Utter the word “sober” at a social event and you can almost guarantee head-turning, questioning looks. And who’s to blame your company? Drinking whenever the opportunity presents itself is so normalised that to decline seems somewhat suspect. Waving away the bottle has traditionally signalled you were either recovering from an alcohol problem, or (pregnancy and religion aside) just a virtue-signaling health freak who doesn’t know how to have a good time. “Not drinking? Why? Do you not want to have fun?!”
But sobriety is no longer a discussion confined to discreet meetings in dank community buildings. A new generation of sort of, temporary teetotal crusaders has emerged, whose attitude towards the sauce is somewhere between temperance leader Wayne Wheeler and rap-star-turned-rum ambassador Lil Wayne. To them, sobriety is something to road-test in the name of health or mindfulness, like hot flow yoga, intermittent fasting, or any other lifestyle trend having its moment on Instagram (#soberissexy, #partysober). This brand of sobriety is meant to be celebrated, hashtagged or toasted over a non-alcoholic beer. It’s sobriety gone chic, but nonetheless founded on a need to change.
Highs and lows
Many of these Elective Abstainers will tell you they’ve never hit an alcoholic’s “rock bottom”; they’ve never had a “drinking problem”, merely a problem with drinking quite so much. For them, trialling sobriety stems from the all too reasonable idea that regularly introducing a certifiable poison into your body might be questionable, no matter how glamorised, advertised or ubiquitous it has become.
This story is from the Issue190 edition of WellBeing.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue190 edition of WellBeing.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Avoid the Beauty Hype
Save money, improve your health and contribute to environmental sustainability by creating your own beauty products at home.
Fill your life with delicious scents
Fill your garden with scents and enjoy the sense of tranquillity and quiet joy that comes with them.
Protein - the building blocks of beauty
Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb and organ meats such as pâté are all rich sources of high-quality protein.
Skincare that really cares
We put Sanctum's most popular products to the test and see why they're loved and adored by all.
Chelsea Pottenger - CARING FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Chelsea Pottenger, a mother, ambassador, keynote speaker and the founder and director of EQ Minds, is dedicated to reshaping the corporate landscape of mental health.
Green Beat
All the latest in environmental issues
Community-based prepping
Is the future going to look like it does at the present? Or might there be unexpected challenges? The answer is that challenges are likely and if not now, then soon. The real question becomes how we will respond to that disruption and achieve sustainable positive outcomes as a result.
Rest, roll and recover
Your body requires proper care and attention to function at its best. Just as you fuel your body with nutritious food, you must also provide it with adequate rest and recovery to maintain optimal health.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STILLNESS
In a busy world we say, \"Who has time for stillness?\" But the question should be: \"What are we really missing out on by not prioritising silent and soulful solitude?\"
Cucumbers
Cucumbers hydrate you and have potential antidiabetic, lipid lowering and antioxidant activity.