The Big Drink Rethink

What if alcohol isn’t just a habit, but quietly shrinking the size of your world, dulling joy, and making ordinary pleasures feel like “not enough”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey shares honest insights from her own journey, exploring how drinking can subtly narrow both what you do and how much you feel.
She unpacks the concept of the “hedonic threshold,” showing why your favourite activities may start feeling flat, and how even small milestones (like a child’s birthday) come to feel incomplete without a drink. Anna also gets real about what happens when you start to cut down: why everything can feel dull at first, why that’s normal, and how given time, colour and excitement quietly returns to the things you love.
This episode is for anyone curious about changing the way they think about alcohol.
Here are the Highlights:
00:00 Intro: When the world starts to shrink
01:19 The subtle ways alcohol “shrinks” your world
04:44 When joy becomes muted and life feels flat
06:14 The hedonic threshold: Why dopamine matters
07:55 Why ordinary pleasures start feeling not enough
09:53 The key questions to ask yourself
10:15 How activities drop away when drinking more
11:46 When drinking becomes the point
12:35 A sharp illustration: Prosecco at a one-year-old’s birthday
16:27 Why giving up alcohol feels flat at first
17:59 How your world starts to expand again
19:32 A gentle prompt: Is your world quietly contracting?
20:03 How to connect, find resources, and support.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!
Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/
The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/
If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: 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

What if rethinking your drinking didn’t start with “giving up” alcohol, but instead you created the kind of life you don’t want to escape from? In this episode, Anna Donaghey sits down with adventurer and educator Belinda Coker to explore how rediscovering adventure, nature, and forgotten passions can quietly make alcohol fade into the background, no willpower or rock bottoms required.
They talk honestly about growing up with normalised drinking, the “aha” moment that prompted Belinda to get hiking boots back on, and now teaching others how action, not theory, builds real confidence. She shares practical advice from her own journey, how immersing herself in adventure, house-sitting, and creativity helped her let go of drinking, and how to navigate tricky emotions (and triggers) in sobriety.
Whether you’re just curious, stuck in a rut, or ready for a big change, this story has uplifting lessons for anyone wanting a richer, more expansive life with or without alcohol.
Here are the Highlights:
00:00 Meet Belinda Coker: Rethinking drinking isn’t always about alcohol
01:25 Belinda’s story: adventure, midlife, and rediscovering passions
02:58 Realising I had a drinking problem, only in hindsight
05:19 Divorce, difficult periods, and drinking to cope
07:00 Hiking becomes the new reward
10:22 What adventure offers that alcohol can’t
11:27 How new routines slowly nudged out drinking
13:43 Returning to what you loved before alcohol
14:41 When Friday nights become about flow, not wine
18:12 Simple living, big happiness (and saving money)
20:47 Why Belinda finally chose to stop drinking alcohol for good
21:30 Recognising emotional triggers for drinking
23:31 How she handles hard days now
28:00 Why being honest about difficulties matters
29:55 The “hike your own hike” philosophy for sobriety
36:19 Out in the wild: zero desire for a drink
41:29 How to get unstuck
42:26 Where to find Belinda Coker and her work.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want" is now out in the world for you to buy!
Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/
The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/
If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: 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
About Belinda Coker:
Belinda Coker is an Australian hiker, writer, and educator who helps women rebuild confidence through practical adventure and responsible travel.
She has completed solo hikes from Australia’s Red Centre to crossing Greenland’s Arctic Circle, experiences that shaped her belief that confidence grows through action, not theory.
Through her platforms, Soul Treader and The House Sitting Collective, she teaches how structure, trust, and responsibility create genuine freedom and stability in life.
Connect with Belinda:
Website: https://soultreader.com/

Parties are supposed to be fun. So why does going alcohol-free feel so hard in a room full of drinkers? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey draws on years of experience as an alcohol mindset coach and as someone who still actually goes to parties, to give you the toolkit she wishes she'd had.
This one is practical from start to finish. Anna walks you through how to prepare before you arrive, what to bring, how to handle the "just have one!" brigade, and how to manage that rising self-consciousness when the energy in the room starts to shift. She also talks honestly about the drunk gap, why it exists, why it's not your fault, and how to stop letting it ruin your night.
You'll leave with real scripts for declining drinks, strategies for those tricky social moments, and a reminder that waking up clear-headed the morning after a party is actually kind of wonderful.
Whether you're newly alcohol-free, sober-curious, or just exploring what a night out could look like without drinking, this episode has you covered.

