An \u201cinconvenient\u201d realization, since it soon became clear that changing my drinking habits would require some serious effort\u2014not least because booze was everywhere<\/em>. And while I don\u2019t identify with the term \u201calcoholic,\u201d the fact that booze is also one of the five most addictive substances\u2014yes, more so than cocaine\u2014was not going to make it any easier.<\/p>\n Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that I am not anti-alcohol. I also have no desire to be the judge of anybody else\u2019s drinking choices. I actually happen to believe the transcendent, altered states of consciousness we can achieve with alcohol are a vital, and way underserved, aspect of being human.<\/p>\n If anything, cutting alcohol out of my life has given me a newfound respect for this ancient mood-enhancer. Booze is potent stuff, yo! And yet we use it like it\u2019s salt.<\/p>\n Questioning how, why, and when we drink has been the crux of my \u201csober curious\u201d journey, which has led to another important (for me) revelation. Without alcohol in my life, I feel connected to my spirit\u2014which is to say alive<\/em>\u2014in a way I haven\u2019t since I was a kid. For whatever reason I was under the impression that utter confidence in who we are is not our birthright. Spoiler alert: It is!<\/p>\n If I feared feeling less confident, less connected to my friends, or thought life would become monotonous without booze, it turns out that, in my case, the opposite was true. Sure, the first few social occasions without a trusty cocktail in my hand felt scary to say the least. A bit like the first time you jump in the pool without armbands. And then something changed. \u00a0Not \u201cneeding\u201d the crutch of alcohol has become as liberating as it is empowering, in all areas of life. Like learning to swim, there\u2019s a sense of \u201cI got this\u201d\u2014no matter how deep and dark the water.<\/p>\n Increased confidence is one thing, but as for the other positive effects of not drinking? How long have you got? For anyone seeking a more mindful life\u2014which I\u2019m just guessing might be you, I believe that being fully\u00a0mindful\u00a0means being fully present. Fully in it.<\/em> And whichever way you spin it, alcohol (for me) will always be a way of getting out of it.<\/p>\n
\n3 Ideas for a Sober Social Life<\/h3>\n
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Ruby Warrington is a British journalist, consultant and entrepreneur, currently living in Brooklyn, NY. Formerly Features Editor on the UK Sunday Times Style magazine, in 2013 she launched The Numinous<\/strong>, a conscious lifestyle platform that bridges the gap between the mystical and the mainstream. Ruby works regularly with brands on a consultancy basis, while her writing features in publications on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first book, Material Girl Mystical World, is out with Harper Collins in May 2017. Meanwhile, other projects include \u201csober curious\u201d event series Club S\u00d6DA NYC<\/strong>, and Moon Club<\/strong>,\u00a0a monthly mentoring program for spiritual activists.<\/em><\/p>\n