What Is Sober Curious?

In a world that glorifies drinking, it takes real strength not to cave.

Maybe you’re not an alcoholic.
Maybe you don’t even have a “problem” with alcohol.
Maybe you’re not blacking out, or losing jobs, or waking up to endless hangovers and regrets ('hang-xiety anyone?).
Maybe you’re just… curious.

• What would life feel like without it?
• Would I sleep better?
• Would I feel more clear?
• Who would I be without the wine, cocktails, the rituals, the buzz?

That wondering?
That’s sober curious.

So… what is sober curious, exactly?

The term was coined by author Ruby Warrington and has since become something of a movement, one that’s gaining steady momentum around the world.

To be sober curious means questioning the role alcohol plays in your life.
It means exploring what it feels like to opt out, even if you’re not hitting a rock bottom per say. 

You're not required to call yourself an alcoholic.
You don't have to swear off alcohol forever.

Being sober curious is about getting honest with yourself. It’s about asking:

Is alcohol adding anything meaningful to my life… or is it quietly (or not so) stealing from it?

Why more people are joining the sober curious movement

For a long time, there were only two boxes:

• Normal drinker
• Alcoholic

The sober curious movement throws that binary out the window. It welcomes everyone in the middle: the mindful drinkers, the weekend warriors, the people wanting to focus on their health and fitness goals for a set period, the people who wonder if they’d feel better without the hangovers, the guilt, the “meh” and are willing to opt out of drinking for a time to find out.

We’re seeing it everywhere:

• Alcohol-free beers, wines and cocktails are going mainstream.
• Wellness influencers are skipping happy hour and talking about it on the ‘gram.
• Entire months like “Ocsober” and “Dry July” are gaining popularity.

Honestly, it’s not about labels, and it’s not about shame.
It’s about alcohol and wellness finally being part of the same conversation.

A few quick facts about alcohol that might just convince you to be sober-curious.

Even if you drink moderately, there are some pretty compelling reasons to stop drinking either entirely or periodically/regularly:

1. Alcohol affects your sleep worst than caffeine

Even 1–2 drinks can disrupt REM and leave you groggy no matter how many hours you get.

2. It’s a known carcinogen

Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, that’s the same group as tobacco and asbestos. And there’s actually no proven “safe” amount when it comes to cancer risk.

3. Your body treats alcohol like a serious toxin

Alcohol is a poison and literally hijacks your body.
Your body pauses everything - fat burning, digestion, hydration - to deal with eliminating it as quickly as possible.
Every drink adds stress to your liver, your hormones, and your nervous system as your body puts everything on hold to prioritise processing it.

These facts hit hard because we’ve been told that alcohol is harmless in moderation. But if you're starting to question that, you're not wrong.
You're just getting (sober) curious. And that’s a good thing.

You don’t need to hit bottom to want better

Cutting back on alcohol doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic.
It means you’re self-aware.

It means you're asking hard questions before life asks them for you.

Even if you only drink on weekends...
Even if you “only” have two glasses at dinner...
Even if you feel fine, most of the time...
That’s not weakness.
That’s wisdom.

But here’s the thing: even a small change can feel big

If you’ve built routines, social circles, or emotional patterns around alcohol, then giving it up, even temporarily, can feel disorienting. That’s not because you’re weak.
It’s because you’re human. And human’s are wired for routine.

Behavior change is hard.
Discipline is hard.
Doing something different in a world that says “why aren’t you drinking?” is hard.

That’s why support matters. Community matters.

Whether you’re experimenting with sobriety or wanting to learn how to stop drinking without being an alcoholic, you don’t have to do it alone.