Are you a high-achiever wondering if drinking alcohol is limiting your potential? Perhaps this book will have some answers.
The Executive Summary
- The social pressure to drink is massive.
- The social stigma that drinkers attach to non-drinkers is also massive.
- We can change our minds about all of it with deliberate intention.
Why this book?
One of my intentions for 2019 is to read (as in start AND finish) one book every 2 weeks.
In honor of #dryJanuary, I decided “This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol” by Annie Grace would first for 2019.
I have to admit, I am pleasantly surprised at how this book has change my mind about alcohol.
I wouldn’t say that I was ever concerned about a personal drinking problem. But I would say that I started to wonder how much things could change if I didn’t drink. I was curious about improving a few nagging health problems, motivation, and productivity.
In my personal journey to high-performance in my relationships, businesses, health, and spirituality, I want to examine what serves that mission, and what doesn’t. I want to know if NOT drinking (at all) will help me reach some goals faster. Can I be a better person with out any alcohol?
The jury is still out. I’m only a few weeks in to the experiment, but I’m guessing I already know the answer…
About the book
One of the things I loved most about this book is the flow. She transitions from deep science to personal stories. Which helps round out her point. She makes it easy to start nodding your head in agreement. Which of course helps the reader have buy-in.
She writes for readers who are smart and confident, and feel in control, yet wonder why the drink more often than they’d like.She discusses a cultural/social shift, backed by science and psychology. And she does it with grace, a dash of humor, and a little tough love too.
Here’s a link to her site so you can read more about her book (I’m not an affiliate. I just enjoyed the book.)
Further research
I was curious, so I did some digging. Here are some jarring statements:
- An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The first is tobacco, and the second is poor diet and physical inactivity. [Link to site.]
- In 2014, the World Health Organization reported that alcohol contributed to more than 200 diseases and injury-related health conditions, most notably DSM–IV alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers, and injuries. In 2012, 5.1 percent of the burden of disease and injury worldwide (139 million disability-adjusted life-years) was attributable to alcohol consumption. [Link to site.]
- Excessive drinking accounted for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults in the United States. [Links to articles here and here.]
Some other resources I’ve found in the same space:
- Annie Grace has a podcast on the subject of her book. She covers follow up questions from readers, and interviews parallel experts.
- Here’s a great TED Talk on Gray Area Drinking. Presented by Jolene Park, it’s “the kind of drinking where there’s no rock bottom, but you drink as a way to manage anxiety and then regret how much and how often you drink.”
The Bottom Line
If you’re interested in living a healthy life, perhaps it might be time to take stock of your habits around drinking?
If you want to take the next step toward your optimal health, check out my free class. It’s called: 5 SECRETS TO SOLVE THE TWO BIGGEST HEALTH PROBLEMS FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS FACE (STRESS + FOOD) [How I took an information vacation from all the health “experts,” designed my own plan, and lost 20 pounds.]