Jacob smiled. “It can be, though. I’m not saying life is without its challenges. But you don’t need to control everything to be happy. I know you’ve got a lot going on in your head, but sometimes the best thing you can do is switch off and just enjoy the view. Not with alcohol or anything artificial—just by being here.”
Ben stayed quiet for a moment. He knew Jacob was right. The alcohol wasn’t really helping. It gave him a brief escape, but it never solved anything. It was like putting a band-aid on a deeper problem. The real solution, he realised, wasn’t in forcing his mind to shut down artificially—it was learning how to quiet it on his own terms.
“So, how do you do it?” Ben asked, genuinely curious. “How do you switch off without needing something like a drink?”
Jacob looked out at the horizon. “I don’t really switch off. I just choose where to focus. Like right now—I’m not thinking about work or tomorrow or anything. I’m just here. You can still think when you need to, but not every moment needs to be planned or analyzed. You can just be.”
Ben thought about that for a while. Maybe it wasn’t about turning off his brain entirely but about shifting his focus. He realised he had been using alcohol to force his mind to quiet down, but it was a temporary fix that often left him feeling worse. Jacob’s approach was different—more sustainable. It wasn’t about escape, but about balance.
Over the next few weeks, Ben tried to follow Jacob’s advice. At work, he still did what he needed to do—he couldn’t avoid thinking deeply when it came to his job. But outside of work, he began practising moments of mindfulness. Instead of reaching for a drink when he felt overwhelmed, he would take a walk, listen to music, or simply sit in silence. He focused on the present moment—the warmth of his coffee in the morning, the sound of the birds outside his window, the way the light filtered through the trees on his afternoon strolls.
