Alcohol Minimalist: Mindful Drinking & Behavior Change


We tend to think of hearing as something that happens in our ears, but hearing is really a partnership between the ears and the brain. And growing research suggests that when hearing begins to decline, it may have implications for cognitive health as well.

In this episode of Think Thursday, Molly explores the connection between hearing loss and dementia risk, including what the latest research says about whether hearing aids may help protect cognitive function.
You’ll learn:
  • Why hearing loss is considered a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia
  • How “effortful listening” may place additional demands on the brain
  • The role social isolation may play in the hearing–cognition connection
  • What the ACHIEVE trial found about hearing aids and cognitive decline
  • Why hearing aids cannot currently be said to prevent dementia
  • Signs that it may be time to have your hearing evaluated
  • Simple ways to protect your hearing from noise-related damage
The takeaway: protecting your hearing isn’t just about preserving sound. It’s another practical way to support the connection between your brain and the world around you.


Research mentioned:
The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention
The ACHIEVE randomized clinical trial
2026 World Health Organization dementia risk-reduction guidance
2026 multinational research on hearing aid use and probable dementia
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What is Alcohol Minimalist: Mindful Drinking & Behavior Change?

Join coach Molly Watts on the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast to explore mindful drinking, behavior change, and mental wellness. This show offers science-based strategies to help you break drinking habits and overcome anxiety linked to alcohol use. Whether you're an adult child of alcoholics or seeking peace with your drinking, discover tools for lasting change without shame or guilt. New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

Becoming an alcohol minimalist means:
Choosing how to include alcohol in our lives following low-risk guidelines.
Freedom from anxiety around alcohol use.
Less alcohol without feeling deprived.
Using the power of our own brains to overcome our past patterns and choose peace.
The Alcohol Minimalist Podcast explores the science behind alcohol and analyzes physical and mental wellness to empower choice. You have the power to change your relationship with alcohol, you are not sick, broken and it's not your genes!

This show is intended for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. If you are physically dependent on alcohol, please seek medical help to reduce your drinking.