What Does It Mean to Live a Sober Curious Lifestyle?
You may have heard that drinking alcohol is so 2010s. Drinking rates are hitting new lows year after year, with only 54% of the U.S. adult population saying that they drink alcohol even occasionally.
For some people, the thought of quitting cold turkey like that can be overwhelming, even if they’re not people who drink all that often. Alcohol is ingrained in cultures all over the world, and in the U.S., drinking alcohol feels like a rite of passage and “just what you do.”
What if it wasn’t anymore? With Gen Z leading the charge on going alcohol-free, it seems the idea that, when you’re 21, drinking is “just what you do” is going by the wayside.
Still, that doesn’t mean you need to go fully sober. What it does mean is that it might be time to embrace a sober curious lifestyle and set yourself up for success on your new path.
What Does It Mean to Be Sober Curious?
Living a fully sober life can feel a little daunting, but embracing being sober curious helps you find out if that life is something you really want to pursue. At the very least, being sober curious may help you cut down on alcohol consumption, which can have a litany of health benefits, from improving your mental health to reducing your cancer risk.
Being sober curious means looking for ways to live a more sober lifestyle. It’s about deciding to celebrate your way, a non-alcoholic way, even when it’s going against the grain. Someone who is sober curious is in a place where they’re rethinking their alcohol use and considering a different way of life.
How to Live a Sober Curious Lifestyle
Being sober curious is becoming a lot easier as fewer and fewer people are deciding to indulge in alcohol. With the rise of non-alcoholic wines, beers, and other drinks, more people are realizing they don’t need alcohol to celebrate.
Still, alcohol is commonplace for many people. From large celebrations like weddings to small get-togethers with friends, alcohol always seems to be invited to the party, and it’s a guest that’s hard to ignore for many people. Try these tips to make living a sober curious lifestyle easier.
Find a third space that isn’t alcohol-friendly.
Home is your first space. Work is your second. The location you use to connect with people outside of your first and second spaces is your third space. For many people and for a very long time, that third space was commonly a bar or another location where it was assumed people were going to drink.
While we’re seeing this way of life go by the wayside, one of the trickiest things that happens when people cut down on drinking is that they feel they lose their third space. It’s important not to just take away a third space because it has alcohol without then replacing that space.
You still need a place to connect with people you love and meet new people, but you likely don’t want it to be a place where you’ll feel like you need to drink to have a good time or fit in. Consider other third-space options, particularly ones where you can engage in an activity besides drinking, like going to a local park to go on a hike with friends or trying out a new mini-golf course.
BYO(NA)B: Bring your own (non-alcoholic) bottle.
If you are invited to a space with alcohol, prepare for the event by bringing your own non-alcoholic drinking alternatives.
For instance, if you’re going out to brunch with your girls and expecting some mimosas, consider bringing a bottle of a non-alcoholic Champagne alternative. You can partake in something you love doing without having to compromise on your sober curious lifestyle. The key to being able to maintain a sober curious lifestyle is finding ways to still take part in the traditions you love, while also embracing a new side to yourself.
Play (sober) bartender.
Remember when you were a kid, and your parents warned you about “peer pressure”? If you’re like a lot of kids, you probably pictured an image of some bigger kids bullying you and telling you that you had to drink alcohol. However, as you got older, you probably realized that’s not exactly what peer pressure is.
Peer pressure is about an internal need to conform to a norm. So, when you’re out with your friends, and they’re all drinking alcohol, they may not tell you that you need to drink (and are certainly not bullying you into it), but you still feel like you need to do what they’re doing to fit in.
While you may not be able to convince everyone to embrace a sober curious lifestyle all the time, you can help encourage your friends to try your lifestyle by hosting events that are sober-friendly. Try planning a dinner night with a mocktail menu for your friends to try. You just may find that they’re more receptive to being sober curious than you thought.
Embrace Your Sober Curious Side With the Best Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine
Thinking about trying a sober lifestyle but aren’t sure if you’re ready? Finding ways to be more sober curious can help you explore new ways to enjoy and celebrate life.
One of the biggest challenges to being sober curious is not feeling like they’re sober options around when you want to take part in some of your favorite traditions. However, the rise of non-alcoholic wines, like BEAU VIVA, is making it easier than ever to try out a sober curious lifestyle. With a 0% ABV, BEAU VIVA is safe for anyone avoiding alcohol to enjoy.
Discover your best sober curious lifestyle with BEAU VIVA.
