Sober curious: how to give up alcohol

Author Ruby Warrington asks you to consider how different your life would be if you stopped drinking on autopilot, or stopped drinking altogether?

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Sober curious: how to give up alcohol

Why is alcohol everywhere? Why are the only people who donโ€™t drink those who choose not to because of religious or health reasons? โ€˜I call this questioning getting sober curious,โ€™ says Ruby Warrington, co-founder of Club Sร–DA NYC, a community for people to discuss sobriety.

Be curious about why you drink.

Ask: Is my life so bereft of joy that the hangover is worth the high? How will drinking really make me feel? What am I drinking not to feel? What else makes me feel alive? How can I have fun without booze? How can I relax without it? How can I connect with others while sober?

Get emotionally conscious.

Awareness helps us make choices that support our highest self. โ€˜Listening to your feelings helps you discover whatโ€™s wrong; what you need; what you can do about it. Feelings donโ€™t like being ignored, especially if they have information about our wellbeing. Drinking numbs unmet emotional needs. The only way to hear what our feelings are trying to tell us is to sit with them when weโ€™re sober,โ€™ she says.

Consider moderation:

โ€˜This is relevant if you still believe your happiness is linked to alcohol: itโ€™s how you relax; connect; find joy. Being โ€˜sober curiousโ€™ is learning to trust the truth for you over the messages about booze. What do you need alcohol for, even in moderation?โ€™

โ€˜Sober Curiousโ€™ by Ruby Warrington (HarperCollins, ยฃ20) is out now, see clubsoda.nyc

Join Ruby Warrington in conversation with Henry Holland to celebrate the London launch of new book. Use code ‘CURIOUS’ to get 25% off tickets!

Image: Getty