#18. Sober Curious or Mindful Drinker: What's the Difference? Artwork

Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms

**A Spotify 'Rising Star' show** Practical moderation for the way you want to live.

Why can't I drink like I used to? How do I drink less without quitting completely? Should I go for low, no or light alcohol drinks? Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?

If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond and asking these questions, this is your podcast.

Welcome to the essential show for midlife adults who want to drink less, on their own terms—without the pressure to quit completely, follow rigid rules, or label themselves as sober.

I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace, your mindful drinking mentor, writer and public speaker on all things low, no and light. Each week, I help stressed parents and busy midlife adults navigate their relationship with alcohol through practical approaches grounded in real-world experience and behaviour change strategy, not willpower or wellness culture

What you'll get:

Mindful Moderation Solo Episodes – Deep-dives answering the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly:

How do I cut back when my partner still drinks at home?
What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions?
How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?

This podcast is for you if:

You're looking for practical advice that fits your demanding life, not another wellness overhaul
You recognise that coasting with mid-strength drinks, zebra-striping, or bookending your evening with something non-alcoholic are all valid strategies
You want better mornings without giving up celebrating life's special moments

This isn't about going completely dry or reinventing yourself. It's about keeping energy for what matters most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.

Join the moderation revolution happening in midlife – because while Gen Z gets the headlines, you're the one actually doing it.

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Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms

#18. Sober Curious or Mindful Drinker: What's the Difference?

May 16, 2024 • Denise Hamilton-Mace • Episode 18

0:00 | 5:13

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Ever wondered what people actually mean when they say they’re ‘sober curious’?

Not sure what’s involved in being a ‘mindful drinker’

Wondering which lifestyle choice would suit you best?

In this short episode Denise unpacks both terms and helps you get to understand the difference between them both.

Still not sure which is right for you? Take the 1st and only low/no drinking personality type quiz at https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/68dd33385bb4a20015996a13 to find out where you are on your journey and what to do next?

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Speaker 1 1:13

Hi , hi . Today I wanted to chat to you about the difference between the two names that you'll most commonly hear when it comes to looking at your relationship with alcohol , and that is Sober Curious and Mindful Drinker . Ever since Ruby Warrington released her book Sober Curious and the very long subtitle that I can never remember I'll link it below for you a lot of people have been wondering whether Sober Curiosity is the right move for them , so let's have a look and see if it's right for you

Sober Curious

Speaker 1 1:41

. As you can probably guess from the title , people who are sober curious are curious as to whether sobriety is the best path for them long term . They're interested to know whether cutting out alcohol will improve their quality of life to the standards that they have set for themselves . Sober curious people will very rarely drink anything above alcohol free or low alcohol , so anything above 0.5 or 1.2 percent and they are looking to see how they can incorporate these drinks and this lifestyle in a way that can align with the goals that they set for themselves . Deciding to be sober curious , however , doesn't mean that you suddenly have to give up alcohol straight away and that tomorrow you're going to become a born-again teetotaler . Instead , it means thinking about why you're having your drinks , what you're hoping to gain from it , weighing that up against what you want to achieve from your life and seeing where the two come together . Removing alcohol from your life can happen slowly for sober , curious people . It might be that they decide to start cutting back bit by bit , event by event , day by day , or it might be that they set themselves certain rules around moderation . There are lots of ways to approach a sober , curious lifestyle , but ultimately you're looking to see whether the long-term goal for you is to remove alcohol or at least minimize it as much as possible .

Mindful Drinking

Speaker 1 3:05

Mindful drinkers , on the other hand , are people who may still be imbibing alcohol , whether that be full strength alcohol or low or no drinks . As you can guess from the name , mindful drinkers are people who are thinking about their drinking and the impact that it's having , and making conscious decisions as to whether the choices that they're making around drinks are serving them . Quite often , mindful drinkers will be thinking about each drink as they have it . They'll be thinking about the mouthfeel , the texture , the flavors , the body , the taste , whether or not they're enjoying it , if it's making them feel good , if it's making them feel like they want to have another one . Speaking of which , before ordering another drink , mindful drinkers will stop and think about whether they really want to have that second or third or fourth drink . They'll think about the impact that it's having on them , how it's making them feel physically , emotionally , mentally .

Speaker 1 4:03

Now , of course , this gets impaired the more drinks that you have , the harder it is to make these assessments . But that's one of the reasons why mindful drinkers will slow down , often drink smaller drinks , so perhaps having a half instead of a pint , or a small glass of wine instead of a large glass , perhaps having a long mixed drink rather than a short , strong cocktail like a martini . Mindful drinkers are not necessarily looking at going teetotal although that might be a goal for some people but more so they're looking at how the drinks that they're having in any given moment are impacting their life . Mindful drinkers might be thinking about the meetings that they have the next day , the family commitments they've made , or things that they want to do that weekend , depending on where you are in your life and how much alcohol is affecting you and how long it's taking to get out of your system . So mindful drinkers and sober , curious drinkers have a lot in common , but they do come at things from a different place .

Speaker 1 4:59

Which one are you ? Let me know in the comments below . See you next time .

People on this episode

Denise Hamilton-Mace

Host