions

02:58 Realising I had a drinking problem, only in hindsight

05:19 Divorce, difficult periods, and drinking to cope

07:00 Hiking becomes the new reward

10:22 What adventure offers that alcohol can’t

11:27 How new routines slowly nudged out drinking

13:43 Returning to what you loved before alcohol

14:41 When Friday nights become about flow, not wine

18:12 Simple living, big happiness (and saving money)

20:47 Why Belinda finally chose to stop drinking alcohol for good

21:30 Recognising emotional triggers for drinking

23:31 How she handles hard days now

28:00 Why being honest about difficulties matters

29:55 The “hike your own hike” philosophy for sobriety

36:19 Out in the wild: zero desire for a drink

41:29 How to get unstuck

42:26 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About 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/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 121

Parties are supposed to be fun. So why does going alcohol-free feel so hard in a room full of drinkers? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey draws on years of experience as an alcohol mindset coach and as someone who still actually goes to parties, to give you the toolkit she wishes she'd had.

This one is practical from start to finish. Anna walks you through how to prepare before you arrive, what to bring, how to handle the "just have one!" brigade, and how to manage that rising self-consciousness when the energy in the room starts to shift. She also talks honestly about the drunk gap, why it exists, why it's not your fault, and how to stop letting it ruin your night.

You'll leave with real scripts for declining drinks, strategies for those tricky social moments, and a reminder that waking up clear-headed the morning after a party is actually kind of wonderful.

Whether you're newly alcohol-free, sober-curious, or just exploring what a night out could look like without drinking, this episode has you covered.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Why parties without alcohol feel daunting

01:24 “But what do I actually do?” Why practical tools matter

02:13 The importance of a “before” plan – know your WHY for the night

05:44 Arrive calm, don’t underestimate your pre-party state

06:16 Why you need a drink in your hand within 30 seconds

07:01 Always have an exit plan (and travel independently)

07:57 No more “performative suffering” - enjoy your alcohol-free drink

09:55 You don’t owe anyone an explanation (scripts for awkward questions)

12:21 Seek out “real” conversations (and the power of good questions)

16:40 When others act weird about your not drinking

16:25 Understanding the party “arc” when the “drunk gap” opens

18:12 Missing out, or a sign it’s time to go? The case for an early exit

21:20 Why caring what others think fades over time

24:02 The underrated joy of a hangover-free morning after

25:10 The essential party toolkit

27:08 How sober socialising becomes second nature

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 120

Why does alcohol feel essential to parties, celebrations, and big social events? And what’s really at stake when you rethink your drinking in those spaces? Anna Donaghey is joined by Evan Cudworth, a self-described “party coach,” who shares his personal journey through alcohol-fueled confidence, alter egos, and radical new rituals.

Together, they explore why we outsource energy and confidence to booze, how nostalgia can keep us stuck, and why the real “party” has to start within. Evan Cudworth breaks down his unique framework for building confidence and joy without alcohol and offers stories from both wild raves and deep silence at Burning Man.

Whether you’re worried you can’t party sober (or just curious how presence can replace performance), this episode shares new possibilities.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: The myth that drinking is the party

01:16 Why parties without alcohol feel unimaginable

07:21 Creating alter egos: who are we trying to access?

09:31 The “alcohol is a credit card” analogy

11:42 How social norms & culture shape drinking

14:44 Parties as rituals: St. Patrick’s Day and celebration engines

20:30 The act of doing shots and what it really signifies

24:42 Sober rituals and the power of intention

29:56 The party within: reclaiming confidence and aliveness

33:59 Building new evidence: is partying sober actually crap?

34:44 The 7-stage “Party Within” framework

44:41 Stop chasing nostalgia, what if you created joy instead?

48:22 “Live more, numb less”, a new party philosophy

51:05 The ultimate invitation: be the energy you want to see

52:03 When it’s not about you: making others feel they belong

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Evan Cudworth:

Evan Cudworth is, as far as anyone can tell, the world's first & only party coach - and he believes partying will save humanity. A nerdy UChicago graduate who came up in the underground rave & music scenes. Alongside his own struggles with validation, alcohol, & substances, in the post-pandemic chaos he created The Party Within, a 7 step framework for high-achieving adults who've been sold the lie that optimisation and fun are opposites.

His argument is simple and a little heretical: the wellness industrial complex has made us more isolated, more rigid, and worse at being in a room together -and the cure is learning to actually party in our modern world.

He's inspired thousands to libertate their social lives from anxiety, scrolling, & substances, and his work has appeared in GQ, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Teen Vogue.

He's here to make the case that partying might be the thing that saves us.

Connect with Evan:

Website: https://partycoach.me/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 119

What does it really mean to “show up” in your life and how is that different from simply “turning up”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey explores one of the most honest motivations she hears from people rethinking alcohol: the desire to be present. She shares why presence goes so much deeper than physical attendance. Alcohol is often used as an emotional buffer, and what’s possible when you start showing up as the unfiltered version of yourself at home, at work, and in every room you enter.

