This is the Biggest Change Quitting Alcohol Had on Me
The change lasted even though I drink alcohol again
For 14 months, I consumed no alcohol and experienced incredible benefits.
Some of these benefits I expected, such as losing weight and reducing brain fog, but others I did not expect.
For one, it was as if my true personality and self were coming to life. Alcohol had made me a different person.
Today, even though I consume alcohol on occasion, one of the most interesting changes has stayed true.
Now, I much prefer low-stimulation environments.
The club life
Back when I consumed 100+ ounces of alcohol a week, I thrived in high-stimulation environments.
I worked in nightclubs with loud music, flashing lights, and people screaming, and I rose to the occasion in this fast-paced environment.
I was drunk almost the entire time though.
Every day, I socialized because it benefited my business. If I wasn’t socializing, I was miserable. I struggled to spend time alone.
I craved and needed high-stimulation environments.
Due to COVID, we were all forced out of these environments. Many of us, such as myself, struggled to adjust.
When we were finally allowed out again, I jumped right back into it and it felt like my home was back.
It wasn’t quite the same though.
A year later, I decided to quit drinking for an extended period of time. That’s when I fell in love with low-stimulation environments.
The joy of low-stimulation environments
When alcohol and high-stimulation environments combine, your brain goes numb. You almost forget about your thoughts. The good and the bad.
That can be pleasant or a nice break for those who are living a life they don’t want to live (such as I was), but for those trying to achieve more, it can be brutal.
Without proper access to your thoughts, you lack clarity. You are no longer able to think clearly and with that comes a lack of self-knowledge.
Low-stimulation environments let you think deeply and thoroughly. You’re able to come up with complex solutions to problems you would otherwise ignore.
I never realized that until I was forced to be in a low-stimulation environment for an extended period of time.
Once I started to enjoy it, I started to dislike high-stimulation environments.
You could say I’ve become a hermit in a way, but I would rather look at it as I started to enjoy myself more than lasers.
What does it all mean?
For myself, it means that I like to think about deeper problems. When I was always drunk, my problems were usually trying to figure out how to fill the club with people.
Now, I am constantly reading biographies, physics books, tech books and books on spirituality. This has made my brain constantly contemplate interesting problems.
I much rather be thinking about these problems than thinking about nightclubs.
But, more importantly, what does this mean for you?
If you drink often, there is a good chance you are creating a different person. On top of that, you are ignoring who your true self is.
You probably don’t even know who you are.
Something I like to say nowadays is: “If you can’t do it when you’re sober, you probably don’t actually enjoy doing it.”
What I’m getting at is, you are probably drinking a lot because you are not doing something you enjoy. That is the root of a pretty deep problem.
The good news is if you solve that problem, you’ll be a much happier person and with that, many rewards tend to follow.
So, I would challenge you to give drinking a break for a bit and see what happens to you.
You may discover your true self.
Worst case scenario, you’ll still feel a lot healthier.
Closing Thoughts
As a result of this change, even though I allow myself to still drink alcohol on occasion, I dread it.
I opt out on the days I’m allowed to drink because I don’t want to change my brain. I love my brain and I want to keep focusing on the things alcohol turns off.
My only wish is that I would have quit for an extended period of time earlier.
I would have probably come up with solutions to the problems I have been contemplating by now!
Thanks for reading.