Mindfulness & Drinking with The Brains Behind Sunnyside App, Ian Andersen & Nick Allen
Mar 7, 2023
auto_awesome
Ian Andersen and Nick Allen, co-founders of Sunnyside, discuss their mindful drinking app on this podcast. They talk about the importance of mindfulness in relation to drinking, how technology can promote positive behavior change, and the benefits of connecting with a supportive community. They also explore their own habits and relationship with alcohol and discuss the impact of alcohol on sleep and biometrics.
Sunnyside app promotes mindful drinking and helps individuals develop a healthier relationship with alcohol.
Sunnyside fills the gap in alcohol treatment by focusing on moderation and mindfulness rather than complete sobriety.
By breaking the stigma and leading by example, Sunnyside aims to contribute to a cultural shift where mindful drinking is normalized.
Deep dives
Sunnyside: A Mindful Drinking App
Sunnyside is a mindful drinking app that aims to help individuals improve their overall health and wellness by being more mindful about when and how much they drink. Unlike other alcohol health services that focus on sobriety, Sunnyside recognizes that not everyone wants to quit drinking entirely and instead focuses on moderation and mindfulness. The app provides a personalized program tailored to the individual's current habits and goals, helping them develop new habits and maintain a balanced lifestyle. By bringing alcohol into the mainstream wellness conversation, Sunnyside aims to make tracking drinks as common and socially accepted as tracking diet and exercise.
The Problem with Binary Thinking Around Alcohol
Traditionally, alcohol treatment models like Alcoholics Anonymous have perpetuated a binary thinking that either one is an alcoholic and needs complete sobriety, or one is a casual drinker and doesn't need to worry about their alcohol consumption. However, this approach fails to address the needs of the majority of heavy drinkers who don't identify as alcoholics but may still benefit from more mindful drinking. Sunnyside aims to fill this gap by offering a more nuanced approach, focusing on moderation and mindfulness rather than complete sobriety. By recognizing that there's a spectrum of drinking habits and contexts, Sunnyside aims to provide tailored solutions that respect individuals' choices and goals.
Breaking the Stigma and Leading by Example
Men, particularly in social settings, often face stigma and pressure when choosing not to drink. To overcome this, the founders of Sunnyside have shared their personal experiences and actively worked to break the stigma surrounding non-drinking. By openly discussing their own journeys and goals, they've been able to encourage more thoughtful conversations around alcohol. Additionally, they've found that leading by example and showing friends alternative ways to connect, such as engaging in activities that don't revolve around alcohol, has been effective in changing both their own dynamics and reshaping their social interactions. While there is more work to be done, Sunnyside aims to contribute to a cultural shift where mindful drinking is normalized and choices around alcohol are respected.
Mindful drinking as a balanced approach
Mindful drinking encourages a balanced approach to alcohol consumption, allowing individuals to make conscious choices about when and how much they drink. It aims to eliminate guilt and the pressure of complete abstinence, providing a more forgiving system that promotes long-term adherence to healthy drinking habits. By building awareness around automated drinking routines and rewiring the brain, individuals can maximize their enjoyment of alcohol while minimizing regret and problematic consumption.
The Sunny Side app for mindful drinking
The Sunny Side app offers a personalized approach to mindful drinking. Through onboarding quizzes and goal setting, the app creates a tailored plan to help individuals achieve healthier drinking habits. It incorporates daily planning, tracking, and accountability via text messages, as well as access to a coaching team and a supportive member community. The app aims to make mindful drinking accessible and provides alternatives for those who are not ready to completely eliminate alcohol. Non-alcoholic beverage options, such as non-alcoholic beers and kava, are also highlighted as enjoyable alternatives to traditional alcoholic drinks.
In this week’s episode, we interviewed the co-founders of Sunnyside, a mindful drinking app that aims to help people drink more responsibly. The app was created by Ian and Nick, who have had personal experiences with alcohol and its impact on their lives. While they do not expect everyone to stop drinking, they wanted a tool to help them and others cut back if they felt called too. The app offers features such as a drink tracker, personalized goals, and community support to help users develop a healthier relationship with alcohol. You can support both the app and the podcast by sharing with others!
We also discussed:
The importance of mindfulness in relation to drinking.
How technology can be used to encourage positive behavior change.
Interacting with the Sunnyside community and sharing reflections.
Exploring your own habits and relationship with drinking.
