Have you ever been curious about what it would be like to cut back on your drinking—or even quit altogether? If so, you're not alone; 34% of Americans reported actively trying to drink less in 2023 and the trend isn’t going anywhere. I belong to Generation X, noted as being one of the generations who drink more (along with the boomers), and even I've been ordering non-alcoholic beer from Atheltic Brewing Company for at least the past four years.
In fact, according to a blog post by Reframe, the app that helps people reduce how much alcohol they drink, "the decline in drinking among zoomers has been so pronounced that it’s led to an explosion in the non-alcoholic beverage market. Non-alcoholic beer sales have grown by nearly 4% on average for the past five years ... Non-alcoholic cocktails are also on the rise, and mocktail bars have started to spring up in cities around the country."
Drinking has long been viewed as a societal norm. Many social events are centered around alcohol, and drinking has been viewed as a form of pleasure and way to bond with others. You may have been hearing or seeing the term "sober curious" a lot these days. The sober curious are challenging the norms and encouraging us to consider why we automatically reach for alcohol and whether our drinking habits are due to genuine enjoyment or mere societal pressure.
I noticed an uptick in how much I was drinking alcohol this summer. I often drink more in the warm weather months, due to taking vacations or simply enjoying a beer or glass of wine while sitting out on a patio or by the fire pit on my deck. This year, I found myself pouring a drink more frequently to celebrate the launch of my book and all of the milestones associated with getting it published, but also as a way to cope with the frustration of reduced physical activity while I was recovering from knee surgery and nursing an inflammed bicep tendon. When I might normally be in the pool swimming laps, or out on a trail jogging or biking, instead I was engaging in social activities that involved alcohol.
All this has led me to decide to quit drinking alcohol for at least the month of October and see where things go from there. My hope is that perhaps skipping out on alcohol will reduce the inflammation I've been experiencing in my body, and I'll just feel better overall. I'm starting today, and am stocked up on plenty of non-acoholic brews for those social situations when having a drink in my hand allows me to participate, but remain sober.
I'll post on my social media accounts about how things are going throughout the month. Follow along via Facebook or Instagram. Who knows, maybe you'lll decide to join me and become one of the sober curious.
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