Elite athlete picked the best word to describe life after alcohol
Back in the day, elite athletes were some of the heaviest drinkers around.
In a world that valued toughness and shows of “manliness”, being able to “hold your liquor” was a very alpha characteristic.
Fortunately, the stupidity around this sober shaming of men is starting to change (though we do have a long way to go).
Nowadays, athletes have peak performance down to a science.
It’s not only about training but also nutrition and sleep management.
It’s a wonder any of them drink at all, given how damaging it is to our physical health and how detrimental it is to our recovery from exercise.
Many of them don’t, at least during the season.
But as one elite athlete — a multiple champion in his discipline — recently discovered, the greatest benefit to giving up alcohol may not be the physical edge it gives you.
It’s about how much better you feel mentally on a day-to-day basis.
And he picked the perfect word to describe that feeling.
The will to win
Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.
He holds records for most drivers’ championships, wins, pole positions, podium finishes, and others.
He has also had his ups and downs with alcohol.
Hamilton is always looking for an edge on and off the track, however, and as he approaches age 40 (a time when many people — myself included — decide alcohol is no longer worth the literal and figurative headache), he’s been reconsidering his relationship with society’s favorite poison.
Hamilton embraced a plant-based diet after hearing about other top athletes doing so, and he has gone long stretches without booze, too.
He’s currently on one of those and has no plans to go back.
“I’ve always been looking for how do you get that extra 1%? As an athlete, that’s what you are always doing,” he told Vogue magazine in a recent interview.
But an even greater benefit?
It’s all in his head.
The sneakiest drug
It’s crazy to think that someone as successful as Hamilton could be insecure, but that’s the nature of being a human, I guess.
Even pro athletes are just regular people like the rest of us, after all.
And Hamilton’s dalliances with alcohol just go to show how sneaky and powerful the drug is when it comes to soothing our insecurities.
I’ve written in the past that I believe one of the main reasons I developed a problem with alcohol was my deep, natural introversion.
Here’s what Hamilton told Vogue:
“There is pressure within a social setting.
“You have that one shot and are like, ‘Damn, why did I do that?’ when you get home.
“I was like, wow, that’s kind of crazy how I’m feeling pressured. And I realized, how can I be feeling pressure at 38?
“Imagine young 18 year olds.”
The problem with heavy drinking is that the bill eventually comes due — with interest.
As he explained, “I’ll suffer for several days — sometimes it’ll be like three or four days.”
Clarity
Hamilton admitted to Vogue that the pressure of global celebrity can strain his mental health, but he added: “The fact is — alcohol does not help with that.”
In fact, since quitting, he has experienced a newfound peace.
The word he uses to describe the post-alcohol life: “Clarity”.
“I don’t know if I’m going to drink again.
“Since I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve just been feeling so much better, so much more clarity. I sleep better, I wake up in the morning and I can still get up at 5 a.m.”
Clarity is a perfect description if you ask me.
When I was drinking every day, I felt like I was living in a fog.
Alcohol was so detrimental to my sleep that I already felt sluggish and grumpy to begin with.
And then the mental bandwidth I did have was tied up in questions like:
- Can I drink tonight?
- What will I drink?
- What time can I start drinking?
- How late can I drink and still function the next day?
- Could I not drink if I wanted to?
Now, the fog has blown away and I’m moving toward success instead of spinning my tires.
Take it from me and Lewis Hamilton: life is better without alcohol in it.
Hey, thanks so much for taking the time to read! If you enjoyed this piece or found it inspiring, please give it a clap or two so others can find it and let me know in the comments!
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