Sober curious movement: ‘I’m sober curious and have never been drunk - not even at my wedding!’

• Sober curious is a cultural movement that encourages people to be more mindful about their drinking choices.
• It aims to help people become more aware of their drinking habits so they can develop a healthier relationship with alcohol.
• Gemma Nice, a 41-year-old yoga coach from Brighton shares her experience of living alcohol-free.

The sober curious movement questions your relationship with alcohol, so you can develop healthier drinking habits. Influenced by Ruby Warrington’s 2019 book of the same name, it aims to shift how you see your alcohol consumption, examining how different your life would be if you drunk less or stopped drinking altogether.

Gemma Nice, a 41-year-old yoga coach from Brighton, did just that. She became sober curious when she was travelling, she explains: “I was in my early 20s (now 41) and my husband and I backpacked around the world for 7 months. We were at all these amazing backpacker places, especially in Thailand (the full moon party). It just didn’t feel right that if I drank, I would potentially have a hangover and waste my day the day after. I drank a little in my late teens, I got a bit tipsy on those but to this day, I’ve never been drunk!”

She continued: “I’ve always been into healthy eating and wellbeing, more so after coming back from backpacking and that’s why I decided I didn’t need to drink to have fun. I am a yoga teacher and to me drinking alcohol is a wellbeing decision I’ve chosen to not drink.”

Gemma revealed that she has often felt pressured to drink in social situations, with some of her friends thinking it was “weird” that she’d go to the pub or club and not consume alcohol.

She explained: “My brother and sister thought it was odd that they’d go out and get drunk and I didn’t. Before I went travelling, I was always a people pleaser so I’d go along with what everyone else was doing, but when it came to alcohol, I would say no. Maybe I would have one drink, then it would be water or juice after that. They would try to pressure me as that’s what they needed to do to find the freeing that alcohol gave them. But that was 20 years ago, now it's more acceptable to not drink and still have a good time.”

She also opted not to drink alcohol at her wedding, as she wanted to “remember the day for what it was,” and has noticed a “huge positive change” on her mental health. Gemma added: “I choose to add wellbeing into my life and this each day has improved over time. I absolutely love practising breath work, EFT Tapping, Yoga and meditation. My friendship circle has also been supportive of me which I feel is great.”

What does it mean to be sober curious?

Sober curious is a global movement that aims to encourage people to question their relationship with alcohol and think about trying to live a sober lifestyle.

The concept became popular after the release of Ruby Warrington’s book, Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol, in 2019.

The movement aims to encourage people to rethink the reasons they drink alcohol, pushing back at the normalisation of today’s drinking culture. If you're considering a sober curious lifestyle, Gemma and TRIP Drinks have 7 tips: 

Start slowly

Get used to your new lifestyle, set goals and keep a journal of your reasons for choosing teetotalism.

Reduce gradually

Start by reducing your weekly alcohol consumption.

Set incremental goals

Aim to reduce your drinking to three times a week and observe how you feel.

Find alternatives

Replace drinking time with mindfulness activities such as breath work, nature walks, meditation, journaling, yoga or socialising with friends without alcohol. This will give your body a break and allow you to experience the benefits.

Try challenges

Take part in alcohol-free challenges such as Dry January. You don't have to limit yourself to January; try a month without alcohol at any time.

Learn to say no

Confidently refuse alcoholic drinks when offered. If you're not confident, practice saying no in front of a mirror to build your confidence.

Celebrate your progress

Acknowledge and celebrate your milestones and successes along the way.

What is the difference between sobriety and sober curious?

Sobriety is when you do not drink alcohol, whilst being sober curious doesn’t necessarily mean you stop drinking altogether. Instead you may become more aware of your alcohol consumption by choosing to drink less often.

Have you heard about the sober curious movement or would you give it a go? Share your thoughts in our comment section below.