Mindful Drinking Advent 21: Redefining “Treat Yourself” Artwork

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

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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

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

Mindful Drinking Advent 21: Redefining “Treat Yourself”

December 21, 2025 • Denise Hamilton-Mace • Episode 143

0:00 | 6:06

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

On Day Twenty-One of the Mindful Drinking Advent, we rethink what “treat yourself” really means.

This episode challenges the idea that indulgence has to involve alcohol, and asks a simpler question: Does it actually make you feel better? You’ll explore how to choose treats that restore rather than deplete — from low/no drinks and better sleep to time alone, movement, rest, and saying no when you mean no.

A reminder that the best treats give something back.

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SPEAKER_00 0:31

Welcome to day 21 of your mindful drinking audio advent here on the Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife podcast with me, Denise Hamilton Mace. It is Sunday, the 21st of December today, and we are talking about treating yourself. More importantly, redefining treating yourself. Because up until now, treat yourself used to mean whiskey sours. Well, now it could still mean whiskey sours, but also waking up without regret and having energy for what matters because that whiskey sour happens to be low, no, or light alcohol instead of a full-strength knockout drink. And that is what I want you to focus on today. Throughout this Christmas period, you will hear people saying, Oh, go on, treat yourself, it's Christmas. But who's to say that a treat can't be an alcohol-free drink? Or perhaps it's not a drink at all. Perhaps you treat yourself by taking some time out for yourself. Perhaps it is a trip to the spa. Perhaps it's getting your nails done. Perhaps it's going and catching up with a friend. Perhaps it's taking some time out to read a book or a magazine in peace. Perhaps it's having a coffee and a walk. Whatever it is, it no longer has to only mean having alcohol. Maybe it's food, maybe it's a trip to the cinema. There are so many things that we enjoy that we've assumed that alcohol either makes better or has to be a part of it. When actually, when you take the full strength booze away from it, you can find that you still have a really great time, but you get to enjoy and absorb it more fully. Because when treat yourself only refers to having another GNT or a beer or a glass of wine, yes, it might feel like a treat in the moment. The first sip might feel like relief or reward or permission to exhale, but we all know that by the third glass, by the morning after, by the accumulation of all the treat yourselves over this entire period, that that treat isn't treating you well at all anymore. And it's not a treat if it depletes you, if it leaves you feeling foggy, if it makes you more tired in the morning, if it's taking away more than it gives in the long run, then it's not a treat. So, what I want you to do is to have a think about how you can truly treat yourself. You know, Christmas is coming, guys. It's time to give ourselves a little love in return. So, what could be a real treat for you? It could be something as simple as going to bed and getting a really good night's sleep, waking up early and having the house to yourself for an hour to read, to catch up on your favorite TV program that you can't watch while the kids are around. Um, it could be a hot bath or a walk in the cold air, or saying no to something that you don't want to do, and hell yes to something that you do want to do. A treat is whatever makes you genuinely feel better, to feel restored, feel rejuvenated, feel empowered in who you are. They might not always feel indulgent in the moment, but the clarity and the energy that they give you, that's the real luxury, that's the real treat that means that you are truly benefiting from your own choices. So I want you to list three treats that restore you rather than deplete you. Whatever they are in your world, in how you like to live, and what feels good to you, because obviously, what might be a treat to me might not be a treat to you. Uh, you might like going fishing, for example, and I don't think that I would find that much of a treat, but it's fine. Whatever is a treat to you, that is valid. So I want you to make a list of three things, and I want you to make time for each of those, and I want you to tell your other half or your family or your kids or whoever you're spending this time with that over the next few days you're going to be making time for these things, and that is your time, and it is not to be interrupted, it's not to be usurped, it's not to be uh diminished in any way, shape, or form. And then for today's drinks in your mindful drinking advent email, when you open up today's door, I've got a selection for you of um some very exquisite drinks that there'll definitely be indulgent treats in the lono space, including uh, as far as I know, the most expensive bottle of alcohol-free bubbles that you can find. So go and check that one out and let me know how you intend to treat yourself for the rest of Christmas. Uh, that is it for today. I will see you tomorrow for day 22. We're getting closer, guys. Uh, and until then, you know how it goes. Cheers to a Christmas less intoxicated.

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Denise Hamilton-Mace

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