Podcast
Take a Break from Drinking
Hosted by Rachel Hart · EN
Tired of breaking your promise to go easy on the drinks tonight? You know your nightly habit isn't great for your health or waistline, but it's so hard to say no.
Sound familiar? Then you need Rachel. She knows what it's like to be fed up with your drinking, worried about judgment from others, and turned off by approaches that focus on a higher power instead of brain science.
Learn the exact steps she used to change her relationship with alcohol. Discover how the brain works, the real reason you crave a drink, the key to changing your desire, and how to decide what's right for you.
Create a life that is fun, spontaneous, relaxing, and, most importantly, pleasurable (no buzz necessary).
For her latest free class, visit linktr.ee/rachelhart or check out rachelhart.com for show notes and more.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
477: Chasing the Sweet Spot with Your Drinking
4d ago00:14:36Tap to summarizeHave you ever found yourself trying to hit the perfect buzz? Enough to feel relaxed or more confident, but not so much that you wake up the next morning wishing you had stopped sooner. It's easy to think the answer is simply finding and maintaining your sweet spot, but what if that's not actually possible? This week, we're exploring why so many people chase the perfect buzz and why it can feel so frustrating when you can't seem to stay there. You'll learn what happens when impatience, anticipation, and the brain's reward system combine, and how misunderstanding the temporary nature of pleasure can keep you stuck in a cycle of drinking more than you intended. Discover how letting go of the need to hold onto a feeling can completely change the way you think about drinking. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/477
Transcribe →476: Why You Can Always Find a Good Reason to Drink
2w ago00:25:41Tap to summarizeDoes it ever feel like your brain can always come up with a good reason to drink? Maybe you've had a stressful day. Maybe it's a celebration. Maybe you've been "good" all week. Whatever the situation, the excuse always seems to make perfect sense in the moment. This week, we're exploring a concept called the Rolodex of excuses and why your brain is so good at flipping through one justification after another whenever you try to change your drinking. You'll learn why these thoughts aren't signs that drinking is the right choice, but simply well-practiced permission slips your brain has learned to offer because they've been rewarded so many times before. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/476
Transcribe →475: What if you just love drinking? [Listener Q&A]
3w ago00:17:33Tap to summarizeDoes it feel impossible to change your drinking because part of you genuinely loves it? Listen in this week to learn why the statement "I just love drinking" isn't actually the full story and how getting more specific about what you love can completely change the way you approach the habit. You'll discover why you don't need to convince yourself that you hate drinking in order to drink less, and why curiosity is more useful than judgment. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/475
Transcribe →474: Stop Waiting for Your Urges to Go Away
4w ago00:13:38Tap to summarizeSo many people believe they'll finally be able to drink less once they stop wanting the drink. Once the cravings go away. Once saying no feels easy. But what if waiting for those things to disappear is actually what's keeping you stuck? This week, discover why the desire for alcohol isn't the obstacle you think it is and why lasting change doesn't come from eliminating temptation. You'll hear why cravings, justifications, and excuses are a normal part of having a human brain, how making them a problem gives them more power, and what happens when you stop waiting for the urge to go away and start learning how to respond differently instead. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/474
Transcribe →473: Ooh, free drinks! [Thought Swap]
Jun 1600:20:59Tap to summarizeWhy does a free drink feel so much harder to turn down than one you have to pay for? Whether it's an open bar, a complimentary cocktail, or a glass of champagne handed to you at an event, "free" can create a surprising sense of urgency. Suddenly, passing it up can feel wasteful, even when drinking doesn't align with what you really want. This week, we're unpacking how survival instincts, scarcity thinking, and drink archetypes like the Upgrade and Reward can make free alcohol feel especially tempting. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/473
Transcribe →472: Why Boredom Makes You Want a Drink (and What Your Brain is Really Craving)
Jun 900:28:14Tap to summarizeWhat if boredom isn't the problem, but the doorway to something you've been avoiding? When drinking becomes your go-to solution for dull moments, quiet evenings, or a lack of excitement, it can seem like alcohol is what makes life interesting. But what if boredom is trying to show you something important instead? Tune in this week to learn how to reframe boredom as a normal human emotion rather than something to fear or escape. You'll learn why modern life has trained your brain to constantly seek stimulation, how alcohol becomes part of that reward-seeking cycle, and why the more you rely on entertainment, distraction, or drinking to avoid boredom, the harder boredom can feel. You'll also discover what your brain is really craving when boredom strikes, and how learning to tolerate. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/472
Transcribe →471: I love the taste of my favorite drink [Thought Swap]
Jun 200:25:50Tap to summarizeDoes saying no to a drink feel hard because you genuinely love the taste? When alcohol feels tied to pleasure, sophistication, or making an experience feel more special, cutting back can seem pointless or even joyless. After all, why deny yourself something you truly enjoy? In this Thought Swap episode, we're exploring the belief "I love the taste of my favorite drink" through a different lens. Instead of trying to demonize alcohol or convince yourself that you shouldn't enjoy it, this episode focuses on curiosity. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/471
Transcribe →470: My life is good, so why am I drinking too much?
May 2600:11:46Tap to summarizeIf your life is good, why does drinking still feel so hard to figure out? This can be one of the most confusing experiences with alcohol because it doesn't match the usual story people are told about why drinking becomes a problem. When there's no major crisis or obvious unhappiness, it's easy to wonder what's wrong with you. Tune in this week to learn why dissatisfaction is a normal part of being human, how avoiding unmet desires can fuel overdrinking, and why the urge often has less to do with alcohol and more to do with your relationship to restriction, deprivation, and wanting. This episode also explores how the drink archetypes reveal the emotional promise alcohol seems to offer and why understanding your relationship to dissatisfaction can change the way you approach drinking entirely. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/470
Transcribe →469: A drink is the only thing that helps [Thought Swap]
May 1900:16:33Tap to summarizeWhat happens when alcohol feels like the only way to get relief from stress or discomfort? You're not alone if you've fallen into the trap of thinking that a drink is the only solution, but what if there's a way to handle those moments without reaching for alcohol? In this Thought Swap episode, we'll break down why the belief "a drink is the only thing that helps" can feel so convincing, and how to challenge it. Tune in this week to learn how panic and urgency skew your ability to see other options, and how to start questioning the idea that alcohol is the only solution, without focusing on how it's bad for you or how your future self will thank you if you say no. When it comes to this thought, you don't need a lecture. You just need a different lens to understand what's going on. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/469
Transcribe →468: No one will know if I drink [Thought Swap]
May 1200:11:40Tap to summarizeHave you ever caught yourself thinking, "No one will know if I drink"? It can feel like a harmless solution in the moment, especially when no one is watching and there's no immediate judgment to manage. But the truth is this thought often creates the illusion of freedom while quietly reinforcing a deeper cycle of secrecy, shame, and disconnection. In this Thought Swap episode, we're unpacking the hidden logic behind "No one will know if I drink." You'll learn three practical thought swaps to question the belief that secrecy solves the problem, why hiding creates more mental and emotional burden, and how bringing curiosity to these moments can help you build a more honest and empowered relationship with yourself. Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/ Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/ Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/468
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