You can think of it as an opportunity to step back and compare how you feel — physically, mentally and emotionally — with and without alcohol in your life. Gayle Macdonald, sober coach and founder of Sober Bliss, explains that starting off sober curious can be a bit more relaxed than going teetotal straight away. «It’s not about immediately giving up alcohol completely or forever, which can be quite scary or steeped in shame and guilt. It’s more about looking at your relationship with alcohol and the role it plays in your life.» But what does it mean to be sober curious, and how is it different from mindful drinking or going teetotal? Here, we asked two experts to dive into the benefits of wanting to be more conscious of what you drink and what the experience is really like.
Support & Legal
- We’ve gathered our knowledge and we’ve also spoken to some of our Contiki Trip Managers who are sober to compile everything you need to know about being sober curious.
- 💙 Awaken to your full potential by Saying Yes to Life and seeing just how beautiful life can get when the pressure to drink falls away.
- She works with The Freedom Center team to develop and implement policies, procedures and oversees Intakes and Transportation.
- Our goal is to be a reliable resource the recovery community can turn to for information they can trust.
- When you know you’ll be in a social setting that involves alcohol, preparing your response ahead of time helps you stick to your decision in a situation where you might feel swayed.
In some cases, seeking professional guidance and counseling can be beneficial when navigating the sober curious lifestyle. Professionals in the field can provide personalized support, guidance, and resources tailored to your specific needs. They can help you explore the underlying reasons behind your curiosity about sobriety, offer strategies to cope with cravings or social situations, and provide tools for personal growth and self-discovery. The sober curious movement gained momentum in recent years, fueled by various factors including health and wellness trends, increased awareness of mental health, and a desire for more mindful living. The movement was popularized by Ruby Warrington, a writer and author who coined the term “sober curious” in her book of the same name.
- Adopting a sober curious lifestyle comes with a host of potential benefits, but it can also bring some challenges to navigate.
- As the Family Nurse Practitioner, Deirdre performs history and physical exams, and works with clients to diagnose and treat dual diagnosis clients.
- The same Mintel survey explained that two-thirds of consumers aged reported worrying about the emotional impact of alcohol, while a similar figure reported that they wanted to learn more about drinking mindfully.
- It’s also really just about enjoying your trip, taking in the local culture, and appreciating the holiday,” says Bex.
- A sober-curious lifestyle is not necessarily a permanent abstention from alcohol, although some choose this eventually, nor is it a treatment for people who live with alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction.
A Beginner’s Guide to the ‘Sober Curious’ Movement
- If any of your social interactions were built around alcohol before, you might find it helpful to pursue activities that provide some distance from alcohol.
- By embracing a sober curious mindset, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery, making conscious choices that align with their personal values and goals.
It’s not cutting out alcohol entirely, but more about exploring your relationship with alcohol and how to drink less of it. Maybe it’s cutting out regular happy hour cocktails with friends, not drinking wine or beer for a week, or jumping on the Dry January trend and forgoing alcohol for a whole month. Low-alcohol and zero-proof beverage sales have grown 11% over the past five years. To help you better understand what it means, its benefits, and how to begin cutting back on your alcohol consumption, we’ve rounded up the answers to some key questions about being sober curious.
Create new habits
Things like Dry January are an opportunity for you to try out the sober curious lifestyle and see how you sober curious do. It could be that you notice benefits immediately, or perhaps you’ll notice just how high your usual alcohol consumption is. Setting yourself goals and challenges like this is a good way to keep yourself going when embracing this lifestyle.
Do you want to drink less alcohol? Here’s how to be ‘sober curious’
‘I’m just taking a break’, or, ‘I’m trying something different’ usually does the trick without inviting further questions. Without alcohol, I felt less anxious and more in control of my emotions. I was often left anxious, stressed, insecure and overwhelmed because I’d been suppressing my feelings with booze. For most of us, drinking is just Twelve-step program what we do—to celebrate, to unwind, to feel at ease in social settings. It’s rarely questioned, and when it is, it’s often framed as a problem to fix.