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Anjan Sachar profile imageAnjan Sachar

Even without a drinking problem, people around the world are choosing to embrace the sober life for its many health benefits

Why is sober curiosity so popular right now?

Even without a drinking problem, people around the world are choosing to embrace the sober life for its many health benefits. Could this be our future?

Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows how much I love beautiful drams of whiskey with water and ice on weekends. I picked Wine Studies as an elective during my undergraduate degree. There’s a bar five minutes from my residence that I call my second home. From cocktail masterclasses to tastings, I do them all, quite often. However, when long Covid came for me this January, affecting my liver considerably, it changed my life for the next three months.

For an alcohol enthusiast like myself, becoming a teetotaller for at least 90 days sounded impossible to commit to, but, doctor’s orders. Soon enough, I realised that as long as the music is good, I have my closest crew around me and I’ve got a glass of something in my hand–even if it’s a Diet Coke–I was still able to have a great time at a bar. A life without ‘hangxiety’ (the state of being hungover and anxious at once) was brilliant. I slept better, wasn’t as bloated and definitely saved a lot of money. But three months and a scan later, my body recovered and I celebrated with a dram of my favourite single malt. And life went back to normal.

While you probably enjoy drinks on the weekend as much as I do, a growing number of people around the world are opting to pick from non-alcoholic menus, every single day. Even when they don’t necessarily go overboard or drink often, they’re ‘sober curious’. The term can be attributed to the success of journalist and author Ruby Warrington’s eponymous book. She unpacks the benefits of choosing to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol, what it adds and takes away from your life and what you can achieve by giving it up altogether. We spoke to a nutritionist and two psychologists about opting for the sober life, and here’s what we learned.

A growing number of people around the world are opting to pick from non-alcoholic menus, every single day. Photo: Pexels

A growing number of people around the world are opting to pick from non-alcoholic menus, every single day. Photo: Pexels

“The sober lifestyle phase could very possibly be one of the many trends that float around, and people want to try it once they read or hear about it,

“The sober lifestyle phase could very possibly be one of the many trends that float around, and people want to try it once they read or hear about it," says Ruchi Shah Jhaveri. Photo: Pexels

The unpleasant effects of excessive alcohol consumption

The way alcohol affects your body when not consumed in moderation is often reason enough for people to give it up altogether. “They may have experienced its ill-effects like weight gain, erectile dysfunction, early ageing of the body, relationship issues, issues with memory, dealing with hangovers, reduced productivity, difficulty conceiving and lifestyle disorders such as PCOS or diabetes,” explains Shamim Deshmukh, a counselling psychologist. Moreover, when a couple of drinks turn into far too many, and too frequently, the effects go much beyond just the person concerned. “Some people embrace the sober lifestyle because of polarisation—they've seen addiction and the pain it causes the family at a very young age so they do not want to indulge in drinking,” adds Deshmukh.

According to counsellor and movement therapist Ruchi Shah Jhaveri, “The sober lifestyle phase could very possibly be one of the many trends that float around, and people want to try it once they read or hear about it. Call it a need for change, to experiment or be part of a larger movement, like the keto diet, intermittent fasting, wearing crop tops or even Pilates.”

Does COVID-19 have anything to do with it?

While Warrington’s book was released a couple of years before the Coronavirus became a household term, the latter has significantly impacted how we perceive our overall health and well-being. “A global pandemic can surely shift your focus on self-reflection,” says Jhaveri. “The pandemic first brought about a consciousness in a way that people wanted to have something more constructive to do in the form of exercise and cooking,” adds Samreedhi Goel, nutritionist and fitness expert. “But as they realised that there was no real end date to the initial lockdown, they started to acknowledge that it is our bodies that need to be fortified and made stronger by trying to make better choices.”

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"If you are a social drinker who feels relaxed and can easily control the need to drink, and don’t binge-drink every weekend, it is perfectly okay to have a drink or two once in a while.” Photo: Getty

The rise in alternatives to boozy beverages

Being the designated driver doesn’t mean you get stuck with a fizzy cola anymore. Svami Drinks, popular for their tonic waters, also has a range of non-alcoholic drinks including rum and cola and gin and tonic which don’t contain any alcohol. An Indian beverage brand named Sober has created the country’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits, a clear gin and a pink gin, which claim to taste and feel just like a sip of the real thing, with zero per cent alcohol or sugar.

Kombucha continues to grow in popularity, brands like Polka Pop and Zenzi provide flavoured sodas with no added sugar and zero calories, and restaurants and bars are now experimenting with their mocktail lists more seriously. “It helps if there is an alcohol substitute available at get-togethers or parties,” says Goel.

Should you be quitting alcohol altogether?

“Embracing the sober lifestyle can help prevent many latent hereditary physical health issues and lifestyle disorders,” says Deshmukh. “Some of the most common lifestyle disorders seen in young adults are fatty liver disease, diabetes and PCOS.

Many times alcohol abuse is a way to cope with stress. The brain makes associations of stress relief with alcohol.” If you find yourself resorting to drinking to cope with stress, speaking to a psychologist or psychotherapist can help you unlearn this behaviour. “The biggest thing to understand here is the difference between ‘alcohol use’ and ‘alcohol abuse’,” says Jhaveri. “Using or drinking alcohol in moderate quantities can have positive effects on your mood and mental health. This is subjective to your overall physical and mental well-being. However, consuming alcohol in quantities that can be physically harmful is more detrimental than helpful.” Goel agrees, adding, “If you have quantity control issues or drink to avoid problems, you should consider embracing a sober lifestyle. If you are a social drinker who feels relaxed and can easily control the need to drink, and don’t binge-drink every weekend, it is perfectly okay to have a drink or two once in a while.”

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