“It’s about starting to really live again” – Paul Saunders

Dad jokes are in full effect – and I love it

I’m almost a cliché at this point… and I’m totally fine with that.

Before OYNB: existing, not really living

I wouldn’t say I had a “drink problem”.What I really had was an aesthetic problem and a life problem.

• I worked hard

• I was successful

• I was stressed and unhealthy

• I drank most nights

• I woke up almost every night at 4:18am, worrying about everything and nothing

I was constantly tired. More importantly, I wasn’t happy.

• I wasn’t the best husband I could be

• I wasn’t the best dad I could be

• And I definitely wasn’t the best version of myself

Like a lot of people my age, I’d gradually gained 1–2lbs every year since my 20s. I’d also watched my dad die slowly of heart disease from living a very similar lifestyle.

There had to be something better.

The strange reaction when I stopped drinking

The odd thing was, when I decided to stop drinking, people started asking if I had a problem.

If I joined a gym, nobody would ask if I was obese – they’d just assume I wanted to get healthier.But with alcohol, there’s this disbelief that anyone would quit if they weren’t an “alcoholic”.

Stopping drinking showed me how deeply alcohol culture is woven into everyday life:

• We celebrate with a drink

• We commiserate with a drink

• We’re funnelled through airport duty-free at 9am

• Seeing people drink at 9 in the morning suddenly felt… a bit sad

I was lucky that my wife and family were very supportive, and many colleagues either:

• Had already made the same choice, or

• Were quietly interested in doing the same

The surprises when I quit

The biggest shock? Sugar.

I’d never had a sweet tooth. But when I stopped drinking beer and wine, my body suddenly missed the sugar:

• Cake

• Sweets

• Biscuits

I was eating like a toddler at a birthday party while my system recalibrated.

I was also surprised how much of my identity and social life had quietly wrapped itself around alcohol without me noticing.

My experience of the OYNB challenge

Since committing to being alcohol-free, my life has shifted in all the ways that matter:

• My anxiety is gone

• I exercise every day

• I meditate

• I’ve lost 24lbs, with 16 more to go

• I became vegetarian again after nearly 25 years of eating meat

• I’m more productive at work

• I’m more productive at home

• Dad jokes are in full effect – I’m almost a stereotype, and honestly, I love it

The OYNB community has been huge for me.

• The information Andy and Ruari share is simple, practical and never preachy

• The way they link alcohol-free living with overall physical and mental health really clicked

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For me, this was never just about “not drinking for a year”.It was about starting to really live again.

My new relationship with alcohol

I don’t miss alcohol at all. It doesn’t even cross my mind now.

If someone offered me something that would:

• Make my stress return

• Make me grumpy

• Make me gain weight

• Bring back my man boobs

…why on earth would I say yes?

I’m out, I’m done – and I’m genuinely happy about it.