Why Drinking Becomes Automatic: The Habit Loop

Before we can change a habit, we need to understand why it feels so automatic in the first place. Let’s start with a little brain science — and a surprising story about some chocolate-loving rats at MIT.

The divider made a loud clicking sound as it cracked open. A handful of lab rats darted out from one side of the maze, zipped through the turns, and started to munch on the chocolate without a second of pause.

How did the rats know how to navigate the maze and find the chocolate?

Well, they didn’t at first. When the rats were first placed in the maze, they could smell the chocolate, but they didn’t know where it was. They would sniff around, stretch the wall, and wander down the wrong path.

But with hundreds of repetitions of the same routine, they became better and better at navigating the maze, until they could zip through it without thinking. In other words, learning has taken place.

However, that’s not the most interesting part. What fascinated the researchers was the change that happened in the rats’ brain activity: As the rats became faster and faster in navigating the maze, their brain activity became quieter and quieter.

How does this have anything to do with drinking on autopilot? 

It answers the question Why you reach out for a drink without thinking. As learning took place in the lab rats’ little brains, running the maze became an automatic routine. In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg called this mental mechanism a habit loop.

When a routine, whether it’s mental or physical, has been performed over and over, eventually, a habit loop is formed to help our brain preserve energy. A habit loop is made of 3 elements: cue, routine, and reward. In the lab rats’ case, the cue is a loud clicking sound made when the divider cracks open, the routine is to zip through the maze, and the reward is the chocolate.

A habit loop allows the brain to automatically perform a learned routine without consciously thinking about it once the cue is activated. A similar process explains how we could drive from work to home without thinking, as well as how we seem to reach for a drink by the end of the day on autopilot. While being able to enjoy the drive without mental effort is a welcome ability, to reach for a drink without thinking keeps drinkers in the habit they want to change. Which leads to the question…

How to Interrupt the Automatic Drinking Habit Loop:  

If you have ever tried to change a stubborn old habit, you may already know that even the simplest, tiniest habit can be disturbingly hard to change. To resist the temptation to reach for a glass when the familiar craving hits can feel like fighting against gravity.

Because here is the thing, once a habit loop is formed, it cannot be unlearned. When a cue is activated, a neurological craving for the reward kicks in to drive us to perform the routine. In other words, craving is a part of the habit loop, acting as the glue to hold a habit loop together.

The good news is, although we can’t unlearn the habit loop, we can consciously redesign it as long as we get to know the cues and the rewards in the loop, which lead us to Charles Duhigg’s Golden Rule of Habit Changing. 

But before we get into the practice tips, we have to first understand: what is craving?  

What a Monkey Taught Us About The Neuroscience of Alcohool Craving 

Most of us know that cravings are a normal part of quitting drinking, but many don’t realize that craving isn’t just a withdrawal symptom—it’s how the brain works. It’s the same process that helps us form everyday habits—not just drinking ones.

To demonstrate this, let me tell you a quick story about a lab monkey named Julio.
In order to understand what craving looks like in the brain, a group of scientists trained Julio to play a simple game. Julio was placed in a chair in front of a monitor and a lever. Every time a colored shape appeared on the screen, if Julio touched the lever, he’d get a drop of sweet blackberry juice—his favorite.

Julio soon learned the trick, and over time, with each repetition, he became more and more practiced in performing the routine that would earn him the reward. And the scientists soon noticed an interesting shift: while at first, Julio’s brain would spike in happiness after he got the juice, over time, it started to spike the moment the shape appeared, before the juice arrived. What’s more, when the scientists decided to switch things up by delaying the juice or watering it down, Julio’s brain would crash—instead of a happy dopamine spike, his scans showed patterns of frustration and agitation. And on the outside, Julio would become visibly upset.

In other words, once a mental habit loop is formed, Julio’s brain learned to anticipate the reward whenever a cue is activated. His brain doesn’t just expect the reward; it craves it. Craving is the glue that holds together the mental habit loop. Sure, it feels inconvenient when it’s tied to a habit like drinking... But craving is also what holds together the habits that keep us functioning, like brushing our teeth and enjoying the reward of fresh breath, or lacing up our sneakers and feeling the anticipation of a good workout.

So what can we do with all of this? If craving is baked into the brain, how do we respond to it — without falling back into old patterns? Let me show you one of my favorite tools: the 3-Question Mental Pause.

How to Manage Alcohol Cravings More Effectively: A 3-Question Mental Pause 

That said, craving still poses a major obstacle for anyone who is trying to drink less. So, how do we manage craving effectively?

The truth is, we can’t remove craving. Once a mental habit loop is formed, it cannot be unformed. When a cue is activated, a neurological craving for the reward kicks in to drive us to perform the routine.

The good news is, although we can’t remove craving, we can redirect it. According to Charles Duhigg’s Golden Rule of Habit Changing, to effectively change a habit, we need to “keep the cue, provide the same reward, and insert a new routine.” In other words, to effectively manage craving, we need to learn how to redirect it.

