In recent years, a different kind of consuming alcohol is slowly making its way among millennials and the Gen Z – that of actually cutting back on it! Welcome to the ‘sober curious’ movement – a lifestyle choice about cutting back on alcohol or taking a break from it. From clearer skin to saving money and even better sleep, avoiding alcohol or cutting back on it can actually be a total game changer. Here we’ll talk about sober curious benefits and why this is the trend everyone’s hopping on to.
The term ‘sober curious’ is used to refer to an individual’s decision to either cut down on their alcohol intake or take a temporary break from it. As the name suggests, this movement is about being ‘curious’ about sobriety and experimenting with an alcohol-free lifestyle.
No! It does not mean that the movement is all about embracing 100% sobriety. The sober curious movement is a way for individuals to experiment, figure things out, and see how reduced alcohol intake affects their mind and body.
The sober curious movement is a healthy and holistic approach to a wellness lifestyle. As individuals take a break or reduce their alcohol intake, they can connect better with their body and mind and then decide when and how they must resume alcohol intake.
While recent years have seen a rising trend in the sober curious lifestyle, it is not a mere health and wellness trend. This is a movement, rather a cultural shift that is influencing entire generations to prioritize conscious alcohol consumption over a careless one.
Social media is playing a crucial role in promoting the sober curious lifestyle. Many health influencers, social media stars, and film and sports personalities are actively promoting the positive effects of cutting back on alcohol. Rising social media influence then inspires thousands of others to experiment with and eventually embrace the sober curious lifestyle.
And among the people who are leading this movement, Gen Z is at the forefront. Most Gen Z individuals are realizing the negative effects of alcohol. Along with that, they are prioritizing more health-conscious ways of socializing and redefining the notion that alcohol is supposed to be at the center of all celebrations. More and more Gen Z individuals are opting for non-alcoholic beverages like zero-proof drinks, kombucha, and mocktails to enjoy social occasions.
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Most alcoholic drinks contain high amounts of calories as well as sugar. And these calories and sugar significantly increase your body weight if you have been consuming alcohol on a regular basis. Nutrients like sugar are more than often unused and get converted to fat, resulting in an increase in body weight.
However, being sober curious benefits your body by helping you manage body weight. You can better plan your diet, eliminate more calories and sugars apart from alcoholic drinks, and fasten your weight loss journey.
Your central nervous system is easily influenced by depressants such as alcohol. While it initially lowers your heart rate and slows down breathing, resulting in feelings of drowsiness, your liver begins to metabolize the alcohol in your blood while you’re asleep.
Which is why, even though you tend to fall asleep quicker under the effects of alcohol, you might not get a comfortable, deep sleep. This discomfort and irregularity in sleeping patterns can be minimized when you go sober curious, and there are numerous studies to back it!
Alcohol affects your brain function by impairing the communication between neurons, ultimately leading to several issues like decreased mental clarity, short-term memory loss, and anxiety among others. Embracing the sober curious lifestyle will help your brain function better and improve your memory functioning.
People who cut down on alcohol or reduce their alcohol intake often notice improvements in their cognitive functions. These include better focus, improved concentration, and better mental clarity.
While everyone talks about the mental and physical benefits of being sober curious, not many realize its financial benefits too! Regular consumption of alcohol – be it grabbing just a few bottles of liquor from a store or spending the evening at a cocktail bar – all costs money. And many times, it can become quite expensive, especially if you rely on your monthly income for all your spendings.
Embracing the sober curious lifestyle helps you save all that exorbitant money that would’ve been spent on expensive cocktails, chic liquor bottles, and costly hangouts at bars and restaurants. And financial savings will in turn help you better manage your finances and make you even more happier!
The liver is the organ that is the most responsible for handling the alcohol in your body. It filters toxins from your body and purifies your blood. However, regular consumption of alcohol can slowly start impairing liver functions. In turn, this can lead to health conditions such as fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, and chronic liver damage.
And while your liver can repair itself to a certain extent, it might give up after a certain point. Cutting down on alcohol or reducing its intake can help further damage to your liver. It might not repair your liver directly, but it will definitely prevent severe liver damage and other health risks associated with alcohol intake.
Alcohol is known for being a depressant, meaning it ‘slows’ down your body and shifts your moods. It boosts the serotonin levels in your blood, causing that temporary rush of ‘happiness’ and ‘relaxation’. However, once you’re out of the effects of alcohol, serotonin levels drop, resulting in your mood dropping back to normal, or sometimes even depressed.
This also explains why alcohol addicts go through depressing mood swings and irritation when they’re away from alcohol for a long time. Cutting down on alcohol or taking a break from it will actually help prevent drastic mood shifts and stabilize your mood.
Also Read: Does Mixing Drinks Really Make Your Hangover Worse, or Is It Just Bad PR?
A sober curious lifestyle can not only benefit your body from within but also from the outside. And yes, it can help you achieve clearer skin. For those who don’t know, alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes the body to lose fluids. This, in turn, can lead to your skin becoming dull, dry, and dehydrated. It can also make fine lines and wrinkles appear faster and become more noticeable on your skin.
When you go sober curious, your body gets time to recover from the dehydrating and dulling effects of alcohol. Your body is better able to absorb and retain moisture, leaving your skin more plump and hydrated than before. It can also reduce puffiness and skin inflammation, and help heal dark circles and eye puffiness over time.
Sober curious lifestyle comes with several benefits, including enhanced liver function, better skin, improved financial savings. This is not just a trending hashtag, it is a full-fledged lifestyle that’s shifting the focus – alcohol is no more an obligation to enjoy social occasions, it is instead an option. An option that can be avoided or eventually abstained from to improve one’s body, mind, and soul. What do you think of this lifestyle trend that’s more or less an impactful cultural movement?
