The Big Drink Rethink

About The Big Drink Rethink

The Big Drink Rethink is a podcast for anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol - whether you want to quit, drink less, take a break, or just explore the role alcohol plays in your life. Hosted by Alcohol Mindset Coach and Author, Anna Donaghey, each episode blends lived experience, psychological insight, and powerful tools to help you create change - gently, intelligently, without pressure, and in a way that opens up your life. Featuring expert guests, real stories, and practical strategies, this podcast offers a refreshingly smart, non-judgemental space to reflect, grow, and explore the life you want. Because rethinking your drinking isn’t about missing out. It’s about tuning in. It’s not about restriction - it’s about making space. To feel clearer, live more fully, and ask one honest question: What are you really thirsty for?

Publisher

Anna Donaghey

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Nov 2023

Latest episode

29 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

168 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Vulnerability & Drinking: Getting Out of Your Own Way

   Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 147 Why is it so hard to be honest about your drinking even with yourself? In this episode, Anna Donaghey explores the real reason vulnerability feels so impossible, especially when questioning your relationship with alcohol. Drawing from both personal experience and the groundbreaking research of Brené Brown, Anna dives into why the moment we admit to ourselves, "I've been wondering about my drinking," is so terrifying, and why opening up is the first step towards real change. Anna unpacks the subtle and not-so-subtle ways we armour up busyness, perfectionism, people pleasing, and of course, alcohol itself. She shows how our culture’s black-and-white labels ("normal" versus "problem") keep us silent and stuck, and shares practical exercises for opening two doors: first, being honest with yourself, and then, speaking it out loud to someone else. Full of gentle insight and actionable tools, this episode is for anyone ready to get curious, let go of shame, and start moving forward. Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why questioning alcohol feels so hard 01:28 The 3am wakeup and uncomfortable questions 03:20 The six-word sentence: “I’ve been wondering about my drinking” 05:32 What vulnerability is (and isn’t): Brené Brown’s definition 07:11 The armour we use: humour, busyness, perfectionism, alcohol 12:11 Why our language puts us in boxes (“normal” vs “problem”) 13:42 Alcohol use as a spectrum, not a binary 15:22 The fear of what others will think 16:32 The first door: letting yourself have the thought 18:26 How we bargain, compare, and distract to avoid honesty 22:25 Kristin Neff’s research on self-compassion 25:36 The moment Anna got curious and things started to shift 30:09 Alcohol, health, and why it’s okay to start exploring 31:06 The second door: saying it out loud to someone else 32:02 Why shame thrives in secrecy 33:03 How to make speaking up easier 34:42 Anna’s first honest conversation with her husband 42:14 Dan Sullivan’s 4 Cs rule: why courage comes before confidence 42:50 Bringing it all together: two doors to change 44:18 Next week’s episode: the power of community. Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15. 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 and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/ (https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/) For free tools and to receive Anna’s newsletter, The Rethink Edit, visit: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources (https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources) Join the The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab, Anna’s ‘inner circle’ on Substack, find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/ (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__thirstyformore.substack.com_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=lGj4jrsrH-rUJND6Q5PVhvF0yXGiLXEqG-vscus5Djg&m=ibHOcdILJGL4mLhELBN24xrHJpk7yaGgw2Y02k3sRt2IebDKr_s4zdawgI3dtZU5&s=vFkhsGyhE7DDJkHafDoCdyGNVV3QHeq8KGyj55zYotw&e=) If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink (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 (http://thebigdrinkrethink.com) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey (http://linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey) Instagram: (http://instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink)instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink (http://instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink) Produced by (http://winteraudio.co.uk/)winteraudio.co.uk (http://winteraudio.co.uk) Mentioned in this episode: Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

2. 

