Ep 99: Your Christmas Survival Guide - Navigating the Dynamics & Triggers

Are your Christmas traditions serving you or just sabotaging your intentions for change? This time of year isn’t just about parties and presents, it’s a complex mix of family dynamics, old patterns, emotional triggers steeped in decades of drinking. In this powerful episode of The Big Drink Rethink, host Anna Donaghey takes a gentle yet practical approach to surviving (and actually enjoying) Christmas and New Year, especially if you’re rethinking your relationship with alcohol.

Drawing on lived experience, psychology, and coaching tools, Anna unpacks why Christmas stirs up excitement, dread, and everything in between. She shares a step-by-step plan for protecting your peace, setting boundaries, dealing with triggers, and redefining who you want to be this season. 

Whether you’re aiming for your first alcohol-free Christmas or just want it to feel more intentional (and less chaotic), this episode puts clarity, self-kindness, and genuine joy at the heart of the festive season.

Here are the Highlights: 

00:41 Why Christmas stirs up mixed emotions and challenges

03:09 How old patterns and family roles shape festive drinking

06:32 The power of identity: Who do you want to be this Christmas?

09:46 Mel Robbins “let them” theory to deal with other people’s behaviour

11:10 Own your choices, and protect your peace

13:54 How environments trigger old habits

16:53 Staying rooted in your intentions

19:11 Planning for emotional flashpoints over the Christmas period

23:41 Visualisation worksheet: How to map out your big days

27:34 Dealing with New Year's Eve hype and midnight pressure

29:57 Why a “fresh” January is more important than a “perfect” December

32:11 Regulate your nervous system with breathwork & micro-resets

34:00 Moving through the season with clarity and pride

35:00 Anna’s Alcohol Experiment and extra support for Dry January

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/unstuck-1 

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment:  https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener.

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About the host Anna:

Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

Connect with Anna:

Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

To pre-order my book, What Are You Thirsty For on Amazon select here: https://amzn.eu/d/3v3T6Mq Or on Waterstones here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/what-are-you-thirsty-for/anna-donaghey/9781915780607