Addicted to Scrolling, Sugar, or Shopping? How “Little Addictions” Can Run Your Life With Catharine Gray
Sometimes Even After You’ve Quit Drinking— Something Still Feels Off.
If you’re a high-achieving, sober-curious woman who’s drinking less (or not at all) but still feels pulled toward scrolling, snacking, shopping, streaming, or stress habits that don’t actually make you feel good—this episode is for you.
Today I’m talking with bestselling author Catherine Gray who wrote The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober and Sunshine Warm Sober. Her new book Little Addictions dives into the everyday compulsions that feel “too small to matter”… until they quietly start running your time, mood, money, and mental health.
This conversation isn’t about becoming stricter or more disciplined. It’s about understanding why these habits are so sticky—and how to loosen their grip without shame, deprivation, or white-knuckling your life.
👭 How I First Met Catherine—and Why This Conversation Matters So Much to Me
Catherine and I first crossed paths online back in 2013, in a private Facebook group for women trying to stop drinking—during the first time I tried to get out of the drinking cycle.
Those early sobriety spaces were raw, hopeful, and messy. We were both just trying to figure out how to live without alcohol in a world that constantly pushed it.
Then, three years later, Catherine posted a photo I’ll never forget.
She was biking across the Golden Gate Bridge with sober friends, sitting at the end of the ride drinking tea, laughing, alive, and clearly living her life.
I saw that photo on a morning when I was hungover again—and it hit me hard.
She wasn’t just “not drinking.” She was out there having adventures. Meanwhile, I was still stuck in the same exhausting loop.
That image helped push me out of the drinking cycle for good. It showed me what was possible on the other side—and it’s why this conversation about little addictions, agency, and freedom is so personal.
The Core Question This Episode Answers
Why do we keep doing things we don’t even fully want to do—and how can we change those habits without guilt or all-or-nothing thinking?
What We Mean by “Little Addictions”
Little addictions are the habits that feel “too small to matter”… like scrolling, snacking, shopping, streaming, news-checking, or nicotine. They often come with micro-consequences—until the cumulative impact becomes huge: less time, less peace, less energy, more anxiety, and that nagging feeling of why can’t I stop?
This Episode Is For You If…
✅ You’ve stopped (or cut back on) drinking but noticed other habits taking over
✅ You feel pulled toward your phone, food, shopping, or TV—especially at night
✅ You keep telling yourself “it’s not that bad,” but it doesn’t feel great either
✅ You’re tired of trying to rely on willpower alone
✅ You want to understand cravings and dopamine in a grounded, compassionate way
🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
❇️ What “little addictions” are and why their cumulative impact matters
❇️ How to tell the difference between pleasure and a habit that’s quietly using you
❇️ Why modern life gives us no generational playbook for handling constant stimulation
❇️ The brain-based reason you feel the push–pull of “I want it” and “I don’t want it”
❇️ How apps, food, news, and shopping are engineered to exploit reward uncertainty
❇️ Why guilt makes cravings worse (the guilt paradox)
❇️ The difference between dopamine fasting and dopamine shifting
❇️ How tools from addiction recovery can be scaled down for everyday habits
❇️ Why early sobriety can feel flat—and how your reward system actually heals over time
🎧 The Shifts That Change Everything
➡️ You’re not weak—your brain is learning exactly what it’s being trained to repeat
➡️ Shame fuels craving; self-compassion interrupts the cycle
➡️ Fast dopamine isn’t “bad,” but too much of it leaves you anxious and depleted
➡️ Sobriety isn’t just about alcohol—it’s about reclaiming agency across your whole life
➡️ You don’t need to quit everything—you need systems that help you stay in the driver’s seat
❤️ You’re Not Broken—Here’s What Comes Next
If this episode helps you realize, “Oh… this isn’t just about scrolling or sugar,” that’s a good thing.
You’re not failing at moderation. You’re living in an environment designed to hook you.
