Quit Alcohol, Gain Clarity This New Year | James Swanwick

Was it a boozy start to the New Year? What if you could gain more clarity, energy, and better health by giving up drinking? Imagine a day when alcohol no longer dominates our thoughts—at holidays, celebrations, or even a quiet night in front of the TV.

Alcohol-free expert James Swanwick says a cultural shift is underway, with alcohol slowly losing its grip on our social and professional lives. Even moderate drinking can quietly sap sleep, focus, and long-term wellbeing—especially for high achievers.

In this conversation, Swanwick explains the neuroscience of addiction, why going alcohol-free is gaining momentum, and how the stigma around teetotalism is fading. He predicts that within decades, alcohol could be viewed with the same disdain as cigarettes.

About: James Swanwick is an Australian-American alcohol-free expert, author, and entrepreneur. A former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, he founded @AlcoholFreeLifestyle helping high performers quit drinking without AA, rehab, or willpower. He hosts the Alcohol Free Lifestyle podcast and is the author of Clear: The Only Neuroscience-Based Method for High Achievers to Quit Drinking Without Willpower, Rehab or AA

CHAPTERS

00:00 Alcohol’s changing reputation
03:10 From casual drinking to alcohol-free
07:40 It’s never too late to quit
10:58 Early social pushback
14:20 Gen Z and falling drinking rates
16:30 Science and why there’s no “safe” amount
18:57 Using your own data: sleep and wearables
22:04 How drinking affects relationships and clarity
24:46 High achievers: rewiring the brain
29:47 Money matters: the hidden cost of drinking