Vol.8 Let’s crack your drinking habit loop

In the last few emails, we explored how cravings and that autopilot feeling of pouring a drink are not random.

The autopilot moment is your routine.
The pull you feel in your body is the craving that drives any habit loop.

Now that you understand the mechanics behind your drinking ritual, it’s time to decode your loop using one of my favorite tools:

🧩 The 6-Factor Method

Whenever you find yourself wanting a drink—or reflecting on a time you drank—pause and ask yourself:

1. When did I want the drink?

2. Where was I?

3. Who was around (or not around)?

4. What was I doing or thinking right before?

5. How did I feel right before the drink?

6. How did I hope to feel after?
   
   

These six questions help you zoom in on the cue and the reward—the two things that keep the loop alive.

Here’s an example:

✅ When: Around 6:30 p.m., right after logging off work
✅ Where: In the kitchen, alone
✅ Who: Just me (partner in the other room)
✅ What: Turning on the TV, heating up dinner
✅ How did I feel before? On edge, drained, overstimulated
✅ How did I hope to feel after? Relaxed, off the hook, like the day is done

What does this reveal?

Possible cues: a specific time of day—like the end of the workday—or a transition moment, like turning on the TV or starting dinner.

Possible reward: Most of the time, it’s not about the wine itself. It’s about the relief, decompression, and permission to unwind.

Once you uncover the true reward, you can start experimenting with new routines that offer a similar emotional payoff.

And when you find a routine that works?
That’s when you no longer have to rely on willpower to fight the craving.

Want more real-life examples?

📄 Check out this month’s worksheet:
The 6-Factor Method: Decode Your Drinking Habit Loop

More soon,
Jeanette

P.S.
Each month’s Skill Deep Dive is designed to help you do exactly this—find real, meaningful replacements for alcohol that support the reward your brain is looking for.

We’re not here to just remove alcohol—we’re here to help you find something better.