Sometimes, growth comes from what we eliminate.
During the time I took away from work during Q4, 2024, I found stillness and tranquility that I hadn’t experienced in years. One of the features of this stillness was that I started paying attention to what I was sensing; in my mind, body, soul…
One of the many things I noted is that alcohol – even in the small quantities in which I was consuming it – was detracting from my experience of life. So, in November of 2024, I decided to go alcohol free.
In addition to sharing about my experience of going alcohol free with this post, I thought I’d share a list of a few of my favorite non-alcoholic beers as a way to be in solidarity with others who have chosen or are considering an alcohol free lifestyle.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL
I’ve had what I would describe as a functional relationship with alcohol. I say “functional” because alcohol was never a source of significant disruption in my day-to-day experience. Alcohol never inhibited my ability to function at a high level.
Sure, I’ve had too many drinks on occasion – mostly earlier in life. I know what a hangover feels like.
But as I got into my mid-30s, my alcohol intake reduced significantly both in terms of frequency and volume. That trend continued into my 40s and 50s.
PAYING ATTENTION TO THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL
More recently, I really started paying attention to how alcohol was making me feel. I can’t say whether this was a result of the stillness I cultivated as I took time away from work, or because my body’s relationship with alcohol changed in a way that made alcohol consumption harder to digest.
What I can do, though, is clearly describe the difference between what I experienced when consuming it and how being free of it has enhanced my experience.
Adverse Symptoms I Experienced From Drinking Alcohol in Moderation
Here is what I started to notice when consuming alcohol in moderation.
- Disruption in Sleep: I didn’t sleep well when I had alcohol the prior night. I was more restless, had less deep sleep, and frequently woke up feeling as if my sleep was not rejuvenating.
- Slower to Rise: The morning after consuming alcohol, I was slower to rise, less likely to work out, and generally less energetic when waking up.
- Foggy: Consuming alcohol in the evening dulled my experience and made things feel hazy. I was less energetic and less engaged in the evenings than when I did not have alcohol.
- Heavier: By heavier, I mean physically so. I found it harder to modulate my weight when drinking, likely due to a combination of the high-caloric nature of alcoholic beverages and the negative impact of drinking alcohol on both the frequency and intensity of my exercise.
- Mood Distruption: During evenings when I had alcohol, I noted that my mood was less balanced. I was more easily disrupted, less patient, and more easily agitated.
Although none of these adverse symptoms were significantly disruptive, in paying attention, I started to question whether the juice of moderate alcohol consumption was worth the squeeze…
What Alcohol Free Feels Like to Me
You don’t know what you‘re missing until it’s gone. With the benefit of over six months without an alcoholic drink, I have a lot of data points on how my experience is different.
- Restful Sleep: I sleep better, wake up less frequently, and consistently feel rested in the morning.
- More Energetic: Without the drag of my body trying to metabolize alcohol, I’m more energetic throughout the day.
- Present: There is no fog. I’m clear-minded, present, and sharp – all the time.
- Grounded: I’m less likely to be disrupted, slower to agitate, and more in tune with and comfortable expressing what I’m experiencing in any given moment.
- Fit: My exercise is not just more frequent, but I’m able to exercise at a higher intensity level on interval days when I push hard.
- Authentic: Without the influence of alcohol at social gatherings (including professional ones), I’m more in my authentic self.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that I don’t really miss it. Every once and a while, I remember how fantastic a good margarita tastes, but that is more about the experience of having a cocktail than it is the alcohol itself. And I do pine to partake in a whiskey night with some guy friends – although we can still do that – I just won’t have any whiskey while everyone rubs it in my face…
The main point is that I’ve come to understand, through both paying attention to how alcohol was making me feel and to how I felt after leaving it, that alcohol wasn’t serving me well.
THE SCIENCE OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
I’m not here to advocate that you should go alcohol free, but there is some emerging science on alcohol that is worth knowing about. Rather than me reciting this, I’ll defer to a few experts:
- Alcohol’s Effects on the Body: The science of the effects of alcohol on the body from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
- About Moderate Alcohol Use: The science of the adverse health consequences of moderate alcohol abuse from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Facts About Ageing and Alcohol: Review of the relationship between ageing and alcohol from the National Institute on Ageing.
- Alcohol Free Influencers to Follow:
ELIMINATION AS A CATALYST TO GROWTH
For me, I’ve found the elimination of alcohol has been additive to my growth. Living an alcohol free lifestyle has me clearer of mind, stronger of body, and more grounded in spirit.
I’m not here to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t pursue an alcohol free lifestyle for yourself. But what I can advocate unequivocally is that you pay attention. Pay attention to how drinking alcohol makes you feel and influences your experience.
More broadly, pay attention to the influence of things in your life that are unnecessary for your human flourishing. For those unnecessary things, ask whether they are serving you well. If they aren’t, eliminate them where you can and modulate them where you must.
