Who: Shaun McEwan
Lives: Singapore
Loves: My family
Does: Auctioneer, Professional MC and Charity Fundraiser specialising in memorabilia
Find: shaunmcewan.com
I used to love drinking! But like a lot of people, once it enters my system, logic goes out the window. This has led to embarrassing moments, flashbacks, poor decisions and the inability to say no to the next drink. Eventually, the post drinking anxiety was stretching into days, not hours. It was taking up so much mind-space that it wasn’t worth it.
It had to be all or nothing. Some people can have 1or 2 drinks, but that’s not me. It was easier just to stop. Being present for my baby girl (who is now 10 years old), was the best motivation. So giving up drinking was relatively easy for me, but staying off takes maintenance. For this, I’m a big fan of gratitude, meditation and yin yoga. You can’t beat physical exercise to make you feel good! I celebrate and treat myself with a good massage.
And if I feel like a drink there are so many great non alcoholic options available now.
I feel totally different now: It’s great to go out and remember every conversation I’ve had and wake up with a clear head. But the best part is that by dealing with issues that alcohol was masking, I’ve grown emotionally: I commit to things, can live more easily with discomfort, and I’m happier.
Physically, I feel amazing and have lots of energy, I sleep better and have more control over my diet.
The success of my business has been a direct result of not drinking. It’s given me focus, self confidence and lots of clarity around what I want. I’m lucky to be able to socialise a lot through work, but this journey has shown me that a lot of my social skills had been based on who I was when I was drinking. I’ve accepted that I’m actually fairly shy (essential skill set for an MC!!) and I’m ok with that, because connections are more meaningful.
Stopping or cutting down on drinking is one of the easiest life hacks you can make.
It has such a great effect on your mind-set, as well as your health. You may not always get high highs but I definitely don’t miss the low lows.