Episode Summary

In this Think Thursday episode, Molly explores why December feels so emotionally intense and why anticipation plays such a powerful role in our thoughts, feelings, and habits. Anticipation is not just psychological. It is driven by the brain's predictive systems that simulate the future long before it arrives.

Using findings from neuroscience, including research highlighted in Neuron, University College London, Stanford University, and studies on dopamine and reward processing, Molly explains how imagining the future changes our emotional state in the present. She shows how anticipation can create craving, heighten anxiety, and influence behavior before anything even happens.

Importantly, she connects this science to behavior change. When we understand anticipation, we gain the ability to shape our emotional experience, support our habit goals, and build a stronger relationship with our future selves.

What You Will Learn

• Why the brain is not reactive but predictive
• How the prospection network simulates possible futures
• Why anticipation activates the same regions involved in memory and emotion
• How dopamine spikes during anticipation more than during reward
• Why the holidays intensify emotional forecasting
• How the brain treats future you similarly to a stranger
• How anticipation contributes to cravings, stress, and anxiety
• Practical strategies for using anticipation intentionally in behavior change

Key Insights from the Episode

• Anticipation is a physiological experience. Heart rate, dopamine, and emotional readiness all shift based on prediction.
• December amplifies anticipation because the brain is projecting ahead using vivid emotional memories from past holidays.
• Many habit patterns with alcohol, eating, and spending are anticipatory rather than reactive in the moment.
• The medial prefrontal cortex becomes less active when imagining the distant future, which explains why future you feels separate.
• Mental rehearsal activates the same neural pathways as actual behavior and can support intentional change.
• Anticipatory framing can influence how stressful events are interpreted afterward.

Practical Tools from the Episode

1. Anticipate the emotional landscape, not the event.
Shift from worrying about what will happen to planning for how you want to feel.

2. Rehearse your chosen identity.
Imagine yourself acting in alignment with your values to strengthen the neural pathways that support follow-through.

3. Shorten the distance to future you.
Ask questions like:

• What will tonight's me thank me for
• What does tomorrow morning's me need

4. Anticipate urges with curiosity.
Recognize that urges are forecasts of relief, not emergencies.

5. Create micro anticipations that ground you.
Examples include expecting the first sip of warm tea, a quiet step outside, or the feeling of waking up proud the next morning.

Studies and Sources Mentioned

• 2023 review in Neuron on the prospection network
• University College London study on dopamine release during anticipatory uncertainty
• Stanford University research on future self representation in the brain
• Studies from the University of Michigan and Max Planck Institute on dopamine and anticipation
• 2024 Psychological Science study on anticipatory framing and stress interpretation

If you’re working to change your drinking habits and create a peaceful relationship with alcohol, you’re in the right place. In today’s episode, we revisit a very special conversation with internationally renowned neuropsychopharmacologist, Dr. David Nutt.

This episode originally aired when the podcast was still called Breaking the Bottle Legacy, but the message and insights are just as powerful—and relevant—today.

In this episode, Molly speaks with Dr. David Nutt, author of Drink? The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health. The conversation dives into the science behind alcohol’s impact on the brain and body, while also exploring how to make more informed, intentional choices about drinking.

Dr. Nutt shares:

• Why he wrote Drink?, and why science must inform our alcohol decisions
• The duality of alcohol: pleasure and poison
• His personal journey with alcohol, including owning a wine bar while being a leading voice in alcohol harm reduction
• How using science can help you assess the role of alcohol in your life and your long-term goals

Why This Episode Matters

Molly revisits this conversation as a holiday-season reminder: it’s possible to enjoy social events with alcohol while staying aligned with your goals. Dr. Nutt emphasizes the power of planning ahead, staying self-aware, and not drinking alone—core pillars of the Alcohol Minimalist approach.

If you’re seeking peace with alcohol—not necessarily abstinence—this episode delivers practical insights and validation that change is possible when you lead with knowledge and intention.

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Drink? The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health by Dr. David Nutt
• Website: mollywatts.com

Takeaways

• Alcohol is a drug—understanding that fact is key to moderation
• “Think about drink”: intentionality and self-reflection help you stay in control
• You can challenge past patterns and create a new story for yourself

Subscribe and Share
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and share it with a friend. And if you have a favorite adjective for your weather report or a show guest you’d love to hear from, email Molly at molly@mollywatts.com

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 episode, Molly explores why holiday creativity is far more than a nostalgic pastime. New research highlighted in The Washington Post shows that engaging in creative activities, even at a beginner level, is associated with younger looking brains and stronger cognitive health.

Molly explains how creative acts like crafting, drawing, baking and building stimulate multiple brain networks, reduce stress hormones, and support emotional regulation.

She connects these findings to childhood holiday memories while discussing why those early creative experiences were neurologically important. Molly also shares how creativity can support habit change by providing a healthy reward pathway, reducing urges, and strengthening identity. The episode ends with simple, low pressure ideas for tapping into creativity during the holiday season.

What You’ll Learn

• Why creativity often feels counterintuitive but is deeply supported by neuroscience
• How creative activities activate the motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, reward system and the default mode network
• The connection between creativity, reduced cortisol, and emotional regulation
• Why childhood crafting strengthened attention, fine motor skills and dopamine pathways
• How creativity supports behavior change and identity transformation
• Why the holiday season is a perfect time to reconnect with play and creative exploration
• Simple, nostalgic creative ideas that help the brain settle and feel grounded

Key Ideas from the Episode

• You do not need talent to benefit from creativity; beginners gain the same cognitive advantages
• The brain responds to the creative process, not the quality of the final product
• Holiday crafts from childhood created sensory, emotional and learning experiences that supported brain development
• Creativity provides a self-generated way to shift emotional states and manage urges
• Creative acts reengage curiosity, novelty and presence, which help the holidays feel richer and less overwhelming
• Small creative behaviors can be a meaningful substitute for less helpful coping habits

Practical Creative Ideas Mentioned

• Make a paper snowflake
• Try a salt dough ornament
• Decorate a gingerbread house kit
• Make a single handmade holiday card
• Paint pinecones with simple supplies
• Create a photo collage from the year
• Do a puzzle or coloring page
• Treat cooking as a creative act
• Try a new recipe or texture-based food project

Related Think Thursday Episodes

• The Paradox of Freedom
• Novelty for Habit Change
• Defensive Pessimism
• The Neuroscience of Mental Rest
• Silence Is Golden
• Brain Time: Why the Mind Does Not Experience Minutes the Way the Clock Does