Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms

**A Spotify 'Rising Star' show** Practical moderation for the way you want to live.

Why can't I drink like I used to? How do I drink less without quitting completely? Should I go for low, no or light alcohol drinks? 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, 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?
What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
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?

This podcast is for you if:

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.

All Episodes

Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms

119: Going Daily for December

November 11, 2025 • Denise Hamilton-Mace • Episode 119

0:00 | 4:22

Send me a message 🤗

GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/

This December, I'm taking the podcast daily throughout the festive season.

From December 1st, I'll be delivering short, focused episodes created to support your mindful drinking journey through what can be the most challenging time of year for mindful drinkers.

Each bite-sized episode will give you practical tips, motivation, and strategies to navigate Christmas parties, family gatherings, and New Year celebrations on your terms.

If you've been dreading another booze-heavy festive season, this daily dose of support is exactly what you need.

Sign up for the companion Mindful Drinking Advent Calendar at mindfuldrinkingadvent.com for exclusive drink recommendations and discounts too.

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🎄 Join the daily advent for free to have your best Christmas & New Year yet! https://lownodrinker.com/christmaspod/ 🤶🏾

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✅ Get the Beginner's Guide to Mindful Drinking - https://lownodrinker.com/mindful-drinking-beginners-guide/

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❓ Take the Midlife Drinking Triggers Quiz - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/68dd33385bb4a20015996a13

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Well, hello, hello. I know you don't usually hear from me today, but I have a little update for you about the pod that I wanted to share before we get into tomorrow's main episode. And that is to let you know that this December, the Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife podcast is going to go daily. We are heading into the biggest drinking season of the year. Of course, I'm talking about the festive season, starting in a couple of weeks with Thanksgiving, all the way through Christmas up until New Year's Eve. And for those of us who drink differently and decide that we don't necessarily want to have another Christmas like all the other ones, it can be a pretty full-on, quite stressy, intense time of year. But I don't want you to feel like that. So, as you know, I've made for you the Mindful Drinking Advent Calendar, which is a free digital daily calendar. And each day that you open, you'll find mindful drinking inspiration, motivation, moderation information, tips, and techniques to help you have a Christmas on your own terms. And this December, starting on the 1st, I will be turning the Advent Calendar into a daily podcast experience for you. Each episode will be just a couple of minutes and will allow you to get that extra support and guidance and coaching that you need just when you need it the most. So there are two things that you need to do. The first is to sign up for the Mindful Drinking Advent, which you can do at mindfuldrinkingadvent.com or of course by clicking the link in the show notes. Now you might be thinking, is there any point in signing up to it if you're going to do the daily uh the daily episode, Denise? And yes, of course there is. Along with the daily motivations inside the advent calendar itself, there is, of course, my personal collection of curated drinks to see you through the season. It is a selection of low, no, and light alcohol drinks that I think will be fabulous for celebrating the festive uh occurrences. And of course, each day's drinks come with exclusive discounts so that you can enjoy a Christmas less intoxicated and save yourself a few pennies at the same time. The other thing that you need to do is whichever app you are using right now to listen to my beautiful Dulcet tones, make sure that you've hit the subscribe or the follow button, whatever it says in your app. That way, all the daily episodes will be downloaded for you so that they're ready for you as and when you need them, or if you prefer to catch up after a couple of days, you can binge a few back to back. I am very excited to do this. I've not done a daily element to the show before, but I know that this is such an important time of year for all of us with the pressures from everything from work dues to family gatherings. There's so much going on. So don't worry, I've got your back this year. We're gonna do this together. I'll see you in a couple of weeks for the first of the December dailies, and until then, cheers to a Christmas less intoxicated.

People on this episode

Denise Hamilton-Mace

Host