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My guest this week is James Swanwick, an Australian-American investor and entrepreneur He is the creator of the Alcohol Free Lifestyle, which helps people change their relationship with alcohol

In this episode:-

  1. James was a moderate drinker, but after 20 years of consistent drinking, he realized the negative effect on his health and stopped for what was supposed to be a 30-day experiment. That was 13 years ago and he’s been alcohol free ever since!
  2. Like many of us James hesitated to quit due to societal conditioning – he associated alcohol with socializing and fun and feared being perceived as dull or boring without alcohol. And indeed…
  3. There was some Social Awkwardness for a while - navigating social situations without alcohol felt awkward and he shared a story of pretending to drink alcohol when on a date – this strategy proved to be a mistake when his date discovered he had lied!  
  4. In spite of the tricky start James was soon embracing his alcohol-free lifestyle openly.
  5. We discussed the strong influence of peer pressure and the need for a supportive tribe when quitting alcohol.
  6. We are both seeing a societal shift as people acknowledge the health risks of drinking alcohol – which is heading for a cigarette moment.
  7. Although drinking alcohol before bedtime may help initially with falling asleep but compromises the quality of sleep, leading to irritability, fatigue, and other negative effects on health.
  8. Alcohol's Effects on Sleep and Health:  Alcohol consumption can compromise sleep quality, metabolism, and overall health. It can disrupt the body's natural processes, leading to weight gain, reduced productivity, and increased cravings for unhealthy foods.
  9. James shared some Benefits of his alcohol-free lifestyle which included improved physical health, mental clarity, productivity, and financial success. I
  10. I asked him for his advice for anyone who is struggling to get started on this journey: He suggested starting with a commitment to at least 30 days of sobriety as an experiment, but most importantly be open to extending it to 90 days or longer.
  11. We agreed on the importance of Avoiding the stop-and-start cycle and focussing on the long-term benefits of sobriety.
  12. Overcoming cultural conditioning and resistance may feel challenging, but taking action building an alcohol free lifestyle will lead to transformative results and a better quality of life

You can contact James Swanwick via his website alcoholfreelifestyle.com

He’s also on Instagram and has a podcast called Alcohol Free Lifestyle

If you’re interested in doing an alcohol free Challenge as an experiment then keep an eye open for Tribe Sobers #Sober66 whih starts March 1st and September 1st