Sober curious. It’s a relatively new term in pop culture, but it’s gaining a lot of momentum, and it’s becoming a popular new trend. The site Bustle defined it as, “You know the experience that alcohol doesn’t make you feel great and you don’t drink it often, but you’re not willing to put an all-or-nothing label on yourself.”
There’s also a book called Sober Curious, written by Ruby Warrington, with the tagline, “The blissful sleep, greater focus, limitless presence, and deep connection awaiting us all on the other side of alcohol.”
With a lot of news and buzz in the zeitgeist about sober curious, all this could point to a larger trend where society could be making a big turn towards wellness, and leaving alcohol behind as a part of it.
Satisfying Your Sober Curiosity
The Chicago Tribune has called sober curious “a movement,” and one woman in her twenties who spoke to the Tribune said she stopped drinking two years ago and loves it. “I have so much clarity,” she says today. “And I feel like when I connect with people, it’s honest and it’s real. And I have the confidence in myself that I’m always going to remember what I said, and that what I’m feeling in the moment is true.”
In Chicago, sober curious groups are popping up, and it wouldn’t be surprising if groups like this start popping up like this all over the country.
A Good Launching Point to Get Clean?
“Sober curious” is a term that is self-explanatory, and it could be a good launching point for some people to try sobriety out. And if sober curious does indeed become a popular trend, it could be good for a lot of people.
As the author of Sober Curious, Ruby Warrington, explains, “I’ve seen the trend really blossom over the past three years or so. It just feels like there’s been a really profound shift in the way people are thinking about drinking.”
Much like AA meetings, sober curious people started getting together in meet up groups to feel things out, check it out, and see if it’s right for them. Sober curious has also been dovetailing with what’s called “mindfulness,” where people are taking better care of themselves with yoga, meditation, eating vegan and more.
And for some people who may not have stepped over into alcoholism, sober curious can be a good way to stop drinking before it becomes a full-blown habit. It could also give people a better perspective on why they’re drinking, and why they should stop.
As one psychologist told the Tribune, “If we think of any other health behavior – exercise or eating fried food – we wouldn’t take such a righteous tact [against it]. We would look at the behavior: is it something that I want? Is it making me feel good, or is it making me feel bad?”
While sober curious is a new trend that’s growing, if it helps lead more people to get sober, and head off bad habits before they grow too big, it’s certainly a good thing. Many times, whatever brings you to sobriety is a good thing, and so far sober curious seems like a very good thing.