Episode
Ep 122: Building a Life You Don't Want to Escape From | Rethinking Alcohol |
- Podcast
- The Big Drink Rethink
- Published
- May 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2716
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com/podcast
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Summary
What if rethinking your drinking didn’t start with “giving up” alcohol, but instead you created the kind of life you don’t want to escape from? In this episode, Anna Donaghey sits down with adventurer and educator Belinda Coker to explore how rediscovering adventure, nature, and forgotten passions can quietly make alcohol fade into the background, no willpower or rock bottoms required. They talk honestly about growing up with normalised drinking, the “aha” moment that prompted Belinda to get hiking boots back on, and now teaching others how action, not theory, builds real confidence. She shares practical advice from her own journey, how immersing herself in adventure, house-sitting, and creativity helped her let go of drinking, and how to navigate tricky emotions (and triggers) in sobriety. Whether you’re just curious, stuck in a rut, or ready for a big change, this story has uplifting lessons for anyone wanting a richer, more expansive life with or without alcohol. Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Meet Belinda Coker: Rethinking drinking isn’t always about alcohol 01:25 Belinda’s story: adventure, midlife, and rediscovering passions 02:58 Realising I had a drinking problem, only in hindsight 05:19 Divorce, difficult periods, and drinking to cope 07:00 Hiking becomes the new reward 10:22 What adventure offers that alcohol can’t 11:27 How new routines slowly nudged out drinking 13:43 Returning to what you loved before alcohol 14:41 When Friday nights become about flow, not wine 18:12 Simple living, big happiness (and saving money) 20:47 Why Belinda finally chose to stop drinking alcohol for good 21:30 Recognising emotional triggers for drinking 23:31 How she handles hard days now 28:00 Why being honest about difficulties matters 29:55 The “hike your own hike” philosophy fo…