"When I was drinking, I was a passenger to life. Now, I feel like I have direction." Dr Alex George on sobriety and building healthy habits

However, Alex sees cooking as more than just a necessity—it’s an opportunity for mindfulness. "Cooking is an incredibly mindful process. It requires concentration, you've got to be present, you're using a lot of your senses," he explains. "We know for grounding, one of the best things you can do is engage as many of your senses—touch, taste, smell, sound, sight. Cooking is a great example of doing a lot of those things at the same time."

Despite his busy schedule, he’s making an effort to cook more often. "I do enjoy cooking, and I do it a good couple of times a week, but I would like to have it as a bit more of my solid daily routine," he says.

Mental fitness: building a toolkit for resilience

A major theme in Alex’s work is mental fitness, a term he prefers over “mental health”. He explains, "When you go to the gym and lift weights, you build physical fitness. You can do the same for your mind." He believes that mental wellbeing isn’t something that simply happens to us—it’s something we can actively improve.

"There's this idea that mental health happens to you, like you might get a good crop or a bad crop, and then you just have to deal with it," he says. "But regardless of whether you're struggling with depression or you've got decent mental health, you can still build it in both scenarios."

For Alex, mental fitness is about creating habits that support resilience. "Start your day with a foundation of health—whether that's movement, making yourself breakfast, or reading. Then at the end of the day, bookend it with an activity that grounds you, like cooking."

He stresses the importance of movement rather than just exercise, noting that walking in nature for 20 to 30 minutes a day can have a profound impact on mental wellbeing. "It's about creating habits," he says. "People often go, ‘Right, I’m going to be healthy now,’ and try to change everything at once. But it's about habit stacking—building from existing habits, starting small, and gradually adding more."

Through his work and personal journey, Alex George is proving that mental fitness is something we can all build with small, intentional changes. Whether it’s cooking more at home, spending time in nature, or stepping away from alcohol, his approach is about finding balance, building resilience, and aligning life with what truly matters.

"Where you are now doesn’t mean you’ll always be there," he says. "With time, dedication, and small, consistent changes, you can build a life that feels better."

Living alcohol-free

Two years ago, Alex made the decision to stop drinking—something that has transformed his life in ways he never expected. "When you don’t drink, you have fewer mental health symptoms, less anxiety, and less friction with the world," he says. "But it's not just about removing the negatives—it’s about all the positives that come in."

He lists some of the benefits he’s noticed: "Better sleep, more energy, increased productivity, and just feeling happier. I feel a greater sense of control over my life." One of the biggest shifts for him has been clarity of thought.

"When I was drinking, I was a passenger to life. You’re always thinking about the next drink, the hangover, or how to get through the day after a night out. Now, I feel like I have direction."

However, he acknowledges that navigating social situations without alcohol can be tricky at first. "You do feel like you're missing out at times. But I always remind myself—are they really having fun, or is it just the alcohol affecting their inhibition? If I play the whole night through in my mind, I always end up glad I didn’t drink."

While he's a strong advocate for alcohol-free living, Alex emphasises that his goal isn’t to judge others. "I just want people to have the full picture and then make a choice. Some people moderate their drinking well and it doesn’t affect their life negatively—great! But for those who, like me, struggled with it, I want them to know there’s another way."

Aligning your life with your values

For anyone looking to improve their mental fitness, Alex recommends a values exercise. "Take a blank piece of paper, write ‘My Values’ at the top, and list everything that comes to mind—family, health, nature, friendships, creativity, whatever feels important to you," he explains.

"Then, next to each value, rate how well you’re living in alignment with it, from one to 10. For example, if you say family is really important but you only see your parents once a year, maybe you rate it a two out of 10. That shows you where the gaps are."

He finds this method more effective than setting rigid New Year’s resolutions. "It’s not about adding more to your life—it’s also about letting go of things that don’t align with your values."

For Alex, this kind of self-reflection is key to living a fulfilling life. "Purpose isn’t about saving the world—it’s about knowing what gets you up in the morning. If you’ve lost your sense of purpose, that’s the first thing to work on."

Having lived in London for a decade, he appreciates the buzz of the city but still values time in nature. "People underestimate the mental health benefits of being in nature. Even in London, you can find green spaces—being outside, away from screens, is so grounding."