With understanding, education, and a few smart shifts, you can loosen the grip of these habits—without giving up joy, pleasure, or who you are.
Tune in for a conversation that’s honest, grounding, and deeply relieving.
🔍 Fast Dopamine vs. Slow (Earned) Dopamine
Fast Dopamine (Instant, Spiky, More Addictive)
These give you a quick hit—but often leave you more anxious, depleted, or craving afterward.
- Alcohol
- Doomscrolling / social media
- Ultra-processed foods (sugar + fat + salt combos)
- Online shopping
- Gambling
- Nicotine / vaping
- Porn
- Endless streaming / autoplay TV
- Gossiping or judgment
- Procrastination “relief” (avoiding the hard thing)
How it feels: buzzy, urgent, slightly edgy
After-effect: crash, craving, “what’s next?” feeling
🔍 Slow (Earned) Dopamine (Steady, Sustainable, Regulating)
These take more effort—but don’t spike and crash your system.
- Walking or exercising
- Reading
- Writing or journaling
- Cold exposure or contrast showers
- Cooking a meal from scratch
- Deep work or finishing a meaningful task
- Time in nature or sunlight
- Meditation or breathwork
- Gratitude practices
- Creative projects
- Genuine connection or conversation
How it feels: calm, grounded, satisfying
After-effect: stable energy, contentment, clarity.
⚖️ The Goal Isn’t Perfection—It’s Balance
You don’t need to eliminate fast dopamine.
You need enough slow dopamine to keep your nervous system regulated and your cravings quieter.
That’s dopamine shifting—not dopamine fasting.
🧠 Links + Resources
- Catherine Gray’s new book: Little Addictions
- The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober By Catharine Gray
- Sunshine Warm Sober by Catharine Gray
- Podcast Ep. 70: The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober with Catherine Gray | Hello Someday Coaching
- New York Times article where Casey shared her favorite Quit Lit Books, including The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober. 8 Books About Sobriety to Help You Drink Less, or Quit Altogether – The New York Times
- Podcast Ep. 266: Why Do We Crave Alcohol? Dopamine Nation with Dr. Anna Lembke | Hello Someday Coaching
📌 If You’re New Here
About me: I’m Casey McGuire Davidson, a sobriety and life coach for sober-curious, high-achieving women and host of The Hello Someday Podcast. Around here we talk stress, careers, kids, marriages—and all the messy, beautiful parts of building a life you don’t need to escape from.
If you’re ready for structure, tools, and a community that actually gets you, you’re in the right place. 💛
You’ve got this. And I’m right here with you. 💛
❤️ Ready to take a real break from drinking?
If you want structure, support, and a plan that actually works, check out my Sobriety Starter Kit coaching program.
You’ll get:
🎯 A proven step-by-step plan to get out of the drinking cycle
✅ Tools to handle cravings and triggers without white-knuckling
💬 A private community of women who get it
🧠 Mindset shifts to help you sleep better and stress less
It’s helped over 1,500 women feel better, sleep deeper, and actually enjoy life without alcohol.
👉 Join The Sobriety Starter Kit Now
About Catherine Gray
Catherine Gray is the author of six books, including The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. Little Addictions is her seventh. She’s sold well over half a million books in English-speaking territories alone, and her books have been translated into fourteen languages. With a background in journalism, she has written for the Guardian, Grazia, Stylist, the Telegraph and many more. Her books have received acclaim from the likes of The New York Times, BBC Breakfast, Good Morning America and BBC Radio 2.
In 2018, Catherine founded the charitable campaign Sober Spring – a three-month sabbatical from alcohol – with Alcohol Change UK, for whom she is an ambassador. She’s been sober since 2013. Catherine lives in a little house by the sea with a high-maintenance dog, a medium-maintenance partner and a low-maintenance toddler.
You can follow Catherine on Instagram: @unexpectedjoyof
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