Here is my favorite 3-question pause to help you learn how to start to redirect your craving:

Question #1: What is the cue—what is triggering the craving?
Let’s go back to the kitchen for a second. The cue could be chaos in the home, or anger toward the partner who is always late.

Question #2: What is the reward—how do I hope to feel differently by having a drink?
The reward could be to calm the overwhelm or to take the edge off the frustration from the partner.

Question #3: What is the alternative—what are some other things I could do to have a similar effect?
Finally, the alternative could be to take a few deep breaths, put on smooth music, or pause and make yourself a cup of warm tea.

Of course, to use the 3-question pause effectively, we first need to understand what’s actually triggering our cravings. That’s where this next part comes in.

What Triggers a Drinking Craving After You’ve Quit

We have already discussed the fascinating habit loop mechanism, and its existence allows us to conserve energy and operate efficiently in everyday life. You’ve also learned that craving, while disturbing and inconvenient in an unwanted behavior like drinking, is the driving force that fuels the habit loops. Now it’s time to talk about cues. 

A cue is a signal—something that tells our brain it’s time to go into automatic mode and run a familiar pattern of behavior we call a habit. Through repetition, the brain learns to associate certain situations, objects, sensations, or emotions with a routine that leads to a specific reward.

For example, someone might associate 3 p.m. with having a donut. And when the clock hits 3, the craving for a sugar boost kicks in and drives them to walk to the breakroom.

In my case, after years of traveling, my brain learned to associate the airport with one thing: “time to get tipsy before the boarding.”

When we’re dealing with unwanted habits, the cue is often called a trigger—something internal or external that reminds us of drinking. That trigger can activate a strong desire for the reward we used to get from alcohol—what we call craving. And that craving is often followed by an urge, which is that intense impulse to reach for a drink.

How to Identify the 4 Types of Triggers That Can Reignite Your Craving to Drink

A trigger can be anything your brain has learned to associate with drinking in the past.

Some triggers are external—like places, people, or events.
Others are internal—emotional states, physical sensations, or even certain thoughts.

Some are obvious: a bar, the clink of ice in a glass, the smell of beer.
Others are more subtle: a tight chest, that restless feeling at 5 p.m., or an emotion you’ve long numbed with a drink.

Many people—myself included—find it easier to work with cravings when we sort them into categories.

Situational Triggers

These include certain people, places, events, or even dynamics you associate with drinking.

It could be:

• A friend you always drink with
• A networking event where you usually have a glass in hand
• A tense conversation you used to buffer with a buzz
• Or—like me—those jittery pre-flight moments at the airport, when your brain whispers: “It’s time to get tipsy.”

Emotional Triggers

These are internal states—like stress, anxiety, or loneliness.

But emotional triggers aren’t always negative. Sometimes, we learn to associate positive feelings with drinking too—like excitement, celebration, or a sense of accomplishment.

It could be:

• The lingering stress after a long workday
• The racing thoughts that just won’t leave you alone
• The holiday blues that hit unexpectedly

• Or that post-project high, where you feel accomplished and want a “reward”

Sensory Triggers

These are physical sensations or sensory cues—like smells, sights, or body discomfort—that your brain has learned to connect with drinking.

It could be:

• The smell of wine or the sound of a can opener
• A mild headache you used to “fix” with a cold beer
• Feeling tired or run down
• Or even simple thirst—many people unconsciously associate alcohol with quenching thirst because it’s a liquid, even though it’s actually dehydrating

Internal Triggers

Internal triggers are thoughts or memories that activate a craving—often without any external cue.

It could be:

• Negative self-talk like: “I always mess this up,” or “What’s the point? I’ll never change.”
• Intrusive thoughts that create overwhelm or anxiety
• Memories of past drinking that are romanticized, like remembering how relaxing that first glass felt
• Or even a thought like: “I deserve something for getting through this day.”
  

🌱 The Sober Curiosity 4-Pillar Framework: How Real Change Happens

Managing cravings is just one piece of the puzzle.
If you’re ready to create lasting, empowering change in your relationship with alcohol, this is the framework I guide my clients through:

• Pillar 1 — Value
  Uncover why you truly want to drink less (and what matters more).
  
  
• Pillar 2 — Belief
  Shift the story you’ve been told about alcohol — and about yourself.
  
  
• Pillar 3 — Action
  Replace the drinking routine with something that truly serves you.
  
  
• Pillar 4 — Result
  Learn how to turn setbacks into stepping stones and build momentum with self-trust.
  
  

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about building a life that doesn’t need alcohol to feel good.

🚀 Ready to Redesign Your Drinking Habit? Start With These Four Pillars

Sober curious or newly alcohol-free? You’re in the right place.

Breaking free from alcohol’s grip—and building a life you’re genuinely excited to show up for—takes more than white-knuckling your way through it.
It takes the right strategy, and the right focus at the right stage.

The good news? You don’t have to figure it out alone.

Inside Sober Curiosity Society, our signature membership, you’ll be guided through The Sobriety Hero’s Roadmap™ using the Four Pillar Sobriety System™—so you can go from feeling deprived and missing the buzz…

to feeling free, confident, energized, and genuinely good about saying no to a drink.