Take a Break from Drinking

We all face moments where life doesn't match our expectations. We often feel this most acutely when trying to change our relationship with alcohol. In this episode, you'll hear about the universality of the thought, "This is not what my life is supposed to look like." Explore the connection between this thought and various Drink Archetypes. You'll come to understand that its presence goes beyond a...

If you're like most people, you've probably told yourself if you had more willpower, it would be easier to drink less.  This episode delves into the limitations of willpower and why it often falls short. Discover the skill set most people overlook when trying to drink less. You'll also learn about the eight Drink Archetypes, and how they fit into your struggle with self-discipline. Walk away with...

Have you ever thought that if you could just figure out how to stay motivated, then it would be easier to say no to a drink? You're not alone. Motivation is a concept that many grapple with. This episode sheds light on where motivation comes from and how to find more of it. Learn the real reason your progress is slower than you want it to be. Uncover how to change more effectively with some simple...

Pouring a drink at the end of the day can be a treat. But it can easily sabotage your goal of changing your relationship with alcohol. Especially if you have a love-hate relationship with your desire for rewards.  This episode will help you stop framing the reward you want as good or bad. Instead, you'll learn why it's important to view the desire for a drink as neutral, and how that can help you...

Using alcohol as a remedy for a hangover is so common that it has its own term: "the hair of the dog." Discover why some people swear by this and what's really happening when you drink to feel better.  This episode explains the real reason hangovers feel bad (it's not what you think). We explore why so many people promise "never again" after a hangover, only to go back on their word. And we examin...

Revisit (or listen for the first time) to the celebration of our 100 th  episode of the  Take a Break podcast. In this episode I'm comb through the archives of the past 99 episodes and pull out some of the most important concepts and lessons from each episode. This is an excellent review for you to look at what your next layer of work is and if you're a new listener, you're getting the best overvi...

If you've ever thought, "Once I start, I can't stop"—you're not alone. Lots of people find it easier not to drink at all than to moderate. But if don't want to stop drinking forever, then you must be willing to challenge this belief. Yes, alcohol is an intoxicant and if you consume enough it will impair your judgment. But you might discover that you're checking out long before this happens. There'...

Society tends to talk about people being in "denial" about their drinking. But this belief often causes more harm than how much someone drinks. In this episode, learn the truth about why you might not be taking action even though you know your relationship with alcohol is unhealthy. Discover what's really behind the idea of "being in denial" and how it can get in the way of change. You are not a p...

Shame and regret about your drinking can feel so isolating, but it's way more common than you think. The real problem is the unconscious ways you might find yourself trying to make up for being "bad."  It's easy to spin on questions like, "Why was I so stupid?" or "When am I going to learn my lesson?" Or to wish you could build a time machine and change the past. But this line of thinking is a tra...

If you have chronic pain, an autoimmune disease, or insomnia, you might use alcohol to cope. This makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, alcohol can act as a band-aid that's blocking you from the cure. How do you deal with the pain in your body without alcohol? This question is at the heart of The Hourglass, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. Discover why it can be challenging to keep your commitment...

Drinking to feel more free and to be ourselves is common. You'll often hear friends talking about having a drink to "let loose" or "let their hair down." In this Drink Archetype episode, you'll understand The Release's origin. Listen to hear how to create more freedom for yourself—even while choosing to drink less or not at all. You can learn to live a less restrained life. Even if you feel trappe...

How do you fill your time when there's nothing to do? This question is at the heart of The Hourglass, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. Uncover why it can be hard to keep your commitment when you have this archetype.  The desire for entertainment is a normal part of being human. Whether you're drinking, eating, or scrolling through your phone. Yet, pairing unscheduled time with a drink can cause...

In this episode, you'll learn about The Mask, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. The archetypes are unconscious patterns that can influence your relationship with alcohol. Using alcohol as the antidote to social anxiety is so common that society even has a term for it: "liquid courage." Uncover why The Mask can lead to drinking more than you want to. The good news is that, even in social situation...

Even if you're not planning on Dry January, make sure you listen to this episode. These two mistakes will sabotage your attempts at change, no matter your plans this month. Most people assume two things when trying to cut back on their drinking. Assumption #1: Saying should be enough to create change. For example, if you usually end your day with a drink, a month of abstinence should erase the hab...

Taking a month off from drinking can be an incredibly powerful New Year's resolution. But if you don't prepare for the most common stumbling blocks, your best intentions can backfire.  In this episode, you'll discover how to set yourself up for success. You'll learn about five key areas: urges, excuses, temptation, the habit, and staying on track. You'll walk away with tips and tricks to help you...

It's not unusual to crave a drink in times of stress. But when life won't let up, how are you supposed to cut back?   In this episode, you'll learn about The Escape, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. The Escape is associated with drinking to ease worry or quiet an overactive mind. Learn why this archetype tends to make you pour larger drinks and drink faster.   The good news is that you can learn...

It's incredibly common to reward yourself with a drink after making it through a long day or a long week. But no longer having a treat to look forward to can make it hard to keep your commitment to drink less.   In this episode, you'll learn about The Reward, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. Discover why it's easy to get into the habit of drinking when you're overworked, exhausted, or need a bre...

Welcome to the Take a Break from Drinking podcast with your host, Rachel Hart. If you're looking for a radically different approach to help you cut back or stop drinking, this is the place for you.   You probably have plenty of good reasons to drink less, but that doesn't mean saying no is always easy. Listen as Rachel dispels the most common myths about why it's hard to resist temptation.   Forge...

It's normal for drinking to be a shared activity with friends, family, and romantic partners. So how do you change your drinking without feeling disconnected?   In this episode, you'll learn about The Connector, one of the eight Drink Archetypes. When drinking is bonding go hand in hand, it can be hard to keep your commitments around alcohol.   The good news: you don't have to replace your relatio...

The Drink Archetypes are eight unconscious patterns that influence why you drink. On this episode, we'll do a deep dive into The Upgrade archetype and why it can make saying no tricky.  The Upgrade archetype comes from the idea that certain things are better with a drink. Wine elevates the meal. Get-togethers feel more special with alcohol. Even watching the sunset is better with a drink.    But a...

Even when you have lots of good reasons to cut back or stop drinking, most people eventually go back to their old ways. Why? Because people drink for reasons that aren't always easy to see. That's why I created The Drink Archetypes. These eight unconscious patterns influence why you drink and reach for another. Knowing the archetypes that apply to you will give you a blueprint to follow to create...

You've been there. A no good, very bad day occurs and, seemingly out of nowhere, a voice in your head urges you to pour a drink. Yet you don't abide.  You might be surprised by the ease at which you respond to such a moment of temptation. But then again, you know that developing a lasting change to your drinking requires an understanding of what that drink truly represents. This week, you'll hear...

You might believe that the end of the year is a difficult time to change your drinking habit. In reality, this period of temptation can actually supercharge your ability to retrain your brain. This week, you will learn how to address that lacking feeling you experience before pouring a drink and the questions you need to ask yourself to ultimately do the work of changing your brain.    Get full sh...

If you reach for a drink when you get home from work, there's a good chance you were experiencing some type of negative emotion during the day. However, it could have been so subtle you didn't even know it was there. By bringing awareness to these subtle emotions throughout the day, you can decrease the urge you feel to drink.   In this episode, I'm sharing how to work on the skill of "being where...

When everyone around you is drinking, the fear of missing out can make social situations especially hard to navigate.   Luckily, this episode explores some strategies you can go to instead of pouring a drink. You'll hear some insights on your lower brain when it comes to your desire to drink, and how to stick to your commitments.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart....