Ep 132: Why Doesn't Summer Feel Like a Break? | Rethinking Alcohol |
About this episode
Anna Donaghey explores why summer often feels more exhausting than restful and offers insights on managing expectations and alcohol consumption.
Summer is supposed to be the easy season, so why does it so often leave us more tired, pressured, and frazzled than ever? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the myth of the "restful summer" and the invisible standards that pile up as the weather warms: be the memory-maker, the joy-creator, the calm presence. It's a pressure that fuels depletion and quietly drives the urge for an evening drink, not for pleasure, but as an off-switch when rest feels out of reach. Drawing on psychologist Donald Winnicott's idea of the "good enough" parent, Anna reframes what it means to do summer well, and shares practical questions to help you carve out genuine breaks, lower the pressure, and gently move away from alcohol as your only way to switch off. If your summer doesn't feel like the break you were promised, this episode will show you you're not alone and point you toward a kinder, more sustainable way through. Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why can summers be exhausting 01:20 The real summer vs. the Instagram version 03:20 Family life: chaos of young kids or grownup kids at home 05:07 The “gap” between summer’s promise and reality 05:26 Feeling the pressure to make memories…
More episodes of The Big Drink Rethink
- Ep 131: Q&A: I'm Drinking Less on Mounjaro. This Is Good News, Right? | Rethinking Alcohol |
- Ep 130: What Your Holiday Is Telling You | Rethinking Alcohol |
- Ep 129: What Does Curiosity Look Like This Summer? | Alcohol Coaching
- Ep 128: Rewriting the Summer Drinking Script | Rethinking Alcohol |
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