Podcast
Journey to the Sunnyside | Mindful Drinking & Alcohol Health
Hosted by Sunnyside · EN
Exploring the science of drinking less, from alcohol cravings and habit change to moderation, naltrexone, and building a healthier relationship with alcohol. Whether you're sober curious, cutting back, or thinking about quitting, this podcast meets you where you are.
Journey to the Sunnyside is a top 1% podcast reaching over 500,000 listeners every week. Through expert interviews, neuroscience research, and real stories, we cover what actually works — mindful drinking, behavior change, medication-assisted approaches, harm reduction, and more.
Hosted by Mike Hardenbrook, #1 best-selling author and neuroscience enthusiast. Brought to you by Sunnyside, the leading program for changing your relationship with alcohol. Start your free trial at sunnyside.co.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in our episodes do not necessarily represent those of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your drinking, please consult a medical professional. This podcast is not medical advice.
52episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Drinking Less Starts Before the First Drink w/ Colleen Freeland
3d ago00:33:58Tap to summarizeMaster life coach and recovery specialist Colleen Freeland returns to explain why drinking less often starts long before the first drink.We talk about nervous system regulation, emotional goal setting, the biphasic effect of alcohol, and why arriving at the evening less depleted can change how much you want to drink in the first place.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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Why You Replay Conversations for Days
6d ago00:09:19Tap to summarizeEver catch yourself replaying the same conversation over and over, wondering if you said the wrong thing? Or lying awake with the bigger questions, like whether you're making progress, whether you're doing this right, whether you've already done damage? In this episode, I break down why your brain gets stuck in these loops, why some brains hold on longer than others, and why alcohol can feel like the fastest way to make the replay stop, even when it's the thing you're replaying.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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"Stressed" Isn't Actually a Feeling w/ Dr. Larry Freeney
1w ago00:36:15Tap to summarizeDr. Larry Freeney has spent thousands of sessions in the counseling chair, and he keeps meeting the same person: someone whose life looks right on paper and still feels off. He's a PhD counselor educator, a licensed counselor supervisor, a father of five, and a Spartan Death Race athlete. We get into why most of us can only name about seven of our emotions, how language changes what you can actually perceive, and what to do once you've named the real feeling under a hard day. Plus the small exercise Larry gives people to figure out which of their values are actually theirs.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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Are You Wired for Addiction?
2w ago00:09:38Tap to summarizeHave you ever wondered whether you’re simply wired to struggle with alcohol? In this episode, we look at what decades of research say about addictive personality, inherited risk, and the traits that may make some people more vulnerable than others. I also explore why the way you answer that question can shape what you believe is possible for you. If you’ve ever thought, “Maybe this is just who I am,” this episode is for you.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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What If 'Am I an Alcoholic?' Is the Wrong Question? w/ Colleen Freeland
2w ago00:24:07Tap to summarizeToday I'm welcoming back Colleen Freeland. She's a master life coach and recovery specialist who helps high-achieving women cut their drinking without labels or lifelong abstinence. Whether you caught our episodes last year or you're meeting her for the first time, we start with her story, and it's a good one. Drinking nightly, three years in AA, and the single conversation that cracked her identity open. From there, it gets bold. Colleen has become increasingly outspoken about challenging the disease model of addiction, and she brought receipts. We get into why the "alcoholic" label can actually make drinking worse, what the data says about moderation as a real destination, and who this approach is not for. If you've ever wondered whether something is fundamentally broken in you, this conversation is going to challenge that story. Let's get into it.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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8 Habit Swaps to Drink Less at Home
3w ago00:09:17Tap to summarizeDrinking less at home comes with a different set of challenges. There is no bartender, no natural stopping point, and no one else setting the pace. The bottle is close, the pours are bigger, and the routine can take over before you have really decided what you want. In this episode, I share eight simple swaps that make home drinking less automatic.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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10 Sentences That Make It Easier to Drink Less
3w ago00:09:28Tap to summarizeDrinking less is not only about what you do. It is also about what you tell yourself in the moments that matter. In this episode, I share 10 sentences for cravings, good stretches, rough nights, and the moments when you start questioning your progress. Simple reminders that can help you keep your momentum, give yourself some grace, and make the next choice a little easier.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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Is It Too Late to Undo the Damage?
4w ago00:09:33Tap to summarizeIf you’ve been drinking more than you want to for a while, you may quietly wonder whether the fog, memory changes, and lack of energy are permanent. In this episode, Mike breaks down what the research actually shows about brain recovery, how quickly change can begin, why life may feel flat at first, and whether cutting back still helps if you don’t quit completely. The good news: your brain is still responding to what you do next.Research & ResourcesNIAAA: Neuroscience – The Brain in Addiction and Recovery A great overview from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explaining how alcohol affects the brain, neuroplasticity, reward, stress systems, executive function, and what recovery looks like. NIAAA: Alcohol and the Brain – An Overview An accessible summary of how alcohol changes brain structure and function over time. Brain Recovery Durazzo TC, Stephens LH, Meyerhoff DJ. Regional cortical thickness recovery with extended abstinence after treatment in those with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol. 2024. One of the strongest MRI studies showing measurable recovery of cortical thickness during recovery. Mentioned in the NIAAA review. Powell A, et al. Recovery of neuropsychological function following abstinence from alcohol in adults diagnosed with alcohol use disorder: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. PLOS ONE. 2024. Reviews improvements in attention, executive function, memory, and other cognitive abilities over time after abstinence. Reduction (Not Just Abstinence) World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-risk reduction analyses.Multiple studies have shown that moving from higher-risk drinking to lower-risk drinking is associated with improvements in sleep, physical health, liver-related measures, blood pressure, quality of life, and daily functioning—even without complete abstinence. CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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Drinking Less Without Losing the Party w/ Megan Klein
Jul 900:34:47Tap to summarizeToday I’m joined by Megan Klein, founder of Little Saints. Megan built Little Saints after realizing the cocktail ritual she loved was starting to cost her more than she wanted to pay. She didn’t want to give up going out, having fun, or raising a glass at the end of the day. She just wanted alcohol to take up less space. In this episode, we talk about the work-hard, drink-hard pattern, why non-alcoholic drinks are not just for people who quit, and how to drink less without losing the ritual or the party. If you’ve ever wanted better options around alcohol without feeling like you’re changing your whole life, this one is for you.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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14 Unexpected Ways Life Gets Easier When You Drink Less (Part 2)
Jul 600:13:12Tap to summarizeMost people know drinking less can improve sleep, hangovers, and energy. But the bigger changes are usually the ones you don’t expect. In Part 2, we go deeper into the benefits that start to compound when alcohol gets smaller. We’ll talk about why the good parts of the night stick around, how your effort starts to count more, why you see more of the room in social moments, and how alcohol can affect recovery, congestion, relationships, wine o’clock, and self-trust. The real motivation is what starts coming back: clearer memories, better mornings, easier follow-through, and that quiet feeling of being able to count on yourself again.CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3Subscribe to Sunnyside's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnysideTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnysideABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.
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