429: The Hidden Difference Between Having Fun and Chasing It

Take a Break from Drinking

Rachel Hart

Alcohol, Lifecoach, Alcoholicsanonymous, Self-improvement, Hungover, Society & Culture, Smartrecovery, Drinking, Cognitivebehavioraltherapy, Education, Cbt, 12steps, Sobriety, Drunk, Recovery, Personal Journals

4.8 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What’s the difference between having fun and chasing it? As kids, most people have a good 15 years of life when they knew how to have fun without a drink in their hand. Back then, your brain had no idea that the perception of fun could be outsourced to something external. You just went out and created your own enjoyment.

When you get in the habit of drinking to have fun, you start expecting things to be fun with little to no effort. You sit there passively waiting for fun to happen to you, turning to your external environment and saying, "Okay, now you're in charge of my ability to have a good time."

When you primarily consume fun through drinking, eating, watching TV, or scrolling online, you're looking for that easy dopamine hit that keeps you in a cycle you’re probably not super happy with. So, tune in this week to discover how to stop chasing fun, and how to start actually having fun.

Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/429

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you've ever thought things aren't as fun if I'm not drinking, then this episode is for you.
0:05.3	This is episode 429 and I'm exploring the difference between consuming fun and creating fun and why these distinctions matter more than you might think.
0:14.6	Spoiler alert, this isn't about labeling the things you find fun as good or bad.
0:19.5	It's about understanding which type you primarily use,
0:23.3	how they operate differently in your brain, and why when you're used to consuming a lot of fun,
0:28.2	it's harder to say no to temptation. Whether you want to drink less or stop drinking,
0:34.4	this podcast will help you change the habit from the inside out.
0:38.9	We're challenging conventional wisdom about why people drink and why it can be hard to resist temptation.
0:45.4	No labels, no judgment, just practical tools to take control of your desire and stop worrying about your drinking.
0:53.2	Now here's your host, Rachel Hart.
1:00.2	I'm digging through the archives again this week while I'm out on vacation and returning
1:03.8	to an early episode about the difference between consuming fun and creating it.
1:08.9	Understanding this distinction matters so much when you're trying to
1:12.3	change your relationship with alcohol. But honestly, this distinction matters for everyone,
1:17.0	even if drinking less isn't something that you struggle with. We don't usually think about
1:21.8	where we fall on the spectrum of creating versus consuming the things we find enjoyable in life. We just want everything to be fun.
1:29.9	And frankly, the older you get, the more likely you are to consume because often we have an
1:34.7	aversion to trying new things, making mistakes, or looking foolish. But once you understand the
1:40.1	distinction between consuming and creating fun, it changes forever how you think about
1:45.4	what's required to have a good time. And it will also help you evaluate your decisions around
1:50.4	drinking and why you're going back for more. Enjoy the episode. For today's topic, I want you to
1:58.9	think about a time in your life when you had fun without a drink in your hand
	...

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