Break the diet cola and fizzy drinks habit with hypnotherapy

For some people it’s the can of Diet Coke at 11am that they look forward to all morning. For others it’s a big bottle of cola on the desk that gets refilled all day, or lemonade with every meal. Fizzy drinks don’t feel like a big deal, which is partly why the habit is so easy to slip into and so hard to shift.

This page is for anyone who wants to stop drinking fizzy drinks, or drink a lot less of them. It covers sugary and sugar-free drinks alike, because the habit often works the same way.

The NHS says adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, roughly 7 sugar cubes, and a single can of cola can have as much as 9 cubes (NHS, 2023). Diet versions avoid the sugar, but the Oral Health Foundation points out that fizzy drinks, including diet and sugar-free ones, are acidic and can soften tooth enamel, especially when you sip them often (Oral Health Foundation, 2026).

Signs your fizzy drink habit has taken over

• You’re thinking about your next can before you’ve finished this one
• You drink it instead of water for most of the day
• You keep a stash at home, at work and in the car, and feel uneasy if you run out
• It’s the first drink you reach for in the morning
• Your teeth feel sensitive, or your dentist has mentioned wear
• You’ve tried to cut down and were back to the same amount within days

Why it’s hard to stop

Part of it is what’s in the can. Full sugar drinks give you a quick hit of sugar and a dip afterwards. Colas also contain caffeine, and most diet colas do too. The NHS puts a can of cola at around 40mg. If you drink several a day, your body gets used to it, and you can feel tired or headachy when you go without.

A lot of it is the ritual: the crack of the can, the cold, the fizz and the little break it gives you. With diet drinks especially, it’s often the routine and the sensation that keep you coming back, more than anything in the drink. Those cues are linked to a small reward in your brain, and they run on autopilot, which is why cutting down by willpower alone often slips after a few days.

How hypnotherapy can help you stop drinking fizzy drinks

In hypnosis you’re relaxed and focused, which makes it easier to change the automatic link between a cue and reaching for a can. We work on the moments you want one most, such as mid morning at your desk or with your evening meal, and rehearse choosing something else calmly. We also look at what the drink gives you, often a break or a small treat, and build in other ways to get that.

Hypnotherapy works best when you’ve decided you want to change. You’ll still be the one who leaves the can in the fridge, and I can’t say in advance how quickly the habit will shift for you. What sessions can do is make that choice feel easier, so the change is something you keep up rather than something you fight.

How to stop drinking fizzy drinks: things you can try today

• Keep the cold and the fizz. Have sparkling water or a jug of cold water in the fridge, so you still get the sensation without the cola.
• Cut down one can at a time. If you drink cola, dropping one every few days makes caffeine headaches less likely than stopping all at once.
• Stop buying multipacks. Buy one at a time, so each can is a decision rather than something that’s just there.
• Protect your teeth. Drink through a straw and with meals rather than sipping all day, and wait at least an hour before brushing your teeth after a fizzy drink, as the Oral Health Foundation advises.
• Notice your moment. Work out when you usually reach for a can, and put something else in that slot: a short walk, a glass of sparkling water or a few minutes away from your screen.
• Tell people. Let the people at home or work know you’re cutting down, so they stop picking you one up.

When to see your dentist or GP

If your teeth feel sensitive or look worn, book a check-up. You can find an NHS dentist in England. If sugar more generally has a hold on you, see my sugar cravings page, and if most of your fizzy drinks are colas or energy drinks, my caffeine page may help too.

Some people use diet drinks to keep hunger away or to make up for eating. If you often eat large amounts and feel out of control, or you make yourself sick, skip meals or exercise to make up for eating, please talk to your GP or call Beat on 0808 801 0677.

Common questions

Is Diet Coke bad for you?

The NHS suggests water, lower-fat milk, or sugar-free and diet drinks as swaps for sugary ones. The main concerns when you drink a lot are the acid on your teeth, the caffeine in colas, and the habit taking over your day. If you want to drink less, that’s reason enough.

Is it the caffeine or the habit that’s hard to give up?

Usually both, in different amounts. If you get headaches or feel foggy without your usual cans, caffeine is part of it, so cut down slowly. If you miss the moment more than the drink, the ritual is doing most of the work, and that’s where hypnotherapy can help most.

Do I have to give up fizzy drinks completely?

No. Some people want to stop altogether, others want one can they enjoy rather than six they don’t notice. We’ll agree what you want before we start.

How many sessions will I need?

Some people want one 90 minute session focused on the daily can routine. If the habit is tied up with stress, long days at a desk or other cravings, three sessions let us work through those too. We can decide together on a consultation call.

How do sessions work?

We meet one to one over Zoom, so you can do it from home. We shape each session around the times and places you usually reach for a can, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to play afterwards.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fizzy drinks habit and what would help, or take the free check first.

See all session options and prices

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: NHS, Sugar in our diet; Oral Health Foundation, Dental erosion; NHS, caffeine amounts in drinks; Beat Helpline. Checked October 2026.