Here are the Highlights:
00:00 Intro: Why parties without alcohol feel daunting
01:24 “But what do I actually do?” Why practical tools matter
02:13 The importance of a “before” plan – know your WHY for the night
05:44 Arrive calm, don’t underestimate your pre-party state
06:16 Why you need a drink in your hand within 30 seconds
07:01 Always have an exit plan (and travel independently)
07:57 No more “performative suffering” - enjoy your alcohol-free drink
09:55 You don’t owe anyone an explanation (scripts for awkward questions)
12:21 Seek out “real” conversations (and the power of good questions)
16:40 When others act weird about your not drinking
16:25 Understanding the party “arc” when the “drunk gap” opens
18:12 Missing out, or a sign it’s time to go? The case for an early exit
21:20 Why caring what others think fades over time
24:02 The underrated joy of a hangover-free morning after
25:10 The essential party toolkit
27:08 How sober socialising becomes second nature

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!
Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/
The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/
If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: 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

Why does alcohol feel essential to parties, celebrations, and big social events? And what’s really at stake when you rethink your drinking in those spaces? Anna Donaghey is joined by Evan Cudworth, a self-described “party coach,” who shares his personal journey through alcohol-fueled confidence, alter egos, and radical new rituals.
Together, they explore why we outsource energy and confidence to booze, how nostalgia can keep us stuck, and why the real “party” has to start within. Evan Cudworth breaks down his unique framework for building confidence and joy without alcohol and offers stories from both wild raves and deep silence at Burning Man.
Whether you’re worried you can’t party sober (or just curious how presence can replace performance), this episode shares new possibilities.

Here are the Highlights:
00:00 Intro: The myth that drinking is the party
01:16 Why parties without alcohol feel unimaginable
07:21 Creating alter egos: who are we trying to access?
09:31 The “alcohol is a credit card” analogy
11:42 How social norms & culture shape drinking
14:44 Parties as rituals: St. Patrick’s Day and celebration engines
20:30 The act of doing shots and what it really signifies
24:42 Sober rituals and the power of intention
29:56 The party within: reclaiming confidence and aliveness
33:59 Building new evidence: is partying sober actually crap?
34:44 The 7-stage “Party Within” framework
44:41 Stop chasing nostalgia, what if you created joy instead?
48:22 “Live more, numb less”, a new party philosophy
51:05 The ultimate invitation: be the energy you want to see
52:03 When it’s not about you: making others feel they belong

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!
Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/
The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/
If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: 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

About Evan Cudworth:
Evan Cudworth is, as far as anyone can tell, the world's first & only party coach - and he believes partying will save humanity. A nerdy UChicago graduate who came up in the underground rave & music scenes. Alongside his own struggles with validation, alcohol, & substances, in the post-pandemic chaos he created The Party Within, a 7 step framework for high-achieving adults who've been sold the lie that optimisation and fun are opposites.
His argument is simple and a little heretical: the wellness industrial complex has made us more isolated, more rigid, and worse at being in a room together -and the cure is learning to actually party in our modern world.
He's inspired thousands to libertate their social lives from anxiety, scrolling, & substances, and his work has appeared in GQ, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Teen Vogue.
He's here to make the case that partying might be the thing that saves us.
Connect with Evan:
Website: https://partycoach.me/

What does it really mean to “show up” in your life and how is that different from simply “turning up”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey explores one of the most honest motivations she hears from people rethinking alcohol: the desire to be present. She shares why presence goes so much deeper than physical attendance. Alcohol is often used as an emotional buffer, and what’s possible when you start showing up as the unfiltered version of yourself at home, at work, and in every room you enter.
Anna offers a powerful reframe: real presence is not just a skill for parties, but a life skill that transforms relationships and the texture of daily life. This episode is packed with gentle invitations to experiment with being genuinely present for yourself and the people who matter most.
Here are the Highlights:
00:00 Intro: Today we’re exploring the quest for true presence
01:32 The difference between turning up and showing up
03:41 How alcohol acts as a costume, buffering us from authenticity
07:05 Alcohol, performance, and the “gap” we’re trying to bridge
10:55 Children and loved ones can feel when you’re only “half there”
11:54 A new version of attention is possible
13:13 The surprising gifts of ordinary, real-time connection
14:19 Why social events can feel the hardest
17:06 Learning to trust your own presence
20:06 Reframing sobriety: not deprivation, but a richer experience
23:26 Real presence includes awkwardness and dullness
24:14 Letting your actual energy lead is both vulnerable and enough
27:35 Real confidence versus performed confidence
30:07 Showing up is a gift to others, not just yourself
34:37 Final question: will you turn up or show up?
34:46 What’s coming next: unpacking the cultural architecture of alcohol and social life.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!
Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/
The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/
If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: 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