S6 EP34: Why Knowing Isn’t Changing You: The Real Reason You Stay Stuck (And What To Do Instead)S6 EP34: Why Knowing Isn’t Changing You: The Real Reason You Stay Stuck (And What To Do Instead)
RAW CHATTER!
Vicky Midwood talks about why knowing better doesn’t stop repetitive habits around alcohol, food and other behaviours, and focuses on behaviour rather than willpower. She explains how physiology, psychology and identity interact and offers simple strategies to replace old patterns with more helpful actions.
23:44•28 Apr 2026
Why Knowing Better Doesn’t Stop the Wine: Breaking Stuck Habits with Vicky Midwood
Episode Overview
- Knowing what to do is only a first step; behaviour change needs more than information and intelligence.
- Habits around alcohol, food, work and screens usually solve a problem in the short term, but carry long-term costs to health and relationships.
- Real change means looking at physiology, psychology and identity together, rather than focusing on one piece in isolation.
- Shifting from “Why am I doing this?” to “What can I do instead?” helps create practical, real-time alternatives to old patterns.
- Using a simple “delay, distract, decide” approach can reduce automatic reactions and build a sense of control without relying on willpower alone.
“"It's not an information problem and it's not an intelligence problem. It's being able to understand how we shift behaviour."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober and changing their habits when they already "know" what they should be doing? RAW CHATTER! host Vicky Midwood gets right into that painful gap between understanding and action in this solo episode. Speaking directly to high achievers, business owners and anyone stuck in repeat habits around alcohol, food, scrolling, work or other compulsions, Vicky argues that, "It's not an information problem and it's not an intelligence problem.
It's a behaviour problem." You’ll hear her unpack why reading all the books, saving all the posts and binging podcasts still leaves you pouring the same drink or opening the same app at the same time every day. Drawing on more than three decades in health, fitness, addiction psychology and behaviour change, she explains how behaviour is a mix of physiology, psychology and identity.
Patterns like reaching for wine, sugar, overworking or online shopping are framed as short-term "solutions" that genuinely do something for you – they calm, numb, distract or create a sense of control – but at a cost to health, energy, relationships and self-confidence.
Vicky shares a practical shift: rather than asking "Why am I doing this?", start asking "What can I do instead when I want to do that thing?" She talks through her "delay, distract, decide" idea and gives simple, doable examples, from going for a walk to tidying a drawer or trying breathing exercises, all aimed at creating real-time interruption to old patterns.
Her style stays straight-talking, warm and non-judgemental, with a clear message that shame and labels on their own don’t create change. For anyone in recovery or stuck in unhelpful coping strategies, this chat offers a fresh way to think about habits and a reminder that you’re not broken – you just need new tools and a different approach. Which pattern are you ready to replace, rather than just understand?
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