Alcohol Minimalist: Mindful Drinking & Behavior Change

This week's episode is focused on the anxiety, stress and overwhelm that many people are feeling as we approach the US presidential election on November 5th. Understanding how to calm our brains without turning to alcohol will be very important in the next few weeks. Recognizing when our brains are catastrophizing and stopping that cycle is critical to our sense of well-being.  We're also talking...

00:00 Hey, welcome to think Thursday. From the alcohol minimalist podcast, think Thursday is all about your beautiful, brilliant human brain. We're talking neuroscience. We're talking behavior change. We are talking about your mindset. Are you ready to get started? Let's go.   Hello and welcome to think Thursday from alcohol minimalist. These episodes are all about brain health. They are about neu...

This week on the podcast, I'm talking about what is happening when changing your drinking doesn't get easier.  When you have decided to work on changing your drinking habits but it feels like it's always a struggle, here's what you want to consider. Are you still relying on willpower or are you actually increasing your brain power? Brain Power mean retraining your brain & rewiring neural pathw...

Molly Watts discusses the importance of brain health and diet on her podcast "Think Thursday." She emphasizes that the brain, despite being only 2% of body weight, uses 20% of the body's energy. Watts highlights the negative impact of a Western diet high in refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and processed foods on cognitive function and emotional regulation. She recommends a Mediterranean diet rich i...

This week we're revisitng what it means to be mostly alcohol-free. Lots of great inspiration here to finish your More Sober October strong!   Links to all the Sober October Series: Episode 144: Buffering with Alcohol Episode 146: Reluctance and Resistance to Change Your Drinking Episode 147: Using Curiosity to Change Your Drinking Check out Drink-Less Success to further your efforts for More Sober...

Molly Watts discusses the importance of understanding and improving one's relationship with alcohol through the lens of neuroscience and self-improvement. She emphasizes that self-improvement is a privilege, enabled by the human prefrontal cortex, which allows for planning, reflection, and goal-setting. Watts argues that self-improvement should not be seen as a burden but as a unique human ability...

This week on the show I'm talking about how my typical advice of "doable drink plan" and meeting yourself where you are can coexist with a 30-day challenge like Sober October. I'm clearing up any confusion as to whether or not I think there is any harm in doing a 30-Day AF break (hint: no, in fact it's really good for you for many reasons). We'll talk about the difference between using willpower a...

Molly Watts discusses the benefits of 10 minutes of daily aerobic exercise on brain health, mood, and memory, citing research by neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, particularly the hippocampus, promoting neurogenesis and cognitive function. Regular exercise can slow or reverse age-related brain shrinkage and cognitive decline. Watts emphasizes the importan...

This week on the show, I'm thrilled to share a conversation with Dr. Danielle Dick, the Director of Rutgers University's Rutgers Addiction Research Center. Danielle brings a wealth of experience in science and study of genetics to share how our genes and our environments influence our lives. Danielle Dick, Ph. D. is a Professor of Psychology and Genetics and author of THE CHILD CODE . She is an in...

This week on Think Thursday we're talking about the deprivation mindset, particularly in the context of changing one's relationship with alcohol. Host Molly Watts explains that deprivation, in its true sense, refers to the lack of essentials like food or oxygen, whereas the feeling of deprivation when cutting back on alcohol is a mental construct. Molly emphasizes that alcohol is not essential for...

Getting ready for a "More Sober October" and we're revisiting an episode from last year's series for Sober October on Moments of Decision. Links to all the Sober October Series: Episode 144: Buffering with Alcohol Episode 146: Reluctance and Resistance to Change Your Drinking Episode 147: Using Curiosity to Change Your Drinking Check out Drink-Less Success to further your efforts for More Sober Oc...

Think Thursday: The Power of Sleep and Neuroplasticity Understanding the Importance of Sleep for Neuroplasticity Molly Watts introduces the topic of sleep and its impact on neuroplasticity, emphasizing its importance for behavior change. She recaps previous episodes on neuroplasticity, highlighting how mindset and the iterative mindset affect brain changes. Molly explains that sleep is crucial for...

