In this week’s episode, Molly dives deeper into the More Sober October theme: Who are you without the drink? If you've ever felt like you're at war with yourself when it comes to drinking decisions, you're not imagining it. Molly unpacks the neuroscience behind this inner conflict and introduces listeners to the concept of our two selves—the automatic self and the intentional self.

Referencing Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Molly breaks down how System 1 (your fast, emotional, habitual brain) and System 2 (your slow, rational, goal-focused brain) influence your drinking choices. This science-backed framework explains why your default drinking habits feel so hard to break and why it’s absolutely possible to rewire your brain to make intentional, value-aligned decisions.

Whether you’re navigating more alcohol-free days this October or simply trying to understand why it’s so hard to say no sometimes, this episode offers practical insight and compassionate encouragement.

Key Topics Covered

• Why identity and habit formation go hand-in-hand with your drinking story
• The difference between your default (automatic) self and your intentional self
• How Kahneman’s System 1 and System 2 thinking applies to alcohol habits
• Why the brain resists effortful thinking and defaults to the familiar
• How to start training your intentional self to become your new default

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Join More Sober October with Molly: More Sober October Info

Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA:

Healthy men under 65:

No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week.

Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older:
No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week.

One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink.

Abstinence from alcohol
Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past.

Benefits of “low-risk” drinking
Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work.

In this Think Thursday episode, Molly explores why the brain doesn’t experience minutes the way the clock does. Our perception of time is not fixed—it stretches and compresses depending on novelty, memory, attention, and emotion. That’s why childhood summers feel endless while adulthood years can seem to vanish.

Molly unpacks the psychology and neuroscience of time perception, including how prospective and retrospective time work, why novelty sharpens attention and stretches moments, and how emotions like fear, boredom, and joy distort our sense of time. She also shares fascinating phenomena like the “stopped clock illusion” and highlights how mindfulness can expand our sense of presence and create richer memories, making life feel fuller and more meaningful.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The difference between prospective time and retrospective time
• Why childhood feels longer than adulthood
• How novelty, memory, and dopamine influence time perception
• How emotions like stress, boredom, and joy distort our experience of time
• Why mindfulness slows down prospective time and lengthens retrospective memory
• Simple practices to stretch brain time and savor everyday moments

Key Quote:

“Clock time is rigid—sixty minutes is always sixty minutes. But brain time is elastic. Two people can live the same number of years yet experience them very differently depending on how much novelty, presence, and emotion they build into their days.”

References and Resources:

• Eagleman, D. (2009). Brain Time: The Temporal Dimension of Experience
• Wittmann, M. (2016). Felt Time: The Psychology of How We Perceive Time
• Consciousness and Cognition (2019): Mindfulness meditation and time perception
• Previous Think Thursday episodes: The Power of Reminiscing, The Science of Awe

In this episode of the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast, Molly explores how deeply alcohol can become tied to our identity.

Phrases like “wine mom,” “party girl,” or “craft beer enthusiast” may sound harmless, but they often reinforce the idea that drinking is part of who we are rather than something we do. Molly explains how self-schemas shape our beliefs, why identity disruption can feel unsettling when you change your drinking, and how to navigate the friction that comes with rewriting your personal story.

You will learn about the psychology behind identity labels, the concept of status quo bias, and four evidence-based tools to help you separate fact from story, soothe the discomfort of change, and begin building a future identity that reflects your values.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why cultural labels around drinking can feel like part of your personality
• How self-schemas and alcohol expectancies reinforce drinking habits
• Why change can feel like loss and how to view it as growth
• The role of status quo bias in resisting identity change
• Four practical strategies to shift your identity and reclaim who you are without alcohol

Resources Mentioned:

• Studies on alcohol-related self-concept in Addictive Behaviors and the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
• 2015 article on identity disruption in the Journal of Substance Use and Misuse
• Sunnyside app (recommended tool for tracking and building new drinking habits)

Want to sign up for More Sober October? Click here.

Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA:

Healthy men under 65:

No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week.

Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older:
No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week.

One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink.

Abstinence from alcohol
Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past.

Benefits of “low-risk” drinking
Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work.