Alcohol. what it’s really costing you

I’ve been on a journey with alcohol the last few years. Not in the “hit rock bottom and quit” kind of way, but in the quiet, curious way that starts with a simple question: What is this actually doing for me?

I started noticing patterns. How “just one drink to unwind” was really stealing from tomorrow. From my energy, my focus, my edge. From the kind of performance and presence I say I value most.

When you take a step back from alcohol, you start seeing how baked into our culture it really is: every celebration, every stress relief, every social setting. It’s everywhere. And we call it normal.

What if normal is just numbing with really good marketing?

The book This Naked Mind changed the way I saw it. It helped me realize alcohol wasn’t helping me connect, it was helping me escape.

From pressure. From fatigue. From facing what I actually needed.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Most men don’t drink because they love alcohol. They drink because it gives them permission to step away from the noise, even for a moment.

But the cost is higher than we admit. It dulls the very thing that makes us sharp. It steals sleep, focus, and emotional steadiness. It taxes the same body and mind we rely on to lead, create, and perform.

I’m not here to shame anyone. I just want to ask: What would happen if you removed the escape and faced what’s underneath it?

That’s where real growth starts. And clarity always follows.

So if this stirs something in you, read This Naked Mind. And just see what you notice. Or listen to Huberman’s episode on alcohol and how it affects performance (mind blowing).

Because maybe it’s not about quitting. Maybe it’s about no longer needing what was quietly costing you.