Anna offers a powerful reframe: real presence is not just a skill for parties, but a life skill that transforms relationships and the texture of daily life. This episode is packed with gentle invitations to experiment with being genuinely present for yourself and the people who matter most.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Today we’re exploring the quest for true presence

01:32 The difference between turning up and showing up

03:41 How alcohol acts as a costume, buffering us from authenticity

07:05 Alcohol, performance, and the “gap” we’re trying to bridge

10:55 Children and loved ones can feel when you’re only “half there”

11:54 A new version of attention is possible

13:13 The surprising gifts of ordinary, real-time connection

14:19 Why social events can feel the hardest

17:06 Learning to trust your own presence

20:06 Reframing sobriety: not deprivation, but a richer experience

23:26 Real presence includes awkwardness and dullness

24:14 Letting your actual energy lead is both vulnerable and enough

27:35 Real confidence versus performed confidence

30:07 Showing up is a gift to others, not just yourself

34:37 Final question: will you turn up or show up?

34:46 What’s coming next: unpacking the cultural architecture of alcohol and social life.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 118

What happens when the strategies we rely on to avoid pain, achievement, busyness and constant momentum stop working?

In this powerful conversation, Anna Donaghey is joined by April Day Garcia, author of The Room to Be Brave: Sometimes the way forward begins with going back, to explore how avoidance can hide in plain sight, especially for high-functioning people disguised as success.

April shares how chasing achievement and belonging led her further from herself, with alcohol acting as a quiet form of escape. When a period of forced stillness changed everything, she began the deeper work of healing, returning to the “rooms” where old beliefs began.

This episode offers a hopeful reframe: avoidance isn’t failure, it’s protection and real change starts not with becoming someone new, but with coming home to who you already are.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Rethinking avoidance with April Day Garcia

00:45 The art of avoidance and the illusion of achievement

02:27 April’s memoir mapping unravelling through literal rooms

05:11 Running from the pain, and chasing achievement

09:33 How avoidance can sometimes look like high performance

11:31 No room for vulnerability, linking emotions to old, unsafe moments

13:49 Alcohol’s role in numbing, postponing, and belonging

16:50 Avoidance creates new problems, emotional costs rise

20:35 The clear rupture: seeing darkness reflected in family

23:07 Having a breakdown broke the cycle, and led to giving up alcohol

38:09 The hardest rooms: confronting your own mistakes and shadow work

41:55 Old beliefs aren’t yours and reclaiming your true self

44:12 Redeveloping your rooms and rewriting your story

52:36 Choose your hard, start with one room

54:04 Healing isn’t failure, sometimes your truest self is waiting in the rooms you feared most.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About April Day Garcia:

April Day Garcia spent years in forward motion - busy, capable, and running without knowing it. As a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Reiki practitioner, and self-described chronic over-doer, she was excellent at moving through life while avoiding the rooms that needed her most.

Sober since August 2024, April has been doing the harder work: going back into the experiences that shaped her deepest beliefs about herself, sitting in those spaces long enough to heal them, and discovering that who she was on the other side had been there all along. Her debut memoir, The Room to Be Brave: Sometimes the way forward begins with going back, is the story of what it means to stop running - and be brave enough to go back.

Connect with April:

Book: https://a.co/d/01NvRuC9

Instagram: @theroomtobebrave

Website: https://www.aprildaygarcia.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 117

What really drives us to reach for alcohol, and why is avoidance so quietly powerful in our habits? In this episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the psychology behind using alcohol as a coping mechanism, revealing how it silences discomfort and acts as a fast-acting state change in our modern lives. Drawing from her own lived experience and insights from her Substack “The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab,” Anna explores how avoidance is not weakness, but a deeply human strategy rooted in our biology and history.

She dives into the difference between signals (those uncomfortable feelings and nudges) and state changes, explaining how alcohol overrides what our mind is trying to tell us. With practical examples and gentle guidance, Anna encourages listeners to get curious about their own habits, question the signals they might be silencing, and imagine life with alternative strategies that don’t come at such a cost.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome, this week we are exploring the theme of avoidance

01:03 How alcohol is used to numb and silence discomfort

02:20 The British Medical Council: alcohol as the nation’s favourite coping mechanism

04:04 Avoidance as an intelligent survival strategy, not denial

05:12 Our ancient brain responds to discomfort

06:00 Alcohol as a fast-acting state changer, it quietens the alarm

08:23 Alternative avoidance strategies: work, scrolling, food

09:09 We have a regulation systems, relief can be instantly available

10:01 Learning to listen to discomfort

13:17 Anna’s Sunday “unease”, discovering the real signal beneath the habit

14:04 Signals as information about our needs and alignment

15:07 When avoidance no longer works, what comes next?

16:04 Imagining alternative strategies without the cost of alcohol

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 116

Why do we agonise over disrupting the social flow by saying “no thanks” to a drink, even when alcohol is quietly disrupting so much more in our lives? In this thought-provoking solo episode, Anna Donaghey explores the micro-moments of clarity that often crop up when we consider changing our drinking habits. Drawing from a recent conversation with Ry Gavan, Anna explores how alcohol quietly sits behind so many social occasions, becoming a synchronised ritual, yet the real disruptions to our wellbeing are often overlooked, minimised, or accepted as “just life.”

She examines the tension between the fear of social awkwardness and the reality of how quickly our circles adapt, and offers practical tools to handle that brief moment of discomfort.

