Take a Break from Drinking

Does there always seems to be chatter in your brain about alcohol? Whether you should drink tonight, whether you should have just one more, or any of the questions you ask yourself after a night of drinking.   You might be surprised to hear it has nothing to do with how much you drink. It’s a result of how your brain is structured and how you’re socialized. And once you understand the why, you can learn how to quiet the chatter.   Listen to learn why this chatter is normal and how it can be used as an opportunity to get to know yourself better and tap into your wisdom (instead of your cravings) to implement change.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/394

You may have asked yourself the morning after a long night of drinking or while sitting across from someone sipping their first cocktail as you finish your third: "Why can’t I drink like everyone else?" But what if your drinking has little to do with alcohol? Instead, what if it's a matter of coping with your humanness? In that case, the problem is actually the conversations our society has about drinking. Tune in to discover why our one-size-fits-all approach to drinking interferes with your ability to intelligently examine your relationship with alcohol and your cravings- and what to do about it.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/393

Humans have a long history of using alcohol for medicinal purposes. While drinking can often numb your pain in the moment, it actually creates more stress on the body.   When we repeatedly turn to alcohol for relief from insomnia, chronic pain, or other ailments, our brains start to believe that drinking is the only way out of suffering. But in reality, alcohol increases inflammation in the body, disrupts sleep, and diverts energy away from healing.   Tune in to today’s episode to learn about this Drink Archetype, including what The Remedy prevents you from doing—such as distinguishing pain from suffering—and how to use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with alcohol.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/392

If you find yourself constrained by your life and living up to expectations of who you should be, you’re not alone. You spend so much time adhering to societal conventions that, every once in a while, it can feel freeing to rebel against the rules—by pouring a drink and living uncensored.   Having a drink to let go of pressure and expectations can feel good in the moment, but this is The Release—one of the eight Drink Archetypes—in action, and it teaches your brain that alcohol is needed to cope with the pressure you’re under.    Tune in to today’s episode to learn how The Release teaches your brain to associate alcohol with freedom, the impact of this, and why the feeling of “screw it” before turning to drink is preventing you from dismantling society’s expectations…and your own.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/391

When you're bored it’s easy to be tempted by a drink. After all, a little buzz can help pass the time. But have you ever considered what your brain learns when you do this?    You might be surprised to discover that the faster you reach for a drink when you’re bored by what you’re doing, the more intolerable boredom becomes. This is what happens when The Hourglass—one of the eight Drink Archetypes—is activated.   In today's episode, learn more about what The Hourglass teaches your brain and what you need to do if you want to drink less when boredom strikes.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/390

Humans have a long history of using alcohol as “liquid courage.” But did you know this can actually make your insecurities and anxiety worse?   The Mask is one of eight Drink Archetypes, and it teaches your brain to associate a buzz with feeling confident around others. But when it feels like a drink is necessary to have fun, saying no will interfere with your desire to feel confident and enjoy yourself, making it difficult to abstain or moderate.   In this week’s episode, discover why the short-term confidence you can get from drinking can lead to increased anxiety over time and what to do to fix this.    Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/389

There are no shortages of pop-culture examples in which someone is seen drinking to numb their pain—likely because people have been using alcohol to drown their sorrow for centuries. But the fact is, doing so can prevents you from coping effectively.   The Escape is one of eight Drink Archetypes and it teaches your brain that whatever negative situation or series of events happening in your life is too much to handle. You’re then caught in a cycle of using alcohol more frequently (and in greater quantities) to dull your feelings.   Tune in to this episode to learn more about how The Escape is activated, why this archetype makes it even harder to change your relationship to drinking, and the three things you're not doing when it is present.     Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/388

The concept of drinking to relax is nothing new. It goes hand-in-hand with the belief that you deserve a drink—whether it’s after a hard day’s work or because it’s your “me time” routine. In reality, using alcohol as a treat can backfire.   The Reward is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and it can wrongly teach your brain that alcohol is the only way to unwind as well as convince you that drinking is a permission to stop working or to make time for yourself.   Tune in to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of The Reward, including what inactions this archetype is leading to and how you can use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with drinking as a means of relaxing.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/387

Humans have long used alcohol’s ability to facilitate bonding by lowering people’s defenses. But you may be surprised to discover that when alcohol becomes your go-to way to open up, it can actually block your ability to connect with others (even with those you feel close to).   The Connector is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and not only does it teach the brain that alcohol helps you lower your guard around others, but it may also leave you worried that a potential change to your drinking could threaten certain relationships.   Listen to this episode, as we take a deep dive into how this archetype can make it difficult to abstain or moderate and the three key things you probably don’t realize you’re not doing when The Connector is activated.    Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/386

If you're someone who often reaches for a drink because “it would make things more special,” then you may recognize The Upgrade drink archetype—one of eight unconscious patterns that influence why you drink.   Identifying this pattern is the first step in changing your relationship with alcohol. The next is understanding how The Upgrade impacts what your brain is learning.   For instance, the desire to use alcohol to elevate an experience teaches your brain to associate drinking with a reward and, as a result, you’ll see any situation without a drink as lacking. But, by using the think-feel-act cycle, you can teach your brain something new.   Tune in this week to explore The Upgrade, how it is negatively training your brain, and the ways you can use the think-feel-act cycle to begin to change these unconscious habits.   Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com   Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/   Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/385