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 to drink less—or even skip the drinks altogether—when times are tough. Working with The Escape archetype will help you feel more resilient in the face of life’s ups and downs.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/362

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 break. And why this pattern can lead to drinking too much. 

The good news: you can work with this archetype to ease the constant search for a treat. Get curious about the role alcohol plays in your work-life boundaries. And discover how The Reward can lead to feeling more restful and relaxed.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/361

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.

Forget about labels, judgment, or one-size-fits-all solutions. Rachel will give you a logical framework to reexamine the moments you gave in or overdid it. You’ll collect data that reveals why your past attempts to change have been hit or miss.

You’ll discover that people reach for a drink for reasons that aren’t always obvious. Alcohol can represent so many things: A reward for working hard. Liquid courage. Relief from your worries. Bonding with friends and family. A way to elevate your meal. Entertainment when you’re bored. An aphrodisiac. A sign that the work day is over. A solution for insomnia. And permission to cut loose and live a little.

Because alcohol is intertwined with so many aspects of your life, you need to step back and see the big picture. You’ll approach change from the standpoint of “What tools am I missing?” rather than “I should’ve learned my lesson by now.” And you’ll find out why scare tactics, counting days, and strict rules often backfire. Rachel’s goal is to help you get curious without all the judgment or shame.

Saying no doesn’t have to be a choice between being healthy or having a good time. Stop feeling like you’re on autopilot when you drink. Start trusting yourself to make conscious decisions that align with the life you want.

Ready to get started? Take Rachel’s free Drink Archetypes quiz at findyourdrinktype.com. You’ll get a personalized report for the eight archetypes: The Upgrade, The Connector, The Hourglass, The Reward, The Escape, The Mask, The Release, and The Remedy. Or start with episode #358 and the unconscious patterns that influence your drinking.

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 relationships when you cut back or stop drinking. Discover the real reason you feel disconnected when you say no to a drink. Learn how this archetype can bring more closeness and connection into your life.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/360

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 associating alcohol with enjoying “the finer things in life” has its downsides. Take alcohol away, and suddenly everything is a little less enticing. Drinking can feel like a foregone conclusion rather than a deliberate choice. After all, who wants things to feel less special? 

Discover how The Upgrade archetype can steal your capacity for enjoyment. Learn how to stop feeling like you're missing out when you say no. Understanding this archetype will teach you how to access more pleasure in life. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/359

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 lasting change.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/358

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 a story about how not accepting the false narrative that breaking the habit is a life-long battle can make saying “no” so much easier. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/357

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 show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/356

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 you are” so you can notice the subtle emotions that lead you to pouring a drink at the end of the day.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/355

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.com/354

If you had a drink after deciding you were taking a break, you might have the thought that “it doesn’t matter.” This is an extremely common thought to have when you’re struggling to stick with your commitment to change your habit.

This week, learn how the excuse of “it doesn’t matter” is getting in the way of changing your habit, and how to keep taking strides towards improving your relationship with drinking.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/353

Free drinks are everywhere. Whether you’re at an open-bar event, there are bottomless mimosas at brunch, or they’re offering a glass of bubbly in the airport lounge, it is incredibly common to encounter free drinks. This can make saying no to those drinks extra difficult.

This week, learn how to keep working towards changing your relationship with drinking regardless of the free drinks available to you. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/352

Even when you aren’t experiencing the urge to drink, you can still have a lot of fear around urges. You might think that the urge to drink is so powerful that you won’t he able to say no.

This week, discover how to move through any urge you have including the urge to pour a drink. You’ll learn how to create a new relationship with the desire to drink so you can identify this desire without fear.  

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/351

When you feel compelled to drink, the act of drinking isn’t very enjoyable. It can feel like you’re “giving in” or are out of control. However, it is possible for drinking to be a pleasurable experience and not leave you feeling guilty or undisciplined. 

The key is changing what your goal around drinking is, and that’s what you’ll hear all about in this week’s episode.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/350

When all you want is a glass of wine, a cold beer, or a cocktail, water can feel boring. No matter how you dress it up, it can leave you feeling resentful, disinterested, and wanting an alcoholic drink.

This week, learn why water is not the problem, and how to use a glass of water to reveal what is really driving your habit and relationship with drinking.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/349

Do celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries feel more special with a drink in hand? Do you think that cooking dinner or watching a sunset can be even better with a drink?

This week, learn how to teach your brain that toasting with a drink isn’t the only way to make a situation feel special and how to recalibrate your reward center to seek pleasure from other sources.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/348

When you get in the habit of relying on a drink or overeating to make you feel better, your brain can get confused and start to see alcohol and food as friends.

This week, learn why alcohol and food aren’t your friends, the exact reason your brain tricks you into believing they are, and 5 important qualities you need to examine in your relationship with alcohol and food. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/347

It can feel impossible to be in social situations without a drink, but spending years, if not decades, relying on a drink to get you through these situations could be making it harder for you to stop.

This week, learn why we have this ingrained pattern with drinking when meeting new people, and why continuing to drink in these situations is not the solution to alleviating your anxiety around them. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/346

Do you worry that you will never be able to change your relationship with alcohol? Do you question how you’re going to drink less and figure it all out? If so, you are not alone.

This week, discover a simple tactic to help you explore your feelings of fear and shame, create awareness around your habits, and transform your doubt into something more useful. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/345

If you find yourself continuing to give in to the urge to drink, even though you know it’s not great for you, you’re not alone. Focusing solely on the impact of drinking when it comes to your health only tells one piece of the story.

This week, learn the problem with focusing only on the health risks of drinking and discover another way to change your relationship with alcohol.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/344

For many of us, pouring a glass of wine or opening a beer at the end of a long or stressful day is the easiest way to unwind.

This week, learn why the thought that it is easier to drink is keeping you stuck in the cycle of overdrinking, and use this knowledge to create long-lasting change in your drinking habit. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/343

When trying to change your relationship with alcohol, subtle comments like “Oh, you’re having another?” or “You sure like your wine!” can feel embarrassing and painful. But you can leverage these moments and use them to your advantage.

This week, learn how to deal with other people’s subtle comments about your drinking and use them to create real change in your habit. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/342

Making excuses doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to change. When you learn how to leverage these excuses, you are able to discover what is happening beneath the surface and start acting differently.

This week, learn how to identify the desires beneath your habits and leverage your excuses to discover a path toward drinking differently. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/341

When an event in your external environment doesn't make sense, the brain invents a reason to explain it. It leads you to place yourself into a binary label of good, or bad; able or unable. It prevents you from connecting with your truth.

This week, learn what is actually holding you back from making a change and the key to transforming your relationship with alcohol. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/340

A champagne flute on a special occasion, a delicate martini with friends, or a classic wine glass that you enjoy, the shapes of glassware can be fun and exciting. But it can feel a lot less exciting to drink a mocktail from a soda glass. 

This week, learn how to leverage the think, feel, act cycle when it comes to glassware, and understand the connection between the glass you drink from and your drinking habit. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/339