This episode is for anyone ready to question the script, trust those quiet nudges, and make choices around alcohol that genuinely align with who they are.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to “Tiny Clarity Moments 2”

01:06 Wanting better sleep, energy, patience, but fearing social awkwardness

03:20 The imagined disruption versus reality

04:26 Ry’s true story: friends adjust, little actually changes

05:01 The disruptions we tolerate: poor sleep, lost weekends, tension

07:16 A question to ask: what disruptions am I already accepting?

07:47 How do you make it easier to say no?

09:41 Why you don’t owe an explanation

10:44 Changing the subject and shifting the conversation

11:04 The power of holding an alcohol-free drink in your hand

11:33 Reframing: you’re just doing something different tonight

13:31 Embracing quiet confidence, normalising intentional choices

14:23 What disruption is really worth worrying about?

15:22 Creating space for others by asking honest questions

The first part of this mini-series on Tiny Clarity Moments can be found here on Apple or here on Spotify.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 115

What happens when we question alcohol’s role as the backdrop to almost every social moment? In this powerful episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Ry Gavan from DRiNKLiNK, a Scotland-based charity supporting families affected by someone else’s drinking, for an honest conversation about the ripple effects of alcohol in our lives.

Rather than focusing solely on “extremes,” Anna Donaghey and Ry explore why alcohol’s real power lies in its expectation: its presence at celebrations, commiserations, sport, family gatherings, and so much more. They explore the underlying fear of social disruption when someone opts out, the tension between belonging and authenticity, and the surprising reality that our imagined social fallout rarely materialises.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the social script around drinking, the underestimated impact of alcohol, and what actually changes (for the better) when you step outside the expectation.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Exploring alcohol as the expected backdrop

01:04 The tension of opting out

02:08 Ry’s story

05:24 Social rituals, identity, and the anxiety of changing your “role”

09:50 Alcohol is woven into Scottish life, sports, family, and celebrations

11:28 Grey area drinking, and challenging the “boring” label

14:43 Underestimating the real disruption of drinking

15:15 Alcohol’s impact on deaths, hospitalisations, and NHS strain

18:34 How one change can influence others in the group

19:26 Belonging anxiety, why standing out feels risky, but rarely is

22:36 Moving beyond thinking alcohol as the “glue” of social connection

29:53 Confidence and learning to love who you are

33:53 Underestimating the real impact of drinking

35:26 DRiNKLiNK’s work and impact

40:07 Alcohol and social inequalities

42:28 Testing your assumptions and finding new evidence

44:43 Gamifying sobriety, progress, joy, and positive change

46:15 How to connect with DRiNKLiNK and share your story.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Ry Gavan:

Ry Gavan works with DRiNKLiNK, a Scotland-based charity supporting people affected by someone else’s drinking.

He’s passionate about destigmatising sobriety and challenging the expectation that alcohol is required for connection.

His work focuses on the ripple effects drinking has on families and communities and what changes when we begin to see clearly without it.

Connect with Ry:

Website: https://drinklink.org/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 114

Who are you, really, if you remove alcohol from your life? In this deeply thoughtful solo episode, Anna Donaghey takes on the big, unsettling question: “Who am I if I don’t drink?”

Rather than focusing on willpower or missing out, Anna Donaghey explores the real, often unspoken identity shifts that happen when we rethink our relationship with alcohol. With psychological insight, lived experience, and practical tools, she explores why alcohol feels like more than a habit, it becomes a social uniform, a signal for belonging, and even a “scaffolding” for how we move through life.

Exploring topics like “identity lag,” belonging, and the power of meeting your true self, Anna Donaghey guides listeners through the discomfort and liberation that can come with letting go of drinking. She offers gentle reframes, challenging listeners to consider not just what they’ll lose, but the strengths and surprises they might gain. This episode is for anyone feeling curious about life on the other side of drinking.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Rethinking your relationship with alcohol

01:03 “Who am I if I don’t drink?” - the question beneath the fear

03:29 Drinking as a “social passport” - ritual, friendship, and fitting in

04:34 The need to belong and why challenging alcohol can feel threatening

06:14 Alcohol as a uniform, how it signals our role in different settings

07:16 Meeting yourself as an adult without alcohol for the first time

08:25 Identity lag: why our sense of self changes slower than our behaviour

10:06 How alcohol helps us perform or buffer feelings

12:55 Ask: “Who have I not allowed myself to be?”

13:32 Outgrowing old coping strategies

14:38 Using alcohol as armor, scaffolding, or stabilisers

18:47 Liberation and alignment, shifting from performance to true self

20:41 If alcohol wasn’t in the picture, what would remain and what might strengthen?

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 113

How do you truly start over, and what does real reinvention look like? In this episode, Anna Donaghey talks with Andrew Drasen, author, speaker, and survivor about life beyond sobriety, diving into identity, purpose, and hope.

Andrew’s journey goes far beyond addiction, spanning imprisonment, loss, and the search for meaning. He shares his struggles with self-image, rebellion, and choices that led to incarceration, as well as the heartbreak of losing loved ones, including his fiancée Caroline.