This week on the podcast I'm joined by Maggie Klaassens and we're talking all about the Sober Summit. The summit is LIVE this week starting on Wednesday, September 25th through Friday, September 27th. Sober Summit is a FREE 3-day online virtual event bringing together the best authors, podcasters, experts and influencers in the sober community to show you the benefits of living an alcohol free lif...

Think Thursday Molly discusses the iterative mindset as a more effective approach to behavior change, particularly in reducing alcohol consumption. She explains that traditional goal-setting can lead to demotivation when failures occur, activating the brain's "habenula." Instead, the iterative mindset views change as a series of ongoing experiments and adjustments, focusing on progress over perfec...

This week on the podcast I'm talking all about Binge Drinking and how to avoiding it. Inside the episode we'll be defining binge drinking, talking about tactics to help avoid binge drinking, and creating a mindset that will help support an alcohol minimalist lifestyle.   New to the podcast? Download the Podcast Listening Guide . Want to schedule a call to talk about how I work with people?  Click...

Think Thursday How Mindset Changes the Physical Brain Understanding the Purpose of Think Thursday 0:00 Molly Watts introduces Think Thursday, a new series from the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast, focused on neuroscience, behavior change, and mindset. The episodes will be short (10-12 minutes) and aim to deepen understanding of brain science. The goal is to help listeners build a peaceful relationship...

Welcome to the first Monday edition of the Alcohol Minimalist podcast! This week I'm joined by Katie Garry from www.seekhealthtest.com Seek measures how alcohol impacts our health the same way we use fitness trackers to monitor things like our heart rate, glucose levels and menstrual cycle. Katie founded Seek with the belief that it should be easy and affordable for every woman to get information...

In the last of the Summer Content Series, I'm sharing a fantastic and important episode from Elizabeth Bento of the Primal Potential podcast. I often talk about Chasing Cupcakes and in this episode, Elizabeth is diving into Chapter 7 from the book to talk about what it takes to change your beliefs and thought patterns. Learn about three redirecting tools: neutral, empowering and positive. Check ou...

Continuing on with our Summer Content Series, I'm excited to share this episode from Total Health in Midlife with Elizabeth Sherman. It's such a great topic that is often overlooked...how does your vote impact your health?  Visit: https://elizabethsherman.com/ Listen in as Elizabeth shares:  The power of voting in shaping health-related laws and policies. How marginalized communities are affected...

Continuing on the Summer Content Series this week and we're joined by Katie Lain from Thrive Alcohol Recovery. Thrive supports people implementing the Sinclair Method using naltrexone. Interested in learning more?    Check out Thrive . New to the podcast? Download the Podcast Listening Guide . Want to schedule a call to talk about how I work with people?  Click here for a FREE call.   Join my priv...

This week we're continuing with the Summer Content Series and an episode from the Change Made Easy podcast with Paul Levitin. In this episode, you'll learn all about the connection between certainty and consistency, and how to drop doubt for clarity. Notable quotes: "Certainty is knowing factually and believing that the effort you are putting in right now is going to lead to a result." "Doubt and...

This week on the podcast I'm kicking off the summer content series with Monica Reinagel from the Change Academy Podcast.  This episode focuses on how we cheat ourselves out of the future we dream of because we don't understand how our actions today create that future. Listen in to these key points:  Stop waiting for the “perfect time” to start working towards your goals – resolve to begin today. R...

This week on the show I'm talking with Chris Whelan all about cannabis and his company, NamaCBD. Here all about how he's helping people understand the difference between CBD and the pyschoactive part of the plant, THC, and how to explore small doses to achieve different therapeutic effects. In his own words, this is how he describes his journey:  "I spent my free time learning about the hemp (and...

This week on the podcast I'm talking about mindset specifically as it applies to changing your drinking habits. I'm giving specific tips on how to uncover your thoughts and to determine if those thoughts are useful/helpful/true/necessary or kind in terms of helping you take the actions that you need to take to get the results that you want in your life.  If the thoughts create negative feelings th...

This week on the podcast, I'm talking about how to enjoy alcohol without guilt.  When people are working on changing their drinking habits, it's very common to feel guilty about wanting to be "able to drink". We're breaking it all down and helping you focus your brain on all the positives that come from creating and keeping plans around alcohol. Resources Mentioned: Moderation Management's Moderat...