{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Alcohol Minimalist: Mindful Drinking & Behavior Change","title":"No Willpower Required with Mike Hardenbrook","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2257,"description":"In this episode of the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast, I’m joined by Mike Hardenbrook—author of No Willpower Required and host of the Journey to the Sunny Side podcast—for a conversation that’s been a long time coming.\nMike’s story will resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled with drinking more than they want to but never felt “out of control” enough to warrant a label. His approach to habit change is science-forward, rooted in neuroscience and behavioral psychology, and deeply aligned with our core belief at Alcohol Minimalist: you are not powerless.\n\nTogether, we discuss:\nHow Mike’s drinking slowly crept into a habitual nightly loop—despite a successful life and healthy routines.\nWhy the traditional “powerless” model of alcohol change never resonated with him—and why he decided to write a book for people like him.\nWhat it means to truly “rewire” your drinking habit and how Mike used curiosity, experimentation, and mindset shifts to get there.\nOur shared belief in empowering people through understanding their brains—and how that changes everything.\nThe role of alcohol as a “light switch” for the brain, and why the reward loop gets so entrenched for daily drinkers.\nThis is a real, down-to-earth conversation between two people who have both experienced the challenges of breaking a long-term drinking habit and emerged with a science-backed, compassionate way forward.\nIf you’ve been trying to drink less but feel stuck, this episode is for you. And if the idea of change without willpower sounds too good to be true, give this a listen—you may find a new path forward.\nAbout Mike Hardenbrook:\nMike is the author of No Willpower Required: A Neuroscience Approach to Change Your Habits with Alcohol and the host of the Journey to the Sunny Side podcast. He also works with the alcohol habit-change app Sunnyside, where he helps others build sustainable, science-based strategies to drink less.\nResources & Links:\nLearn more about Mike and his book: www.hardenbrook.com\nCheck out...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/zu3PtA3XzNKb2qSH95OKvfAaoixqds182Hao41kpkws/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wZjY5/NjVmY2Y2MGQ0NmMx/NGNiMzdiZGY0OTMz/OWQzMy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}