Together, Anna and Andrew explore how we cling to unsustainable identities, and how radical acceptance, creative rebuilding, and writing his memoir A Vision of Hope became acts of healing. This conversation is a reminder that change is possible. Healing isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Rethinking drinking and identity

01:15 Andrew’s story: addiction, loss, and the reckoning

02:42 Childhood, self-image, and early substance use

04:04 Identity as “life of the party” and rule-breaking

07:58 The snowball effect: risky behaviour and its consequences

09:40 False bravado, ego, and self-worth

13:01 First arrest and inevitability of trouble

15:49 Escalating to heroin and survival mode

17:47 Turning points: a break in sentencing and glimpses of hope

20:00 Recovery, 12-step meetings, and writing

21:32 Grieving loss, healing through creativity

22:07 Losing Caroline, deep identity work, and transformation

33:29 Andrew’s recovery framework

38:28 If you’re afraid of change: the courage to try

40:00 Recovery as a beginning, not an end.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Andew Drasen:

Andrew Drasen is the author of A Vision of Hope and the creator of a 90-day framework that helps people discover identity, clarify direction, and build purpose-driven lives.

His mission is to help people see not just who they are, but who they can become - transforming pain into growth and purpose.

Listeners can visit Andrew’s website at avisionofhopebook.com to download the free preview pack, preorder the book, or sign up for the newsletter. It’s the best place to access all of his resources and stay connected.

Connect with Andrew:

Website: https://www.avisionofhopebook.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 112

Does our past define us? In this insightful episode, Anna Donaghey explores a quietly powerful truth: you are not fixed. You are not your history, your habits, or the coping mechanisms that once helped you survive.

She guides you into the transformative space between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming. Uncovering how old beliefs and identities, especially around drinking, can unconsciously shape your choices and keep you attached to outdated versions of yourself. With a thoughtful blend of philosophy, neuroscience, and her signature warmth and honesty, Anna invites you to question what you’ve been carrying forward and whether it still fits.

You’ll discover how identity is formed, why it can feel so solid and unchangeable, and how to gently step out of autopilot to choose again. Because no matter how long you’ve played a particular role, you are never required to keep playing it.

If you’re ready for more possibility, more self-trust, and a kinder, braver relationship with change, this episode is for you.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome and the real power (and limits) of “that’s just who I am”

01:15 Why you are not your past

03:09 How roles keep us safe (and sometimes stuck)

04:05 We are in a state of constant change, even when we feel static

05:07 Modern neuroscience and why your brain is always rewiring

06:31 How cultures and families script our identities

07:25 Adaptation as survival when old strategies keep running

08:21 Unpicking whether you still need your old beliefs and habits

10:18 What’s coping, and what’s truly you?

11:08 The tragedy of forgetting we’ve already changed (and can do it again)

12:30 Small, sustainable reinvention versus. dramatic transformation

13:05 Freedom and responsibility, have agency over who you become.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 111

We’ve taught young people how to achieve but have we taught them how to feel, struggle, and grow? Host Anna Donaghey is joined by consultant Joanna Lilley, who works with young adults at the crossroads of high school, university, and early adulthood, to explore why so many high-achieving students feel anxious, overwhelmed, and unprepared for life.

Together, they discuss the emotional blind spots shaping a generation, from overprotection and crisis-driven support, to the relentless pursuit of perfection and the lure of numbing out through tech, alcohol, and quick fixes. You’ll also hear practical ideas for building genuine resilience, supporting emotional growth, and redefining success for both parents and teens.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome back & why helping kids handle stress matters

02:08 Why record numbers of students are struggling

04:09 Tech, overstimulation & the accountability gap after leaving home

05:27 Why current university support often misses the mark

10:22 Are parents unintentionally “fixing” too much?

11:29 Why adversity and struggle are key to building grit and resilience

15:22 Coping, numbing, and the pull toward quick-fix behaviors

18:10 Alcohol, substances, and the hidden culture of self-medication

21:00 The emotional blind spots that make numbing so tempting

23:12 How parents and schools can nurture real emotional intelligence and self-awareness

29:02 Why Gen Z are the anxious generation

33:57 How to support your teen without being a human shield for difficulty

35:09 Letting go, empty nests, and finding your own path

45:54 Why recovery, reflection, and even a gap year matter more than ever

47:43 How intuition, creativity, and downtime build long-term resilience.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Joanna Lilley:

Joanna Lilley runs LilleyConsulting and, since 2016, has been helping young adults (18+) find mental health, substance use, and wellness resources. Joanna dedicates herself to working solely with emerging adults who unravel in college or aren’t thriving in adulthood. She also hosts the "Success is Subjective" podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.

Connect with Joanna:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilleyConsultingLLC/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-lilley-ma-ncc-12546566/

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 110

What if making one intentional, alcohol-free day didn’t have to feel like a test of willpower or a white-knuckle challenge you had to survive? In this practical solo episode, your host Anna Donaghey shares a clear, step-by-step structure for what a supported, intentional day off drinking can look like in real life.

Inspired by a listener who found Dry January a “white-knuckle ride,” Anna explores why sustainable change isn’t about deprivation or strict rules, but about adding support, care, and intention into your day. She’ll walk you through gentle but powerful tools you can use: from a simple morning check-in and choosing your mantra, to micro-habits that help transition from work mode to rest mode without defaulting to a drink.

