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In this solo episode of Sober Sparkle, I explore the topic of emotional drinking – a behaviour that so many of us fall into without even realising it. Most of us have heard of emotional eating, where we turn to food for comfort, distraction or reward, but emotional drinking works in much the same way. It’s when we reach for alcohol not because we want it, but because we want to escape the feelings bubbling beneath the surface – stress, sadness, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, or even celebration that tips into excess.

I share how willpower alone rarely works when it comes to drinking habits. White-knuckling through a month off might get you short-term results, but if you don’t explore the emotions and beliefs driving your drinking, old patterns return. Long-term change requires something deeper: recognising your emotions, questioning your beliefs about alcohol, and learning to nurture yourself through discomfort rather than numbing it.

In this conversation, I talk about practical tools like HALT (asking yourself if you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired before pouring a drink) and RAIN (recognise, allow, investigate, nurture). These simple techniques help you pause, check in with yourself, and deal with what’s really happening beneath the urge. I also share why so many of us were never taught how to process emotions, and why alcohol can become the easy crutch. But with compassion and curiosity, we can start to rewire our beliefs and find new ways to cope.

The key takeaway is that alcohol is never the real problem – it’s the bandaid we use when we don’t want to feel. By nurturing ourselves with rest, boundaries, movement, journaling, connection and self-kindness, we can face our emotions in a healthier way and build resilience that lasts. My invitation to you is simple: the next time you feel that pull towards a drink, pause for just ten minutes. Notice what you’re feeling, ask yourself what you really need, and offer yourself the care you’d give a dear friend.