Sober Curiosity: How to Enjoy Yourself Without Drinking

The idea behind sober curiosity is simple: A person will stop drinking for a time. There are many reasons one may choose to become sober curious, even if it is temporary. A person may decide that they want the physical benefits of ceasing alcohol, or they may want to see if they are even capable of not drinking or using illicit substances for a short period. Sober curiosity — even if it is temporary — can result in serious physical and emotional health benefits.[1]

However, there are real challenges associated with sober curiosity. Chief among them is it can be hard to find things to do if your social activities revolve almost exclusively around drinking. Fortunately, other people have been down this road before, and there are many ways that you can change your lifestyle to have fun without drinking.

What activities can you do that doesn’t involve alcohol?

In countless activities that involve alcohol the drinks you consume are the basis for social interaction. As such, it follows that replacing alcohol in your social interaction as a focal point of your activities can ensure that you still have fun with your friends, even without alcohol.

So, what else can you do?

  • Find a situation in which you would never be drinking alcohol. An example would be an athletic activity or a travel experience.
  • Do something completely new with your friends or social group. Go for a long bike ride. Go on a trip to a place you have never been. Doing something new means establishing brand new routines. Such a change can make it easier for your brain to break the habit of alcohol consumption that you typically associate with whatever social opportunities you usually engage in.
  • Many individuals have found that physical activities are the best potential alternative to ones that are alcoholic. By their very nature, doing something physical — like rock climbing or biking — can make it impossible to drink. They can also create a variety of fun and pleasant physical sensations that can replace any euphoric high from alcohol.
  • Travel out of your standard environment. Such a trip will help you break the chains that alcohol can create and put you in a brand new environment. As such, you will lose much of the temptation to drink just by being in a brand new environment.
  • Put yourself in a situation where drinking is almost impossible, as will be the temptation to drink. A day spa is a great example: It’s tough to drink alcohol while getting a massage!
  • If you don’t want to do something physical but want all the benefits, what outdoor activities can you try? Is there a park you can go to? Can you have an outdoor picnic?

What other alternatives are there to alcohol?

Individuals who are looking for alternatives to alcohol often find that they need something to explicitly replace the hole that alcohol leaves in their social life. They are more comfortable having something in their hand or engaging in an activity that replicates drinking. Fortunately, there are many options. These include:

  • Mocktails are a standby for many people, including sober curious ones. They have many benefits: They are usually available in public places, like bars. Mocktails often give the appearance of drinking, which can be useful if you don’t want people to ask you any questions about why you’re attempting to be sober for some time. Furthermore, since they taste like alcohol, it can make life much easier for people interested in staying sober but concerned about what they may be missing. In a sense, you can use mocktails to trick your brain and make you feel like you are still drinking — even if you aren’t.
  • Substitute the food for alcohol. Go out for a nice meal that is very different than what you usually eat. Instead of concentrating on the alcohol, concentrate on the food, and make the food — not the drink — the center of the social experience. This can occur in many ways. You can go to a nice restaurant or somewhere that you have never eaten before. You can bake or cook something for your friends. You can also try taking some sort of cooking class together and literally make the food or drink the center of your social experience.
  • Find a sober event near you. These events are often geared toward people who are in recovery or are sober curious, and they can help you find totally new alternatives to alcohol.

How can you change the environments that you’re in or people you’re around who tempt you to drink?

Perhaps the most important tip here is this: You need your friends to support you. It is critical to remember the role that friends and social groups play in sobriety. Your social group can reinforce drinking habits and make you even more addicted to alcohol or other substances. As such, it will be tough to live a sober curious lifestyle without the support of your friends. [2]

You need to explain your choice to your friends. Ask for their support, or at a minimum, their respect. You can ask them to join this lifestyle change with you, but you also need to be understanding if they decline to do so.

If your friends are unwilling to respect this lifestyle change, you need to reconsider your friendship group. Such a change may be necessary not just because of the sober curiosity lifestyle you are attempting to lead but because your friends should respect your desire to live a sober life. Doing so can be extremely difficult, as any recovered alcoholic can tell you, and you can be prone to relapse. Friends should support you.

Fortunately, there are other ways to change environments, and others have been there before you. Many support groups can give you advice and tips on staying sober curious.[3] These groups can also point you in the right direction and provide you with advice about alternatives to alcohol. They also allow you to get answers to specific sobriety-related questions.

When sober curiosity is not enough

If you can find a real support network and supportive friends, being “sober curious” is a lifestyle you can adopt. That being said, sometimes people need to go beyond sober curiosity: They need professional therapy to break the cycle of addiction and live a better life. If you are looking for help, there are options. One example is Transitions Treatment Center, an alcohol rehab in Delray Beach that offers an array of therapies for many different types of addiction.

If you or a loved one needs help, contact us today, and learn more about how Transitions Treatment Center can help you or your loved one recover.

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