No matter if you’re struggling to string one alcohol-free day together or just want to experiment with drinking less, this toolkit breaks it down into doable, kind steps so you can approach the question of drinking with more choice and less self-judgment.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome back and the listener question behind this episode

00:55 Why lasting change is rarely about willpower

01:39 “I struggle to put even one alcohol-free day together”

03:02 Sustainable change is about adding support, not just removing alcohol

04:07 What does one intentional alcohol-free day actually look like?

05:26 Starting with a gentle morning check-in (and why it matters)

07:27 Have a “coffee with yourself” and checking in on your needs

09:25 Choosing a mantra to anchor your day

15:29 Micro-rests and working with the day you really have

17:36 Hydration as an act of self-care, not just another box to tick

20:45 How being well-resourced softens evening cravings

21:08 Dealing with the “witching hour”

23:33 Finding new rituals to mark the threshold between work and rest

26:20 The importance of identity cues, not just discipline

27:31 Ending the day with a gentle reflection (not a journaling marathon)

30:30 One intentional day is always worth coming back to

33:30 How to get more support with the Thirsty For More Mindset Lab.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 109

What if the limits we feel around age, change, and possibility aren’t real but simply old, worn-out stories we’ve inherited? In this energising episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Allison Davis, traditional naturopath and author of ‘Sixty is a Good Start: A Powerful Body, a Purposeful Life, and a Plan to Make it Happen’, to bust wide open the myth that it’s ever “too late” to rethink your life or your drinking.

Together, Anna and Allison explore the deep-seated cultural scripts that tell us when we should want less, slow down, or shrink our dreams. Allison shares her own journey: becoming a new mom at fifty, reclaiming her health in her mid-fifties, writing a book at sixty, and refusing to let a single decade define what’s possible. You’ll hear how small, sustainable routines, what Allison calls the “self-perpetuating circle of purpose” can help us create vibrant lives at any age.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Rethinking the script on age and alcohol

00:41 The “too late” myth and culturally inherited limitations

02:15 Allison’s story: parenting, fitness, writing, and starting new chapters

08:30 How the narratives about age take root and how to question them

13:02 Introducing the “circle of purpose”

15:02 Why real longevity is about energy, not just living longer

16:00 Learning to listen to your body (instead of just managing it)

19:13 Alcohol, numbing, and re-awakening to what you really need

25:00 The role of the inner critic

32:40 The power of “threshold moments”

34:02 Rethinking “world work”: purpose, connection, and creating a life worth living

39:06 Loneliness and the vital importance of connection as we age

42:08 Introducing the Sixty-Day Dare: baby steps toward a bigger, richer life

43:00 Why sustainable change is always made up of doable, micro-shifts

46:46 Simple places to begin: water, movement, and intentional choices

48:13 “Is this enough?” The question that can start everything over, at any age.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Allison Davis:

Allison Davis is an author, Traditional Naturopath and mum of five, who has pursued entrepreneurial business in the world of natural health for the last fourteen years while raising her family.

With her new book, Sixty Is a Good Start: A Powerful Body, a Purposeful Life, and a Plan to Make it Happen, she advocates for reimagining life after sixty and inspires women to embrace aging as a time of opportunity, vitality, and purpose.

Connect with Allison:

All of Allison’s links can be found here – including a link to buy her book:

https://allisonmccunedavis.com/links

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 108

What if change doesn’t start with a dramatic rock bottom or a grand decision, but with the tiniest flickers of awareness? In this reflective episode, Anna Donaghey shines a light on those often-overlooked “tiny clarity moments”, the split seconds when you see your drinking, and your habits, with fresh honesty.

Anna shares personal stories and insights from her work as an alcohol mindset coach, exploring how real transformation rarely starts with ultimatums or huge declarations. Instead, it begins with small, honest realisations. Noticing when a drink isn’t actually enjoyable, seeing the mismatch between the promise and reality of alcohol, or catching yourself pouring a glass before you've even decided if you want it.

This episode is for anyone who’s wondered even briefly about their drinking. If you’ve been waiting for a dramatic sign or a clear plan, this is your permission to start smaller. Sometimes all it takes is noticing what’s already there.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome back to The Big Drink Rethink

00:40 What are “Tiny Clarity Moments”?

01:38 Why big changes often start with small, quiet recognitions

02:16 How overlooked thoughts are actually the seeds of awareness

03:12 Examples from Anna’s own journey

04:27 Catching the gap between self-stories and reality

05:17 Let moments percolate, don’t force change

07:12 Understanding your drinking triggers

10:06 Why you don’t need rules, labels, or willpower

11:19 The discomfort of awareness

12:07 Prompts to gently explore your own tiny clarity moments

13:35 Introducing the Thirsty Ffor More Mindset Lab

14:32 Let small things be noticed, because that’s where change begins.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 107

Is it possible that drinking isn’t really the problem or at least, not the whole story? In this episode, Anna asks you to rethink your relationship with alcohol by shifting the focus away from simply how much or how often you drink, to what deeper needs might be driving the habit in the first place.

Anna explores why we treat alcohol as the main issue, and how it’s often just the “smoke, not the fire.” Instead of fixating on willpower or self-control, she dives into the real desires beneath drinking: rest, relief, connection, pleasure, escape.

