Ep 90. Alcohol, Resistance & The Art of Letting Go

Is resistance stopping you from making the changes you crave around alcohol? Why does it feel so hard to step into the unknown even when you know old habits aren’t serving you? In this solo episode, host Anna Donaghey unpacks the hidden force of resistance that keeps us stuck and reveals why letting go, not fighting harder, is often the key to real transformation.

Anna explores the very real brain science behind resistance, how our identities get fused with drinking, and why fear of loss can overshadow the possibilities of change. If you’ve ever felt trapped by familiar habits or doubted your ability to redefine yourself, this episode is a compassionate guide to understanding your inner tug-of-war and a powerful invitation to release what’s weighing you down.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Introduction: Exploring resistance and release

01:39 Why change feels hard

02:52 Resistance is the mind’s reflex to protect the status quo

04:45 Resistance isn’t weakness; it’s your safety system doing its job

06:49 Why we stay stuck in patterns even when we hate them

08:25 Not just habits, how drinking shapes identity and self-perception

10:54 Reinvention is possible, you’ve changed before, you can do it again

11:39 Loss aversion: why the brain fixates on what you’re “giving up”

13:00 The backpack analogy: holding on to old habits out of fear

14:05 We forget we can grow, change is a muscle

15:54 Change is hard because you’re out of practice, not incapable

16:36 Don’t resign yourself to replaying the same year possibility awaits

17:15 The path forward: don’t fight resistance, practice release

18:53 Release is loosening your grip, calming your nervous system

19:34 Letting go of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and control

20:31 Resistance is the edge of something new; release is how you cross it

21:39 Where are you gripping tight, and what could you let go of?

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.thebeliefscoach.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: thebeliefscoach.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