Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
How do I drink less without quitting completely? What's the difference between alcohol-free, low alcohol, and no alcohol drinks? Why can't I handle alcohol like I used to? How do I cut back when everyone around me is still drinking? Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?
If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond and asking these questions, this is your podcast.
Welcome to the essential show for midlife adults who want to drink less, on their own terms—without the pressure to quit completely, follow rigid rules, or label themselves as sober.
I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace, your mindful drinking mentor, magazine editor, writer and public speaker on all things low, no and light. Each week, I help stressed parents and busy midlife adults navigate their relationship with alcohol through practical approaches grounded in real-world experience and behaviour change strategy, not willpower or wellness culture
What you'll get:
Mindful Moderation Solo Episodes – Deep-dives answering the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly:
- How do I cut back when my partner still drinks at home?
- Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions?
- How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?
- What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
Drinks 101 Mini-Series – Short educational episodes demystifying the confusing world of low and no alcohol drinks:
- What does ABV actually mean?
- What's the real difference between non-alcoholic, alcohol-free, low alcohol, and light beer?
- How are alcohol-free drinks made?
- Which drinks are safe for pregnancy, driving, or recovery?
Meet the Makers – Intimate conversations with the founders, brewers, distillers, and visionaries creating the premium drinks and experiences that support your moderation goals.
This podcast is for you if:
- You want drinks that taste like the ones you already love
- You're looking for practical advice that fits your demanding life, not another wellness overhaul
- You recognise that coasting with mid-strength drinks, zebra-striping, or bookending your evening with something non-alcoholic are all valid strategies
- You want better mornings without giving up celebrating life's special moments
This isn't about going completely dry or reinventing yourself. It's about keeping energy for what matters most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.
Join the moderation revolution happening in midlife – because while Gen Z gets the headlines, you're the one actually doing it.
Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
Mindful Drinking Advent 24: Christmas Eve - Rest Now, Enjoy Tomorrow
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/
On Day Twenty-Four of the Mindful Drinking Advent, it’s time to stop, breathe, and slow everything down.
Christmas Eve is charged with excitement, pressure, nostalgia, and logistics — but it doesn’t need to be fuelled by exhaustion or overdoing it.
This episode is a gentle reminder to rest, enjoy something you genuinely love, and protect tomorrow by keeping tonight calm and intentional.
No tasks. No plans. Just permission to pause before the big day arrives.
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You can email me at denise@lownodrinkermagazine.com
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🗣️ Join the growing community on Substack
https://lownodrinker.substack.com/
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🌱 Reset the way alcohol shows up in your life with the 4 Week Midlife Mindful Drinking Reset
https://www.lownodrinker.com/4weekreset
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🧮 Drinking Impact Calculator: Find your personal tipping point
https://mindfuldrinkinginmidlife.com/products/drinking-impact-calculator
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🧐 Take the quiz and find out what's REALLY driving your midlife drinking habits
https://www.lownodrinker.com/
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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Low No Drinker may earn a commission. Thank you.
Welcome to day 24 of our mindful drinking audio advent. It is Christmas Eve. Oh, it is a day and a night filled with so much tension, so much excitement, so much nervousness, and hopefully so much rest because you need it, you've deserved it. It is time to slow down. Okay, it's Christmas Eve. The excitement level is off the charts. Um, I had my kids a bit later in life, so even though I'm 46, my kids are still only six and eight. So the excitement level is off the charts. As this show is for midlifers, your kids might be a little bit older and perhaps they're not quite as enthralled with the magic of Father Christmas potentially visiting overnight. It is still an exciting time whilst they look forward to what might be under the tree for them tomorrow. The kids are apoplectic with anticipation for this stranger who will commit multiple counts of break and an entry across the planet in just 12 hours and leave them with yet more plastic tat for you to step on. But it is worth it to see the joy on their little faces. Meanwhile, you're there trying to get uh one last moment of peace before uh the in-laws descend if they haven't already, uh, and sort out the precision logistics of trying to cook 12 different things for 24 different people, uh, all of which will only be partially eaten, of course, uh, in favor of the Black Forest ghetto uh and ice cream, uh the Walls Vienetta showing my age. Hands up if you remember Walls Vienetta. Um, I think you can still get it. I'm sure I saw it in the supermarket the other day. Uh so what if instead of using tonight to gear up for tomorrow, you used it just to slow down, take a few last moments of calm and peace before the home invasion and the chaos of Christmas Day itself, and just breathe. Now is the time to sit back, it's to relax. Pour yourself a glass of something divine that makes you smile and just take a moment for yourself. Stick on a nice movie. It's tradition in my house that every year uh hubby and I watch Die Hard, uh, all five of them. And and before you argue with me, yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. I will fight anyone who says that it's not. Um, because tomorrow's gonna come, okay, no matter what. Tomorrow is going to come, whether you stress about it or not. So you might as well not stress about it, uh, and you'll enjoy it so much better if you arrive uh tomorrow morning calm, rested, and present, but not hungover. You don't want to start Christmas morning feeling frazzled or running on fumes. So if you do have alcohol tonight, make sure that you keep it moderate, just give yourself a taste of something that you enjoy. Don't let it take over your night and sacrifice the joy of tomorrow for the relaxation of tonight. Your task today is very simple. It's to do nothing, it's to chill out, relax. There's nothing to write down, there's nothing to think about, there's nothing to consider, there's nothing to prepare. I just want you to relax and enjoy this time of year because, as stressful and demanding as it is, it only comes around once a year. Also, only coming once a year is the big man, as I said. He's flying around the planet and it's hard work, so we tend to leave out uh some mince pies, maybe a carrot for the reindeer, and a drink for Father Christmas. Now, different households around the globe will leave out different drinks for him. If you do fancy perhaps leaving him a whiskey tipple, as I've heard, he's very, very fond of that. I've got a list for you in today's Advent email of several alcohol-free whiskey alternatives that you can leave out for him to enjoy, along with the carrots for the reindeer, because you can't forget about those guys. And of course, you can still use your discount codes that are available to go and try some of those for yourself. That is it for today. I will see you tomorrow for the big day. Until then, cheers to a Christmas Eve, less intoxicated.