You'll learn how putting alcohol in context, and being gently curious about your own needs rather than harshly judging yourself can open up new possibilities for change.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to The Big Drink Rethink

01:13 What if drinking isn’t actually the issue?

01:41 Drinking is often the visible symptom, not the deeper cause

02:18 Ask: “What am I actually thirsty for?”

02:53 Meeting your real needs weakens drinking’s grip

03:39 Alcohol shows up inside busy, pressured, complex lives

04:03 What role has alcohol been playing for you?

04:15 Reframing drinking as a response, not a moral failing

04:46 Calm, informed choices are possible when alcohol is explained

05:11 A new question: “What would actually support me here?”

06:01 Shifting from control to care, from shame to curiosity

06:38 Change happens gradually, not with a dramatic declaration

06:57 If something feels off, you don’t need to have a plan yet

07:36 Staying curious, not judgmental

08:21 Your feedback drives future episodes!

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 106

Have you ever wondered why even after a few alcohol-free weeks, life can feel flat or why it feels so hard to say “enough” in a world of endless overconsumption? In this transformative episode of The Big Drink Rethink, Anna Donaghey sits down with Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist, author of Dopamine Nation, and Stanford Addiction Medicine Director, to explore how alcohol hijacks our reward system and what it really takes to rediscover joy and meaning, beyond the next drink.

Dr. Lembke explains why life can feel “meh” after quitting drinking and how the brain slowly recalibrates, making real satisfaction possible again. This episode is a gentle yet powerful guide for anyone seeking answers about our brain’s quest for ‘more’.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Looking at compulsive over consumption in a dopamine loaded world

05:52 ‘The drug of choice’ and dopamine

08:34 Modern life pushes a ‘hijacked brain’ to crave intense stimuli

10:53 Addiction shifts the brain's balance

14:41 After 4 weeks alcohol-free, 80% no longer had major depression.

18:28 Micro stressors like cold exposure boost feel-good neurotransmitters

21:12 Pleasure-pain balance drives homeostasis

25:46 Modern boredom and addiction

29:22 The lizard brain and modern pleasure

31:59 Many people associate alcohol with relaxation and happiness

36:38 Dopamine, exercise and brain ‘tricks’

44:03 True joy comes from connection, curiosity, and enoughness.

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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Dr. Anna Lembke:

Dr. Anna Lembke is professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A clinician scholar, she has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries. She sits on the board of several state and national addiction-focused organizations, has testified before various committees in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, keeps an active speaking calendar, and maintains a thriving clinical practice.

In 2016, she published Drug Dealer, MD – How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), which was highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic (Zuger, 2018). Dr. Lembke has also appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives.

Dopamine Nation: Why our Addiction to Pleasure is Causing us Pain (Dutton/Penguin Random House, 2023), a New York Times Bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.

You can purchase Dopamine Nation here: Amazon - Dopamine Nation

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 105

Ever caught yourself wondering, “Why is alcohol so hard to control for me?” In this episode Anna Donaghey urges you to challenge the story that the struggle is all your fault. Drawing from her experience as an alcohol mindset coach, author, and strategist, Anna examines why shame and blame are baked into how we talk about drinking and offers a totally different perspective.

Instead of focusing on willpower, Anna explores how social expectations, stress, and our culture’s obsession with alcohol shapes your relationship with drinking. She invites you to shift from self-judgement to compassionate curiosity, uncovering what alcohol actually does for you, and how to move forward with genuine agency (not force).

Listen now for fresh psychological insight, and actionable tools to gently reframe your habits and open new possibilities about rethinking the way you drink.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to The Big Drink Rethink Podcast

00:53 What if you're not the problem?

01:33 Our culture confuses responsibility with blame

02:23 The dominant narrative comes from Alcoholics Anonymous

05:41 Using alcohol to cope, switching off, easing anxiety, marking the end of the day doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human.

06:27 The real question isn’t “what’s wrong with me?” but “why is this the tool I’ve ended up relying on?”

07:01 Curiosity about what alcohol is doing for you shifts the conversation

07:23 The goal isn’t just to become a non-drinker, but someone who listens to themselves and designs a life they don’t want to escape from

08:23 Struggles with drinking aren’t your fault

09:50 Change begins with curiosity, and honesty

10:09 Rethinking drinking is about being awake in your own 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/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 104

This week is a big one for The Big Drink Rethink, with host Anna Donaghey, celebrating publication day and introducing her brand new, first book.

"What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

In this special episode, Anna invites you to continue your reappraisal - not just of alcohol, but what it is you are really craving in life. Rather than pushing rules or labels, she offers practical, compassionate insights drawn from her own journey (and many honest stories from you, the listeners).

At its heart, she invites you to ask a pivotal, different question. Not “Is my drinking bad enough?” but “Is my life good enough?” With warmth and zero preaching, Anna Donaghey welcomes anyone curious, cautious, or somewhere in the grey area, to explore what you really want from life, using gentle tools for awareness and self-discovery.

Whether you’re seeking new possibilities, or just looking to understand what truly drives your drinking, tune in for an uplifting, honest conversation and don’t forget to grab the book, now available everywhere!

