Question: What does it mean to be sober curious?
Answer: The Macquarie Dictionary has shortlisted ‘sober curious’ for its Word of the Year 2021, defining it as ‘having an interest in reducing one’s consumption of alcohol or in giving it up altogether’.
The fact that sober curious is being considered as a new term that is worthy of a dictionary entry is another really good sign that more and more people are beginning to question whether they really want or need alcohol in their lives.
I first came across the term in Ruby Warrington’s book Sober Curious.
In in she asks two powerful questions:
- Would life be better without alcohol?
- Is this really all there is?
I had been starting to ask those questions of myself when I read her book so it was good to know there was an actual term for it … and that other people were questioning the role alcohol was playing in their lives.
I’m generally not keen on labels, and alcoholic was certainly a label that didn’t resonate with me, but sober curious sounded more positive and empowering.
I began to question my beliefs around alcohol:
- Does it really help me to destress?
- Would socialising be boring without drinking?
- Does it help me to ‘drown my sorrows’?
Being sober curious helped me to understand why I was drinking and to question how effective it actually was.
The idea of taking back control of my drinking and questioning what it was adding to my life was the start of a fundamental mindshift.
So, I’m going to cast a vote for ‘sober curious’ as the word of the year – it’s certainly been a winner for me.
If you’re questioning your drinking and would like support to gain back control, contact me for a free 30-minute call to talk about how I can help you.