In American culture, drinking alcohol is extremely prevalent and is often integrated into regular aspects of life such as celebrations, business deals, relaxing, socializing, or de-stressing. It can be easy to fall into the “everyone else is doing it!” mindset in those situations, mindlessly grabbing a cocktail to not stand out.

The sober curious movement challenges this mindset by encouraging people to begin to question their relationship with alcohol so that they can make conscious drinking choices, whether that means engaging in mindful drinking or abstaining altogether.

This article explores the differences between mindful drinking and being sober curious, the impact of alcohol consumption on health, and how to begin to change your drinking habits.