7 Years 143 days - Voice Over7 Years 143 days - Voice Over
I'm Quitting Alcohol
This episode features David Boyle reflecting on phone habits, audience reactions and the strange realities of talking about sobriety every day. He ties his reduced screen time and ongoing artist journey into his longer-term recovery from alcohol.
7:32•5 Oct 2026
Seven Years Sober, Less Screen Time and One Very Honest Comedian
Episode Overview
- Moving away from constant phone use can feel uncomfortable at first but may quickly feel better and more freeing.
- Audience reactions to recovery content vary wildly, so humour and seriousness are often interpreted differently.
- Leaving the phone in a pocket during social events can reduce anxiety and strengthen real-world presence.
- Short breaks from social media and apps can weaken the psychological tether and show that little is truly missed.
- Creative work on sobriety, like Boyle’s "artist journey", can gradually take on a spiritual dimension.
“"I went a full week without pretty much picking it up... nothing happened, I didn't miss anything, my life was much better without it."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and then keep talking about it every single day for years? In this short, punchy episode of "I'm Quitting Alcohol", Australian comedian David Boyle riffs on the strange relationship between creator and audience, phones and attention, and what seven-plus years of sobriety sounds like when it's filtered through a daily podcast.
Boyle talks about coming back from a week-long break from his phone and feeling how different his brain reacts now to screens and background audio. He jokes about "raw dogging" life without constant distraction, and admits that picking up the phone out of habit is still a real tug of war: "I can leave it now... it's almost psychological... I went a full week without pretty much picking it up...
nothing happened, I didn't miss anything, my life was much better without it." A standout moment is his reaction to two back-to-back Spotify comments on the same episode. One listener calls it his "best podcast", while another basically breaks up with the show after years of listening, saying Boyle got them through "a stroke, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and a heart attack" before deciding it's time to move on.
Boyle’s response is equal parts funny, blunt and honest, capturing how unpredictable audience feedback can be and how subjective "funny" really is. This episode keeps its focus on sobriety, attention, and creative stamina rather than giving step-by-step recovery advice. You’ll hear about weakened phone habits, resisting the pull of social media at a birthday party, and his ongoing "artist journey", which he says is increasingly turning into something spiritual.
If you like recovery stories that are rough around the edges, sprinkled with swearing and self-awareness, this daily snapshot of one man’s sober life might be the kind of honesty you’re after. How much clutter—digital or emotional—are you ready to put down?
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