• Amazon: https://amzn.to/47agUn2
• Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/what-are-you-thirsty-for/anna-donaghey/9781915780607

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Intro: Anna’s new book - What Are You Thirsty For? is here!

01:07 If you’re in the “grey area” around alcohol, you’re not alone

02:14 How cultural stories about alcohol shape our habits

03:43 The book is flipping the script from “is my drinking bad enough?” to “is my life good enough?”

05:01 The shift from self-judgement to self-inquiry, insights from podcast guests

07:01 Awareness, not rules why most people live in the vast in-between

08:23 The “jobs” we hand to alcohol (and why it never truly delivers)

11:11 What changed for Anna

12:05 Who the book is really written for

14:22 Designing your life by choice, not out of habit, find a pathway back to yourself

15:31 This isn’t just about alcohol; it’s about the life you want.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 103

Struggling to keep your momentum as the novelty of cutting back on drinking starts to wear off? You’re not alone. In this third mini episode, Anna Donaghey returns with five practical, pressure-free ideas to support you through January, especially when willpower is fading and real-life challenges kick in.

Building on previous mindset shifts, Anna sidesteps perfection and “shoulds,” guiding you to focus on what you actually want from life (not just what you’re trying to avoid). She invites listeners to rethink their motivation, reframe inevitable wobbles as valuable learning moments, and gently plan supportive evenings that help you feel safe and soothed and not stressed.

You’ll learn the ultimate nervous system hack (intentional breathing), why small rituals matter more than big gestures, and why celebrating tiny gains is the most powerful way to stay on track.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome back to the mini series, for a new year kickstart

01:09 The novelty wears off, how to get real momentum in sober curiosity

01:31 Five simple, practical ideas, not willpower, but gentle support

01:49 Swap “not allowed” thinking for “is my life good enough right now?”

02:42 Motivation from desire, not discipline or fear

03:18 The pull towards a better life is stronger than willpower

04:39 Wobbles are normal, it takes time to learn new habits

07:12 Treat setbacks with curiosity, not moral judgment

07:34 Plan evenings lightly, enjoy tiny, soothing rituals

10:12 The incredible power of intentional breathing (box breathing)

13:39 Pay attention to what’s getting better

14:32 Pick one idea to shape your evening, even if it’s gentle and small

14:54 What if this month was about becoming someone you feel good being?

15:04 The journey continues with more episodes and resources.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 102

If you’re already feeling the challenge of cutting back on drinking this January, you’re not alone and you don’t have to rely on sheer willpower. In this second mini episode, Anna returns to share the essential (and surprisingly gentle) secret to handling cravings and breaking free from autopilot habits.

Building on the previous episode’s mindset shifts, Anna introduces the idea of noticing urges without judgment, explains why most cravings are signals about what you truly need, and guides listeners through the powerful practice of “urge surfing.”

This is not about perfection or passing a test. It’s about curiosity, self-kindness, and baby steps toward a better relationship with drinking. You’ll walk away with a practical tool you can use tonight, and the knowledge that real change starts with tiny moments of awareness.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 January is tough, and feeling mixed emotions is normal

01:03 Mindset recap: why big declarations don’t work

01:20 Day two focus: Noticing urges, and why old patterns creep in

02:20 Why drinking habits are automatic

02:45 What’s underneath the craving?

03:37 The “magic” of noticing

04:26 Tiny moments of awareness versus gritted teeth

04:28 Zero-pressure reflection practice

05:02 Change begins with curiosity, not control

05:31 Your only job tonight: Just notice

05:49 What if tonight was just something to observe?

07:19 The reality: Most urges peak and fade within minutes

08:07 The power of letting an urge pass and discovering what your mind/body really wants

08:57 An urge is not an order; you do not have to act on it

09:26 Free urge surfing resources available at https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/toolkit-optin

Tune in tomorrow for the next episode, and keep rethinking your relationship with drinking one gentle step at a time.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 101

Is Dry January on your mind, but you’re already feeling the weight of “new year, new me” expectations? In the first of this mini series, Anna welcomes the New Year with a gentle reality check for anyone considering a break from alcohol whether you’re looking to quit, cut down, or just get curious about your drinking habits.

With compassion and clarity, she unpacks why pressure, grand declarations, and all-or-nothing thinking so often sabotages our best intentions in January. Instead, she offers a different way to embrace curiosity and exploration as you rethink your relationship with drinking.

Anna invites you to notice your patterns, get honest about your hopes, and see “wobbles” as part of real, lasting change, not failure. Start the year with self-kindness, realistic strategies, and a plan that supports you, rather than scares you.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Why taking a break from drinking is brilliant anytime

00:40 The cultural pressure of New Year’s resolutions

02:14 “Challenge mode” and the trap of all-or-nothing thinking

06:12 Why wobbles are proof of learning and progress

07:45 How to make January an exploration, not a test

08:11 The real question: What are you hoping to feel in your life this year?

09:09 The first step: Start noticing your habits with kindness, not judgment

09:20 Permission to be a beginner, and simple ways to support yourself

10:01 Anna’s Alcohol Experiment and how to get real, daily support.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment:

https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 100

Are you showing up for Christmas wanting change, but feeling swallowed up by old patterns, pressure, or the ever-present invitation to pour a drink? In this uplifting milestone episode of The Big Drink Rethink (100 episodes!), your host Anna Donaghey offers a heart-to-heart Christmas Day pep talk for anyone questioning their drinking, or simply craving a more honest and intentional holiday experience.

