7 Lessons I’ve Learned About Alcohol In 7 Years Alcohol-Free

January 1, 2024, I celebrated seven years free from alcohol.

I’ll never forget that fateful New Years Day in 2017 when I put my half-drank beer on an empty table in the pub where my friends and I were celebrating and walked out.

In that moment, I didn’t know that this would be my last sip of alcohol. I thought I was simply embarking on a 30-day sobriety experiment for Dry January. But, what started as an experiment extended to 90 days, to 6 months, then to a year.

Now, seven years later, I’ve become a notable voice in the alcohol-free community, a top transformational sobriety coach, and a bestselling author. In my time as a student and teacher in this space, I’ve made it my mission to be ruthlessly observant and curious about the ways in which we allow alcohol to permeate our lives.

Each year, I take some time to reflect on the lessons I’ve learned about alcohol and, in honor of seven years alcohol-free, I’m sharing seven of the most poignant lessons I’ve learned about alcohol.

Alcohol isn't your problem, it's your ineffective solution.

As someone who identified as a “casual” or “social” drinker, I didn’t resonate with language centered around addiction or recovery. And yet, I couldn’t deny the fact that alcohol had become something I turned to as a crutch. The reality is, though I didn’t have a “problem” with alcohol, I was using it as a solution to the very real problems I had in my life. Once I took a look at the perceived character flaws, emotional struggles, and social insecurities I was using alcohol to solve, it became clear where I had work to do in my life. Once I devoted time and energy to solving those problems rather than using alcohol as a short-term quick-fix, alcohol became obsolete in my life.

You don't need to have a problem with alcohol for it to be a problem in your life.

One of the factors that caused me to continue drinking even after I began questioning my relationship with alcohol was the fact that I didn’t have a diagnosable problem or addiction. Though I’m grateful for this fact and am acutely aware that my habit could have easily evolved into a problem if left unchecked, this also made sobriety seem like an extreme solution. However, after attempting several approaches to moderation and realizing they required more energy than I was willing to give, I realized that alcohol was doing nothing but creating friction in my life.

If alcohol is in any way keeping you from living out your dreams, it's a problem. Therefore, investigating your relationship with alcohol can become your life's biggest opportunity.

There will never be a convenient time to quit drinking.

Back in my sober curious days, I was always looking for a convenient time to commit to taking a break from alcohol. Spoiler: There wasn’t one. No matter which page I flipped my calendar to, there was always a socially acceptable opportunity to drink. Even if my calendar wasn’t stacked up with social obligations, I realized that there would always be a celebration to toast or a sorrow to drown. There would always be a special occasion, a decadent meal, a shit day at work, an uncomfortable first date…the list goes on and on. I was never going to be short of excuses to imbibe. Taking a break from alcohol was a decision and commitment I had to make by myself, for myself.

The most convenient time to change your relationship with alcohol will inevitably be the day you decide living out your potential is more important than your comfort.

If it's not fun without alcohol...it's just not fun.

Drinking alcohol dulls your tolerance for not-fun things, making them appear more interesting than they really are. Point blank: If you don’t enjoy a person or experience without alcohol, it’s likely that person or experience simply isn’t for you.

This is a good thing, REJOICE! Let’s make this the year you stop doing unfulfilling things and dulling your mind down so that you can tolerate them. Let’s make this the year you determine what you really enjoy and do more of that!

Being alcohol-free raises your energetic frequency.

Everything you interact with has energy. No matter how you look at it, alcohol is a depressant. It’s a low-vibe substance that generates low-vibrational energetic returns. Yes, even when you’re drinking “high-quality” alcohol or imbibing as part of a celebration.

When you make low-vibe energetic investments, you get low-er vibe energetic returns. Conversely, when you raise your energetic frequency, you start to attract others who vibrate at a similar frequency and repel those who don't.

When you stop drinking, you start manifesting

Your energetic vibration impacts how quickly and easily you can attract your desires into your life. Even if you’ve managed to attract relatively amazing things into your life as a drinker, I’m willing to bet that you could attract more with less effort if you removed alcohol from the equation.

Sobriety is a competitive edge that cannot be matched

On a more practical level, every aspect of your life has the potential to expand when you remove a substance - like alcohol - that (even if consumed in moderation) stunts your growth. Further, being alcohol-free will set you apart from the crowd in all areas of life. Choosing sobriety will give you opportunities that other people don’t get simply because you are willing to do something out of the social norm. This isn’t weird, it’s amazing.

Not to mention the fact that electing to be sober will give you more energy, increase your creativity and help you tap into intellectual and emotional ranges that many drinkers don’t have access to or awareness of.

Do these insights hit home? Go here to check out a list of my most up-to-date resources and offerings to learn how to dive deeper.