Ep 102: The Secret to Handling Cravings | Alcohol Coaching |

If you’re already feeling the challenge of cutting back on drinking this January, you’re not alone and you don’t have to rely on sheer willpower. In this second mini episode, Anna returns to share the essential (and surprisingly gentle) secret to handling cravings and breaking free from autopilot habits.

Building on the previous episode’s mindset shifts, Anna introduces the idea of noticing urges without judgment, explains why most cravings are signals about what you truly need, and guides listeners through the powerful practice of “urge surfing.”

This is not about perfection or passing a test. It’s about curiosity, self-kindness, and baby steps toward a better relationship with drinking. You’ll walk away with a practical tool you can use tonight, and the knowledge that real change starts with tiny moments of awareness.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 January is tough, and feeling mixed emotions is normal

01:03 Mindset recap: why big declarations don’t work

01:20 Day two focus: Noticing urges, and why old patterns creep in

02:20 Why drinking habits are automatic

02:45 What’s underneath the craving?

03:37 The “magic” of noticing

04:26 Tiny moments of awareness versus gritted teeth

04:28 Zero-pressure reflection practice

05:02 Change begins with curiosity, not control

05:31 Your only job tonight: Just notice

05:49 What if tonight was just something to observe?

07:19 The reality: Most urges peak and fade within minutes

08:07 The power of letting an urge pass and discovering what your mind/body really wants

08:57 An urge is not an order; you do not have to act on it

09:26 Free urge surfing resources available at https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/toolkit-optin

Tune in tomorrow for the next episode, and keep rethinking your relationship with drinking one gentle step at a time.

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