Through lived experience and a coach’s insight, she gently unpacks why Christmas stirs up overwhelm, exhaustion, and even unexpected loneliness, alongside the pressure of old habits. She guides you back to your own intentions, with a practical, simple toolkit for resetting and choosing the version of you that feels truest even if you’re the only one who sees it right now.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Anna’s gratitude for every listener whether brand new or following since the beginning

00:31 Why Christmas is such a complicated mix of comfort and challenge

01:53 Today isn’t about perfection

02:17 You’re not the sum of your past Decembers

03:03 Experiment: What does Christmas feel like without alcohol?

03:52 How to navigate triggers: Pause, Check In, Choose.

05:21 You’re allowed to take up space in a different way

06:13 Gentle encouragement to hold your ground with clarity

06:39 Have a proud and present Christmas Day, plus where to find resources.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 99

Are your Christmas traditions serving you or just sabotaging your intentions for change? This time of year isn’t just about parties and presents, it’s a complex mix of family dynamics, old patterns, emotional triggers steeped in decades of drinking. In this powerful episode of The Big Drink Rethink, host Anna Donaghey takes a gentle yet practical approach to surviving (and actually enjoying) Christmas and New Year, especially if you’re rethinking your relationship with alcohol.

Drawing on lived experience, psychology, and coaching tools, Anna unpacks why Christmas stirs up excitement, dread, and everything in between. She shares a step-by-step plan for protecting your peace, setting boundaries, dealing with triggers, and redefining who you want to be this season.

Whether you’re aiming for your first alcohol-free Christmas or just want it to feel more intentional (and less chaotic), this episode puts clarity, self-kindness, and genuine joy at the heart of the festive season.

Here are the Highlights:

00:41 Why Christmas stirs up mixed emotions and challenges

03:09 How old patterns and family roles shape festive drinking

06:32 The power of identity: Who do you want to be this Christmas?

09:46 Mel Robbins “let them” theory to deal with other people’s behaviour

11:10 Own your choices, and protect your peace

13:54 How environments trigger old habits

16:53 Staying rooted in your intentions

19:11 Planning for emotional flashpoints over the Christmas period

23:41 Visualisation worksheet: How to map out your big days

27:34 Dealing with New Year's Eve hype and midnight pressure

29:57 Why a “fresh” January is more important than a “perfect” December

32:11 Regulate your nervous system with breathwork & micro-resets

34:00 Moving through the season with clarity and pride

35:00 Anna’s Alcohol Experiment and extra support for Dry January

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 98

What if the festive season could bring more connection, confidence, and genuine fun… without the dread (or the hangover)? In this episode of The Big Drink Rethink, your host Anna shares how to survive Christmas parties, whether you’re alcohol free, moderating, or just rethinking your relationship with drinking.

Drawing on personal stories and practical coaching insight, Anna covers how Christmas parties often trigger reflex drinking and cultural pressures, and shares simple, powerful strategies to help you stay true to what you want from the season. From pre-party mindset resets to mastering your exit plan (hello, Irish Goodbye!). This episode is packed with real-life tools, gentle encouragement, and tips for waking up clear-headed, proud, and totally FOMO-free.

Here are the Highlights:

00:41 Why Christmas parties stir up both excitement and anxiety

03:25 How cultural scripts and past habits hijack our choices

08:05 The three key questions to set your party intentions

11:25 Alcohol free versus moderation, how to pick your best path

12:50 Busting myths, you’re not the only one cutting down!

16:23 Pre-party grounding and creating “joy drinks”

22:05 Social pressure, responses, and the power of changing the subject

24:22 Finding your wingman and safe spaces

26:42 Micro check-ins: Don’t confuse boredom with wanting a drink

27:52 Planning your exit and mastering the Irish Goodbye

30:37 End of night rituals for real rewards

Ready to rethink your Christmas party season? Tune in to get inspired, energised, and equipped for whatever December throws your way.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 97

What if your relationship with alcohol was more about nourishment than willpower? In this eye-opening toolkit episode of The Big Drink Rethink, Anna shares one of her most powerful tools yet, a framework to help you discover what truly fuels and sustains you, making it easier to outgrow alcohol for good.

Drawing on personal experience and Tara Mohr’s Core Nutrients Framework, Anna Donaghey guides you to uncover what you’re genuinely “thirsty for,” and how meeting these deeper needs naturally eases your reliance on booze. Whether you’re navigating the pressures of the holiday season or simply wanting to rethink your drinking habits, this episode is packed with practical exercises and gentle wisdom to help you feel more alive, grounded, and connected - no willpower required!

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Habits stick not through willpower, but by feeling nourished

03:10 Christmas amplifies everything, joy, loneliness, and chaos

09:12 Alcohol offers temporary comfort and connection

10:08 Reflect on your true cravings and emotional needs

13:48 Creativity, belonging, and connection energise your inner life

25:13 Prioritise self-nourishment, download the reflection sheet at thebigdrinkrethink.com/tools

26:57 Identifying core needs brings clarity, immediate well-being, and builds lasting habits.

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About 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/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk