The brain associates alcohol with a treat for working hard.

Drinking can help you push through end-of-the-day tasks or signal that you can sit down and rest.

This archetype commonly appears when you feel physically or emotionally drained.

The Reward tends to show up when:

• • Putting work, family, or friends first and having little time for yourself.
  • It’s hard to disconnect from work, stop working on your to-do list, or be unproductive.
  • Evenings and weekends are more exhausting than restful.
  • Following strict diets or exercise plans that only allow alcohol on “cheat days.”
  • Using alcohol as a treat to power through tasks or tackle something you’ve been avoiding.

When The Reward is activated, saying no interferes with your desire to relax, making it hard to abstain or moderate.

“This is my me-time.”

The specific thoughts, feelings, and actions associated with The Reward create a learned behavior that influences how much and how often you drink.

The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less outlines what you need to practice thinking, feeling, and doing instead to combat The Reward archetype.

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The Reward often uses stress to sabotage rules, drink plans, and Dry Januarys.

• • Only once you’ve poured the drink are you officially “off the clock.”
  • After a crappy day, you lose your resolve not to drink or to limit yourself.
  • Sitting down with a drink is the only me-time you get.
  • You find it hard to stop thinking about your day and relax without a drink.
  • You cut back on alcohol in the evenings, only to replace drinking with eating.
  • You’re less annoyed doing chores or responding to work emails with a drink.
  • You truly deserve a drink after surviving bedtime struggles and homework battles.
  • You find yourself promising yourself a drink once you complete a task.
  • You follow a strict diet or exercise plan and look forward to drinking on “cheat days.”
  • Certain foods are off-limits, and drinking is your replacement treat.

Willpower and discipline often fall short because they ignore the subconscious desire behind reaching for a drink.

Learn about The Reward’s deeper desire in The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less and why it’s the hidden key to success.

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“Treats are an insufficient solution for being burned out, stretched too thin, or exhausted.”

If you want to drink less, you have to do more than say “No!” to your cravings. You must dismantle the beliefs associated with The Reward that lead to giving in.

Get the specific exercises for The Reward archetype inside The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less.

GET THE GUIDE »

Letting go of The Reward will make you more relaxed.

• • Knowing you’re enough, regardless of how much you accomplish in a day.
  • Resting without feeling guilty that you should be doing more.
  • Acknowledging and celebrating all you do without diminishing or downplaying your contributions.
  • Moving through your day with lightness, even when you have a full plate.
  • Setting strong boundaries with work so it doesn’t creep into your downtime.
  • Spotting and addressing areas where you are over-extended or burned out before they snowball. Discovering how to make any moment feel special.
  • Enjoying the responsibilities you take on rather than feeling resentful.