   22 Oct 2026

   Motherhood, Drinking and Getting Off the Merry-Go-Round - with Victoria Vanstone

   Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 146 Why does asking for help feel so impossible, especially when you're a mum, and everyone else seems to be coping just fine? In this episode, Anna Donaghey is joined by Vic Vanstone, author and host of Sober Awkward to talk honestly about early motherhood, the loss of self, and the drinking that came along for the ride. Vic shares how she went from backpacking party girl to new mum in Australia, and why alcohol became her way of finding "the old me" again. Anna reflects on swapping a career built on planning and control, for the chaos of a newborn, and the performance of being the perfectly put-together mum. Together they explore why the people closest to us are often the hardest to tell, the shame that keeps us stuck, and the moments that finally made them reach out. Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Surprised by how hard motherhood really is 00:57 Meet Vic Vanstone, host of Sober Awkward and author 03:26 The shock of trying to merge a “party self” with new mum life 07:50 Using alcohol to reclaim the “old me” 13:22 The pressure to perform motherhood for others 17:10 Alcohol as the only tool for managing big emotions 22:26 The shame and stigma that make it hard to ask for help 28:30 How rock-bottom moments with partners force a rethink 34:36 The power of saying, “I think I have a problem with alcohol” 36:33 The “merry-go-round” therapy epiphany: you get to step off 42:09 Anna's route in: This Naked Mind and getting curious 43:07 Why reaching out for help doesn’t have to be dramatic 47:31 “Find your people” - how to keep seeking support until it fits 48:38 Breaking the booze cycle for the next generation Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15. 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 and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/ (https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/) For free tools and to receive Anna’s newsletter, The Rethink Edit, visit: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources (https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources) Join the The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab, Anna’s ‘inner circle’ on Substack, find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/ (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__thirstyformore.substack.com_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=lGj4jrsrH-rUJND6Q5PVhvF0yXGiLXEqG-vscus5Djg&m=ibHOcdILJGL4mLhELBN24xrHJpk7yaGgw2Y02k3sRt2IebDKr_s4zdawgI3dtZU5&s=vFkhsGyhE7DDJkHafDoCdyGNVV3QHeq8KGyj55zYotw&e=) If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink (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 (http://thebigdrinkrethink.com) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey (http://linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey) Instagram: (http://instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink)instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink (http://instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink) Produced by (http://winteraudio.co.uk/)winteraudio.co.uk (http://winteraudio.co.uk) About Victoria Vanstone: Victoria Vanstone is a British-born, Sunshine Coast-based writer and podcast host. She got sober after hitting a low point on her bathroom floor and started writing about it on her blog, Drunk Mummy Sober Mummy - honest, funny, and unsparing about motherhood, anxiety, and life after booze. That voice led her to co-create Sober Awkward, now with over 7 million downloads and named "culture-changing" by The Guardian UK. She's the author of A Thousand Wasted Sundays (runner-up, 2024 Australian Independent Book Awards) and Mumming: A Year of Trying, and Failing, to be a Better Parent, a memoir on the impossible standards of modern motherhood. Victoria lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and three children, and speaks and writes wherever honesty, failure, and a good laugh are welcome. Mentioned in this episode: Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

3. 

   15 Oct 2026

   “I Need Alcohol to Feel Confident”. Says Who?

   Alcohol Mindset Coaching | EP 145 Why do so many of us feel we need a drink to be confident at parties, gatherings, even among friends? In this episode, Anna Donaghey untangles the deep-rooted belief that alcohol provides confidence, and invites you to question where that story really comes from. With lived experience and psychological insight, Anna guides you through the "costume" we put on with every glass, and the subconscious beliefs driving our drinking behaviours. She breaks down the science behind nerves and explains why true confidence can't be poured from a bottle and how what you're really after might be presence, not performance. Make sure you listen to discover practical mindset shifts and tools for handling social situations alcohol-free. Highlights: 00:00 Why we often reach for a drink before entering a party 01:32 The hidden belief: “Alcohol gives me confidence” 02:50 How subconscious beliefs shape our drinking behaviours 05:36 Digging deeper: is the real belief “I’m not enough as I am”? 06:25 Nerves are natural, not a sign of weakness 07:06 Alcohol as a “costume” in social settings 10:09 Questioning our beliefs: “Says who?” 11:20 Remembering a time before alcohol 13:14 The difference between confidence and lowered inhibitions 16:45 Why alcohol delivers only a “borrowed” confidence 17:41 I am enough as I am, and confidence is something I build 19:30 Tools for managing nerves: relabel anxiety as excitement 20:45 Using genuine curiosity when meeting new people 21:26 When anxiety is actually a signal to honour your needs 22:13 Confidence means choosing the right rooms for you 22:31 Get your free worksheet at https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/toolkit-optin (https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/toolkit-optin) Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15. 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 and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/ (https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/) For free tools and to receive Anna’s newsletter, The Rethink Edit, visit: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources (https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/resources) 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/ (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__thirstyformore.substack.com_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=lGj4jrsrH-rUJND6Q5PVhvF0yXGiLXEqG-vscus5Djg&m=ibHOcdILJGL4mLhELBN24xrHJpk7yaGgw2Y02k3sRt2IebDKr_s4zdawgI3dtZU5&s=vFkhsGyhE7DDJkHafDoCdyGNVV3QHeq8KGyj55zYotw&e=) 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)https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink (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 (http://thebigdrinkrethink.com/) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey (http://linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey) Instagram: (http://instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink)instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink (http://instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink) Produced by (http://winteraudio.co.uk/)winteraudio.co.uk (http://winteraudio.co.uk/) Mentioned in this episode: Listener offer: An exclusive 15% off Botivo - a bittersweet, citrusy aperitivo that perfectly marks that end-of-day moment. If you’d like to try it, you can get 15% off at https://botivodrinks.com/ with the code BIGDRINKRETHINK15.

Who has been a guest on The Big Drink Rethink

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sue Reid
• Jessica Lahey
• Anna Cusack

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

19 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

136 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

84

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

Contact The Big Drink Rethink

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about The Big Drink Rethink