What if summer didn’t have to be “powered by” alcohol? In this episode, Anna Donaghey invites sobriety and life coach, Casey McGuire Davidson, to unpack why the summer and its long evenings, and sunny terrace, feels so tangled with the urge to drink. Is it really about the Aperol Spritz… or are we longing for something deeper, like freedom, nostalgia, or a younger version of ourselves?
Together, they challenge the myth that summer is for “letting go” and drinking, and instead explore the possibility that these months could offer more: clarity, energy, presence, and real joy.
If you’re worried you’ll be missing out or feel resistance to change, this episode delivers validation, surprising science, and practical ways to romanticise sobriety rather than alcohol.
Here are the Highlights:
00:00 Intro: Why is summer so “loaded” with drinking?
01:04 Meet Casey McGuire Davidson: podcast host & ex-corporate high-achiever
04:47 How we don’t realise how much we’re missing by focusing on alcohol
07:10 Romanticising alcohol vs. romanticising sobriety
08:29 Sober travel: what’s really possible when you’re present
10:40 The discomfort and magic of your first sober summer
12:17 The “sober summer bucket list” approach
13:11 Why summer is the best time to rethink your drinking habits
16:42 Are we craving the drink, or a lost version of ourselves?
23:42 How the drinks industry scripts our summer fantasies
27:09 Alcohol’s real deception: convincing us we’re not enough without it
28:00 “Why isn’t this moment enough?” Getting honest about cravings
30:15 The science behind why alcohol seems to make us happier
37:09 The “joy of missing out”: freedom, energy, and real presence
41:00 What’s the biggest surprise on the other side?
Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!
Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/
The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/
If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show:https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink
About the host Anna:
Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.
Connect with Anna:
Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey
Instagram:instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink
Produced bywinteraudio.co.uk
About Casey McGuire Davidson:
Casey McGuire Davidson is a Life & Sobriety Coach, speaker, and host of the Top 100 Mental Health showThe Hello Someday Podcast for Sober Curious Women. Featured onGood Morning America,NPR,HuffPost,The New York Times,NBC News and more, she helps high‑achieving women change their relationship with alcohol so they can drink less and live more.
Connect with Casey:
Website:Hello Someday Coaching
Podcast:The Hello Someday Podcast for Sober Curious Women
Instagram:@caseymdavidson
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HelloSomeday/
