What I learnt from 500 days without alcohol

In August 2018, Fred Schebesta had his last drink – and in the 500 days since then has achieved “hyper-success” beyond his wildest dreams.

Fred has learnt four things in his 500 days without booze. Picture: Supplied

In August 2018, I gave up drinking. It’s been 500 days (I have an app that keeps count) and it’s incredible how much it has impacted my body – both mentally and physically – and my work.

I’m constantly looking for new ways to challenge myself. I’m always trying to improve in the pursuit of hyper-success. I’ve tried giving up sugar, coffee, I’ve tried a vegan diet and dairy-free. I want to see how they affect me.

I made the decision to give up alcohol after a detox diet went badly wrong. By day three I felt really ill, and I needed to find a better way to improve.

This was when I remembered a piece of advice given to me by the prominent psychologist Jordan Peterson about how to supercharge success. He told me to write down five things that I could stop doing today that would help me achieve my goals.

The first thing that came to mind was alcohol. I was never a heavy drinker but would often drink casually at work events or on the weekend. Even at this level, it was stopping me from achieving my peak performance, and it was making me unproductive. I was conflicted when I wasted time on resting and recovering rather than being effective.

Fred quit drinking 500 days ago and has never looked back. Picture: Supplied

It’s been one of the longest experiments I’ve stuck with and that’s purely because of its positive impact. Here are four of my key learnings:

1. NO EMOTIONAL TURBULENCE

After drinking alcohol I always felt a low, or a bit imbalanced, and I would take time to reset and get back to a normal state. This is a common occurrence from drinking. The Prince of Wales Health Trust found that there was a clear link between emotions and alcohol. In a survey of about 30,000 participants, 60 per cent said red wine made them feel tired while spirits made them feel confident.

Since being sober, I’ve been able to eliminate this emotional turbulence I used to feel. I can maintain a constant heightened level of mood and health, and I don’t get stuck in a cycle of needing to reset.

I am at a point in my life where I want to be aware of everything around me and ensure I can give myself consistently to my work and family.

2. HANGOVER-FREE

Hangovers hurt. They are painful on both your body and mind. Too painful to work. So when you feel sick you take time off. A 2015 Flinders University study found Australians admitted to taking 2.5 million days off per year due to alcohol or drugs use, costing the economy $680 million annually. So when I got rid of alcohol, I also got rid of hangovers and have never felt better.

We had our crew end-of-year celebration recently. I got up the next morning and did a 10km run, had another event that day then went for another run on Sunday. There is no chance I could get through a weekend like that if I was drinking.

You’re not at your best after drinking red wine. Picture: iStock Angus Kidman, tight traveller, escape

3. SOCIAL ANXIETY

One of the first things that I learnt was to face social situations head-on. In Australia, it’s so common to have a beer or two when you’re out at a social event, and it’s used to help with social anxiety.

Social anxiety or social phobia is a condition where social situations can lead to intense anxiety. I was often overwhelmed at events where I’m surrounded by people or in an intensely stimulating environment like Times Square in New York City. I used to use alcohol to feel less uncomfortable.

Being sober taught me that I didn’t need a drink to be comfortable in social situations. It made me more present and aware of those around me and able to better engage with people.

4. GREATER DISCIPLINE

Bill Gates once said, “Never let yourself be lulled into inaction.” At its core, this is about discipline. If you want to achieve something, you need to remove things like alcohol that stop you from achieving it. It takes a lot of discipline, but once you master it, you will have greater clarity and more focus on your goals.

In 500 days of being sober I have started achieving a level of hyper-success and happiness that I’ve always wanted. My contention to you is to find out what is stopping you from achieving a hyper level of success, and if you struggle with alcohol, going dry is always a good place to start.

– Fred Schebesta is co-founder of Finder, Australia’s most visited financial comparison website, which is launching an app soon. Join the wait list here.