In recent years, a new wave of sober curious individuals has been emerging. Younger adults are putting down the beers and wine glasses for a more sober living. Though popular, alcohol is quite poisonous to your body- and many are finally waking up from Sunday Scaries and recognizing the destruction alcohol causes on our bodies and minds. It has even been said that there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption that does not affect health. Myths have been spreading around speaking on health benefits of drinking red wine or consuming other types of alcohol- but these are simply just myths and the general public is catching on. Though trendy, being sober is quite beneficial to your physical and mental health. Below are a few tips for those who are interested in sobriety but do not know where to start.
- Non alcoholic beverages
The past two years or so have seen a huge surge in non-alcoholic spirits. I have dabbled a little bit in the non-alcoholic spirit realm and found the following ones to be my favorites: – Kin Euphorics: My review may be a little biased, as I do really admire one of the co-founders of the brand, supermodel Bella Hadid. However, Kin Euphorics has truly been one of my favorite drinks in rotation this past year. Kin Euhporics comes in sleek, colorful packaging and is made with ingredients to nourish the mind and body. Infused with adaptogens, nootropics, and botanics, this drink is guaranteed to give you a little pep in your step. They also come in a few different flavors, such as Lightwave (geared more towards sleep), Kin Spritz (geared more towards energy), and Actual Sunshine (gear more towards immunity) to name a few.
– Ghia: Ghia is the more well-known non-alcoholic aperitif, and for good reason too. Their little cans are absolutely delicious and leave me not reminiscing on the taste of alcohol. Ghia is sugar-free, non-caffeinated, vegan, and uses no artificial flavoring. Ghia has been recognized in numerous publications since its emergence, from Washington Post to Vanity Fair and even Vogue. Their three bestselling flavors include Ginger, Soda, and Lime & Salt, and each one is equally mouth watering good (especially in the summer seasons)!
Sober Bars & Mocktails
Sine sobriety is becoming more of a trend, sober bars have been becoming popularized in urban settings. Publications such as New York Times and Food & Wine have even curated lists of the best sober bars in cities like New York. Sober bars provide individuals to still get a chance to enjoy the social setting of a bar, without the alcohol. To me, this sounds amazing! I can enjoy playing pool and chatting with friends without having to hear nearby drunk people yelling to talk to each other? Sign me up.
Places like sober bars are typically stocked up with not only non-alcoholic beverages and spirits, but have a mocktail menu as well. This gives people a chance to enjoy the taste of their favorite alcoholic beverages without all the negative side effects. If you live in an area that does not have a sober bar, don’t worry because the internet and Pinterest is loaded with mocktail recipes you can make by yourself. My favorites include a virgin Paloma, Pina Colada, a virgin blueberry mojito!
Finding hobbies/ finding friends who do not just want to go out frequently
Another key to not only surviving sobriety, but enjoying it is to find hobbies and to find friends that you can hang out with without alcohol consumption invovled.. A big thing people struggle with when first entering the sober space is realizing how a vast majority of their friends were only their ‘going-out friends.’ Meaning, besides seeing them every weekend and getting drunk together, they know very little about each other. This can make people feel extremely isolated, but the key is to see this as a chance to create friendships that are truly meaningful. Luckily, today we have the power of social media and apps like Bumble BFF that can help connect you to others in your area. Finding friends you can connect with without being under the influence can really build some of the strongest adult friendships.
Another big thing is to find hobbies. Now that you aren’t spending all this time and money on going out and drinking, you have more space to explore personal interests. You can pick up painting, learn how to crochet, begin experimenting with different art mediums like photography and film, or reconnect with a sport you grew up playing. Doing activities like so will help you find the way back to your true self and feel more confident and energized. It is self-care to do hobbies, and it is so fun and gives you a chance to continue learning throughout adulthood.
Getting offline
For me, a big thing I struggle with is FOMO. Especially the past few months, I have made the choice to be sober for a while since it is my senior year and I wish to finish the year strong. While sobriety has been really revitalizing and has helped me really gain control over my mental and physical health, I still get a lot of FOMO when I am on my phone on weekends and see everyone I used to be ‘friends’ with be together and having fun. But then, it hits me, I am happy and grounded on my couch on a Friday night working on my latest moodboard. I do not need to be out and about to enjoy my life. But, besides constantly trying to step back and evaluate the situation, getting off social media has done wonders to not feeling FOMO.
What I cannot see cannot hurt me, so in this case, I think being oblivious is better than feeling left out. Getting off social media in general is so necessary in today’s day and age when we are so plugged in and tuned into everything happening around us. I personally do not think we were meant to know this much about strangers, and social media has led to so many insecurities and anxieties in individuals. No longer does life just feel like life; it feels like a constant competition of who is doing better/ wearing better clothes/ going on better vacations/ etc.
For those entering sobriety, getting off social media for the first few weeks can help you truly get in touch with your sober journey without having continual second thoughts. It can help you just experience your journey, instead of having you dread it because everyone else looks like they are having so much fun.
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