Ever wake up determined not to drink…
only to find yourself pouring a glass by evening?

You’re not broken. You’re human. And this episode explains why.

In today’s conversation, Susan and Ruby unpack the invisible habit loops behind drinking urges, and show you how to gently interrupt them.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why urges feel automatic (hello, autopilot)
• The real reason willpower fades by happy hour
• How triggers + routines + rewards keep you stuck
• What “urge surfing” is and how it helps cravings pass
• Simple swaps that replace alcohol with real pleasure
• How tiny shifts can lead to lasting alcohol freedom

This isn’t about fighting yourself.
It’s about understanding your patterns, reclaiming your agency, and choosing something better—one moment at a time.

Stick around to the end of the show to hear how we keep our own lives lit without alcohol, and why real change starts with compassion, not control.

If you want to learn more about your own unique drinking habit and take a break, join Susan's Freedom Formula Group Coaching Course. Invest 8 weeks to take control over your drinking!
https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/the-freedom-formula-rewire-regulate-and-rise

We Love Hearing From You

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

What if connection didn’t come in a glass?
What if community didn’t revolve around drinking?
What if sobriety actually made life more fun?

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Marshall—
• Founder of Sans Bar, North America’s first non-alcoholic bar
• Mental health advocate
• Author of Faster Than Light
• And a powerful voice redefining sober social life

Chris's story goes deep and together, we explore:
✅ Why alcohol-free spaces matter more than ever
✅ How loneliness keeps people drinking—and how community heals it
✅ What it actually looks like to socialize sober (yes, karaoke included 🎤)

And the question so many people are asking but rarely say out loud:
“If I stop drinking… will I still belong?”

No preaching. No perfection. Just honest conversation, hope, and a reminder that you don’t have to choose between sobriety and a full life.

Let’s get into it.
________

Guest Resources for Chris Marshall-
Website: https://www.thesansbar.com/about-us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisconnected/?hl=en
Memoir - Faster Than Light: https://www.thesansbar.com/chris-marshalls-memoir

We Love Hearing From You

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Have you ever felt like the story you’ve been told about alcohol is missing the most important truths?

In this episode of Sober & Lit, Susan Larkin and Ruby Williams are joined by Mike Marshall, CEO of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, for a conversation that pulls alcohol out of the shadows and into the light—without shame, fear, or finger-pointing.

This episode explores:

1. Why alcohol’s real harms are rarely discussed
2. The truth about alcohol as a toxic, addictive carcinogen
3. Mike’s personal sobriety journey
4. How alcohol connects to larger public health crises
5. What everyday people can do to shift the narrative

We also ask the bigger questions:
Why is alcohol treated differently than other drugs? Who benefits from our silence? And what becomes possible when we tell the truth with compassion?

We invite you to listen in!!
________

Guest Resources for Mike Marshall:
Website: http://www.alcoholpolicy.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@usalcoholpolicy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USAlcoholPolicy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usalcoholpolicyalliance/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-alcohol-policy-alliance/posts/?feedView=all
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@usalcoholpolicyalliance

We Love Hearing From You

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.