The Moderation & 'New You' Blog

Practical support for the weeks when cutting back feels manageable, and the ones when it doesn't

Alcohol and Stress: Why It Feels Like It Helps (And What Works) mental health mindful drinking understanding alcohol May 20, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

The door closes. The bag drops. Something in the body exhales even before the glass is poured.

For a lot of

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Does Alcohol Bloat You? What Actually Happens in the Body moderation tools self-care & wellbeing understanding alcohol May 18, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

The bloating may have crept up gradually. Or perhaps your middle just started to feel different in the last

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What Does Sober Curious Mean? And Do You Have to Give Up Alcohol? grey area drinking mindful drinking moderation tools understanding alcohol May 18, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist

You heard it somewhere. A podcast, maybe, or a passing comment at dinner. Sober curious. And something in it landed, in the quiet way that a phrase can find

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Why Do Hangovers Get Worse as You Get Older? grey area drinking hormones & health midlife self-care & wellbeing understanding alcohol May 17, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist

It happens at 3am, usually. You're awake, mouth dry, heart beating in a way that feels too present, turning yesterday over in your head. Two glasses of wine,

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Dry January (or Dryish January): The Version That Actually Sticks dry january dryish january grey area drinking hypnotherapy mindful drinking mindset moderation tools May 17, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

January has a way of making things clearer.

Not always in a dramatic way. More often it is a quieter feelin

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Perimenopause and Alcohol: What's Really Happening hormones & health midlife self-care & wellbeing May 16, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

You noticed it quietly, the way you notice most things in perimenopause. A glass of wine that used to take t...

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Taking a Break from Alcohol: A Practical Guide mindful drinking moderation tools self-care & wellbeing May 15, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

The decision often doesn't arrive dramatically. It's more of a quiet settling, a moment when you realise you...

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Am I Drinking Too Much? How Much Alcohol Is Too Much — and What to Do Next grey area drinking moderation tools understanding alcohol May 11, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

If you've found yourself searching "am I drinking too much?" or "how much alcohol is too much?", you've prob...

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Hangxiety: Why Your Post-Drinking Anxiety Is More Than a Bad Morning mental health mindful drinking understanding alcohol May 11, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

You know the feeling.

The heart beating slightly faster than it should. The flat, grey weight of unease tha

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Does Alcohol Affect Sleep? What's Really Happening — and What Changes When You Drink Less self-care & wellbeing understanding alcohol May 10, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

Most people who drink more than they'd like already know, on some level, that alcohol affects their sleep.

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Grey Area Drinking: What It Is and What You Can Do About It grey area drinking moderation tools understanding alcohol May 10, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

There is a large and quietly worried group of people who don't fit neatly into the available narratives abou...

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Mastering Alcohol Moderation: 10 Proven Strategies for a Balanced Lifestyle mindful drinking moderation tools May 09, 2026
By Tansy Forrest, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Author of Ten Steps to Drink Less and Live Well

Most people who want to drink less already know it. They've promised themselves a quieter week. They've woke...

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