Why quitting alcohol is the best gift for the people closest to you
Considering his megahit song is about compulsively asking for alcohol, musician Nathaniel Rateliff is the last guy you’d expect to be Sober Curious.
Yet here we are in 2023, and the man who burst onto the scene with the band The Night Sweats in 2015–2016 singing about drinking his life away says he’s reduced his alcohol intake to almost zero.
In an interview with Beat this week ahead of the band’s Australia tour dates, Rateliff suggested that drastically reducing his alcohol intake was a necessity not only for his health but for the work environment he’s ultimately responsible for on the road.
I think this is an important point that can be expanded to all aspects of your life.
The driving force behind my decision to quit alcohol was that I finally got sick enough of disappointing myself and not reaching my potential.
At the end of the day, I think an intrinsic motivation to quit is key. If you’re just doing it because somebody else wants you to, it’ll probably be a lot tougher to get the job done.
But that doesn’t mean the people you’re closest to in your life won’t benefit when you finally make that positive change for yourself.
Being an unreasonable a**hole
Rateliff is, by all accounts, enjoying better health and mood following his Sober Curious move, and it sounds like the 26 members of his touring crew are too.
Rateliff told Beat:
“I want to create a space for people to work. And suppose we’re spending this much time on the road. In that case, I want it to be a happy work environment.
“I feel like history has proven that there are certain approaches to living on the road that just don’t work, you know, and being an unreasonable asshole is one of the things that you’ll just run out of people to work with. No matter how talented you are.”
For Rateliff, it’s about setting standards for your own behaviour with the knowledge that it affects those around you.
He explained to Beat:
“Having more reasonable standards for myself, what I do and how that affects our relationships with others has been important.”
A wonderful gift
I think that’s a great way of putting things.
What kind of standards will you set for yourself, and how will those you love benefit from them?
I’ve explained on numerous occasions that I always felt I was an exceptional father. I’ve always been deeply engaged in my kids’ lives and activities.
But in retrospect, I definitely think they’re two of the main beneficiaries of my decision to quit drinking for me.
I’m a much calmer and more patient person than I was six months ago. I’m also way more energetic.
Evenings, when we aren’t busy with sports or whatever else is going on, are no longer spent numbed out on the couch watching TV.
I’ll bring my older son to the gym with me, or go for a night walk with them.
Alcohol really destroys your energy to go the extra mile in all aspects of life — be it building a business in your spare time or being really present with those you love.
A new standard
Setting a new standard for yourself by drastically reducing — or completely eliminating — alcohol from your life really is one of the most effective ways to improve your life and the lives of those around you.
Just ask Nathaniel Rateliff!
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