Man who quit alcohol for 1,000 days admits it had surprising effect on his love life

We've all considered cutting back on the booze for the sake of our health and wellbeing, but I'll bet you didn't think that ditching the drink could have an impact on your love life too.

Downing a few shots seems to go hand in hand with dating, as let's have it right, most of us need a bit of Dutch courage to be able to confidently sell ourselves to a potential suitor.

But according to this bloke who decided to cut out alcohol for 1,000 days as part of a 'productivity experiment', staying sober could have its advantages when it comes to romance.

Chris Williamson, who you may recognise as the host of the Modern Wisdom Podcast or from his short stint in Love Island in 2015, decided to document how abstaining from booze benefited him.

He shared the findings from his experiment in a YouTube video in 2021, as well as the 'biggest lessons' he learnt from going teetotal.

Chris didn't hold back while kicking off the clip and began by describing going sober as the 'most powerful personal development strategy that he has ever found', while listing some goals he'd ticked off in the 1,000 days.

Chris explained what he'd noticed after cutting out booze for 1,000 days. (YouTube/Chris Williamson)

He admitted he'd noticed benefits that he 'didn't expect to discover', both physically and mentally, explaining that he had a longer attention span and better focus.

As being productive is a 'source of happiness' for the podcast host, this was obviously a welcome bonus which he noticed while stopping the booze for more than three years.

But Chris was most surprised about how he had adapted to not drinking while still being in environments where he usually would have been painting the town red.

He confessed that the experiment 'forced him to become truly confident', as he realised that he could still be on top form without propping himself up with alcohol.

The Brit explained that he had 'cultivated a genuine charisma' instead of letting the drinks do the talking for him.

He said he realised he didn't need to drink to have a good first date. (Getty Stock Image)

However, Chris said announcing that he was sober to his dates gained mixed reactions, as getting to know one another became 'harder with some girls', while others thought it was attractive.

The YouTuber continued: "Most dates are in bars or restaurants, you sit down and you get a bottle of wine, or you have a couple of drinks at the bar, and not drinking can be jarring because it makes the other person feel awkward.

"They might need the drink on the date, so they have confidence and it's not just a silent car crash.

"So some girls didn’t like it. But others did. Going sober was a signal that I’m the sort of guy who has big goals and makes sacrifices in the moment for big achievements in the future.

"It separated me out from all the other British lads who just live for the sesh," Chris added.

If anything, he reckons that this has helped him in the long run anyway as he isn't looking for a partner who is all about going out and getting legless.

Chris added: "If a girl doesn’t have the confidence to do a first date sober, and can’t understand why someone would rather chase their goals than a hangover, she’s probably not for me."

Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health, Alcohol, Mental Health, YouTube