Journey to the Sunnyside

Welcome to Journey to the Sunnyside, the podcast where we have thoughtful conversations to explore the science of habits, uncover the secrets to mindful living, and, of course, inspire your own mindful drinking journey. This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform. And if you could benefit from drinking a bit less, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free 15 day trial. I'm your host, Mike Hardenbrook, published author, neuroscience enthusiast, and habit change expert.

Hey there. Welcome back to Journey to the Sunnyside. I'm Mike Hardenbrook. And on this 10 minute Monday, let's talk about something that comes up often when you're cutting back or taking a break from drinking, and that is something called cognitive dissonance. Now don't let that fancy name throw you off.

It's just that uncomfortable feeling when your actions and your value don't line up. So does that sound familiar? Let's break it down, tackle it head on, and make it work for you. Cognitive dissonance is a mental discomfort, plain and simple. It happens to you when you hold on to 2 conflicting thoughts at the same time.

Like, I wanna feel healthier, but having drinks helps me unwind. Or I'm taking a break, but I don't wanna miss going out with friends. Here's the thing. Your brain does not like inconsistency, and it's wired to resolve this tension by taking the easy route, convincing you to stick with old habits because they feel familiar. Feeling this discomfort isn't a bad thing.

It's actually a sign that you're on the right track. You're questioning your patterns, you're exploring change, and you're aligning your choice with what really matters to you. Now we've all been there, and here's how it might show up. You promise yourself no drinks during the week, but by Thursday, you think, one won't hurt. Or you skip tracking your drinks telling yourself, I've been really good lately.

I don't need to track this time. Or you plan to take a break for a month, but at a party you think, you know what? I don't wanna be the odd one out. And these moments don't define your journey. They're just checkpoints.

Here's what's important is how you handle them, that's gonna determine whether you stay stuck or if you move forward. So when you feel that inner tug of war, here's how to handle it. Recognize it. That's the first step to catching it in the moment. Pause and acknowledge and say, I'm feeling this tension because my actions and my goals aren't lining up.

And this awareness keeps you from running on autopilot. Next is revisit your why. Why are you cutting back or taking a break? Maybe it's about better sleep, more energy, or maybe just feeling present with your family. So reconnect with those motivations that makes your choice more clear.

Then reframe the situation. Instead of focusing on what you're missing, shift to that mindset of what you're gaining. So I'm not skipping out on going to the party. Instead, I'm showing up for myself in this new way. I'm not giving up on fun.

I'm learning how to create it in a different way with less alcohol. Then cut yourself some slack. Here's the thing. You are human. You're not perfect.

And that feeling of being conflicted, totally normal. What matters is how you respond to it. A slip up doesn't erase your progress. It's just part of the process. So one of the ways you can sidestep times of cognitive dissonance is to have a plan in place.

Of course, you are going to plan ahead using Sunnyside on which days and how much, which are your dry days, which are the days that you plan for drinking. But you can also plan for the days that are gonna be tricky. So you know there might be something going on on your dry day or there might be something where you plan for 2 drinks and there's real potential maybe because of somebody you know that you tend to overdo it with is going. So be ready and set boundaries. Decide in advance if you're going to drink to stick to your plan, or if you're not going to drink, choose a nonalcoholic option or one of the strategies that you know that's gonna work for you, especially in those tricky situations.

Also, have an exit plan. If a situation feels uncomfortable, give yourself permission to leave. You know, trust me. Everybody says, I don't wanna leave because people will notice. They seldom notice.

And then finally swap habits. If you're used to reaching for a drink to unwind or you are used to having a drink in your hand at a party, replace it with something else. Nonalcohol drink, make you feel comfortable. You go home to unwind, replace it, going for a walk or listening to your favorite podcast or reading a good book. Having a plan reduces that mental back and forth and makes it easier to follow through.

And while cognitive dissonance is a little bit uncomfortable, again, it's a sign that you're making progress and you're challenging these old patterns and you're opening the door for more changes to happen. So quick exercise, if you want to do it this week, you can think of or write down your top three priorities while you're doing this things like health, family, feeling in control, being the best version that you've ever been. Whatever it is, write it down. So for each, write down one thing, if you're not meeting your drinking goals, whether it is mindful drinking and cutting back, taking a break or something else, write down something that conflicts with that goal. So for example, you're doing this because your priority is to have better energy.

And your conflict is is that if you drink too much, it disrupts your sleep. Or write down a priority, being present with my family is a priority. And the conflict is if I drink too much or too often, drinking makes me less present. So then choose one action that you can take this week to align better with those priorities, especially with that internal monologue. So keep it small and achievable, and remember, little changes add up.

Your destiny is made in your daily decisions. And remember, this isn't a setback. When you have these conversations with yourself, it doesn't mean that you're not making progress. It's actually a big step forward because you're critically thinking about your habits and exploring what's possible. I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

And in fact, today happens to be my birthday. And if you find any value in anything I put out and you wanna give me a little bit of a birthday gift, it would mean the world to me if you could leave a review for the podcast on whatever platform you're listening to.

This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform. And if you could benefit from drinking a bit less, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free 15 day trial.

Till next time. Cheers to your mindful drinking journey.