Want to boost your productivity and peace of mind? Get curious about your alcohol consumption.

📢 See Arlan Hamilton and Annie Grace discuss this topic during the Startup Grind Global Conference April 12–13 and get a free copy of their books during a book signing, compliments of Oracle for Startups and Startup Grind. Register.

I have a hack for better productivity, less anxiety, more energy, and peace of mind: Get curious about your alcohol consumption. I did. Now I sleep better, have less anxiety and more energy, and my productivity has skyrocketed. I am getting my master’s degree, pursuing new hobbies, and feeling mentally and emotionally healthier. Productivity and peace of mind are clean-burning fuel for entrepreneurial types.

When I examined my consumption with a compassionate, critical eye, I went from being sober-curious to quitting drinking altogether. Ultimately, I didn’t want to wake up another day even a little foggy. It wasn’t worth it anymore. But you don’t have to quit altogether; cutting back also provides big mental and physical benefits. And it’s much easier than you think.

“I felt like I was in a bad relationship”

Let’s clear one thing up. I can drink, I just have no desire to drink. That’s something I never thought I’d say. Wine was a big part of my life. Sometimes too big. Although I was a “moderate” drinker by society’s standards, I sensed something wasn’t right. It felt like a dysfunctional relationship. It was an unhelpful helper. A wrecker of sleep. Anxiety increaser. Productivity thief.

Meanwhile, I thought it was the elixir of life. What a conundrum. A powerful little book changed all that.

This Naked Mind is a book that has helped thousands of people like me build a better relationship with alcohol. It’s not an anti-alcohol book. Rather, it’s pro-health and pro-science. Through science-backed philosophies, author Annie Grace helps readers get curious and explore their relationship with alcohol, addressing the reasons behind why we drink. Some readers quit drinking altogether, while others learn to cut back and become more mindful drinkers. Either way, it’s like a magic trick.

Locked down and loaded

Drinking skyrocketed during the pandemic. It is more important than ever to get curious about our relationship to alcohol. Is it functional or dysfunctional?

The latest research shows that alcohol (even in moderate amounts) is linked to cancer, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. You don’t have to be an “alcoholic” for drinking to negatively impact your mental and physical health. Many research studies call alcohol “a colossal global health issue” and encourage abstinence, citing no health benefits from drinking. But honest conversations around drinking are hard, even taboo. Most people stay quiet and don’t share their concerns, for fear of being labeled, or fear of being confronted with the desire to change their ways.

People talk openly about lots of things that benefit their health, like cutting back on gluten or carbs. Or cutting down on caffeine and sugar. What makes alcohol any different? We all have friends that have gone carb-free, and they love to tell you about it. And that’s cool. Your carb consumption (or lack thereof) doesn’t bother me. But turn down a drink, and you might get rapid-fire questions of why along with gentle nudges to just have one. It’s weird. We don’t force carb-loaded breadsticks on our gluten-free friends. Why do we push “one glass of wine” on someone who is sober-curious?

A binary with blurred lines

Another weird thing is that society seems to have binary thinking with alcohol: You are either an alcoholic or a responsible drinker. But we know that life is lived in the grey areas, within the spectrum between two extremes. I didn’t identify as an alcoholic, but I wasn’t a responsible drinker either. I was somewhere on that spectrum, and increasingly aware of how alcohol wasn’t helping me reach my best self.

Entrepreneur and venture capitalist phenom Arlan Hamilton knew something was holding her back. She was making a tremendous impact on the startup ecosystem and building a venture capital fund from the ground up. But alcohol was holding her prisoner. This Naked Mind helped set her free, making alcohol small and irrelevant in her life.

This Naked Mind helps people to become more mindful drinkers and garner the many health benefits from consuming less. Or quit drinking altogether. Either way, the book teaches how to make alcohol less of a big deal and go on living a healthier life mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Get curious with us

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was years ago. The second-best time is now.

If you’ve ever questioned your drinking, or wished you drank a bit less, join Annie and Arlan at Startup Grind Global as they discuss their personal experiences with alcohol and share tools to help you become more in control of your drinking…or ditch it altogether. Learn the magic trick that has helped thousands skyrocket their productivity and peace of mind by finding a better relationship with alcohol. Register to attend.