For years, boozy mom culture has been normalized as the standard in suburbs across the nation, but now the growing sober/sober curious movement is pushing the pendulum in the other direction.
Amid all the mommy-wine-time events and cases of Chardonnay being swilled in the name of stress relief, there are lots of women who would rather not drink, but do so in order to go with the flow and not be excluded or isolated.
And, while technology has offered up many tools for helping people become sober, it has been much harder to connect with others who would rather be sober. Now moms everywhere have a way to connect and meet like-minded women, including other moms, and create the sober lifestyle they want.
What Does Sober Mean?
You might wonder what being sober means – what’s the sober definition? It means that you choose to not drink alcohol or use intoxicating drugs addictive substances. Deciding to be sober does not necessarily have anything to do with being an alcoholic or indicate that someone has a drinking problem
Choosing Sobriety for Health
Yes, people addicted to alcohol often strive to become sober, but for others, it’s a choice for health and well-being. The benefits of not drinking alcohol are many and range from better sleep and mental health, to a healthier body, better skin and improved relationships.
Drinking Disguised as Self-Care
“Drinking is not self-care, no matter what the media have been pushing at moms in recent years,” says Hannah Dordick, founder of a new app called Sober Space,. “For some people, the mom-drinking culture becomes a problem but for others, they’d just rather not use drugs or alcohol in the interest of their health – mental or physical,” she says.
Build a Great New Sober Life
The new connection app for sober and sober-curious women who want to build a fun and fulfilling sober lifestyle has launched for both iOS and Android mobile devices. It’s actually the first platform designed specifically for femmes, non-binary folx, and women to build sober friendships and connect with sober-friendly places and activities.
Choosing Not to Drink is Just the First Step
While not a mom herself, Dordick knows the struggle of addiction, having been a drug user in her late teens and early 20s. She is also painfully aware of how hard it can be to stick to a path of sobriety within a former lifestyle of partying and substance use.
“Getting sober is just part of the process. The hardest part can come afterward, especially when a good chunk of society equates having fun with drinking alcohol or using drugs.”
A New Focus May Mean New Friends
“Women face unique challenges in building a substance-free future and need the tools to create an exciting and fulfilling life,” she says, adding that living a sober life can be “nearly impossible if all of your friends and activities still revolve around your old lifestyle. Real change requires exploring new activities and meeting new people, which can be very difficult as an adult,” she explains.
Expand Your Activities
In addition to connecting with others who have shared interests, Sober Space provides a platform for discovering and sharing events, activities and sober-friendly businesses in cities and regions across the country. From unique events and crafts classes to concerts, attractions and restaurants that are sober-friendly, the app can help moms design a night out that doesn’t have to revolve around alcohol. The app has also just added Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand to the areas it serves.
Moms Can Face Special Challenges
Crafting a sober life can be particularly difficult for moms, when mommy wine culture is everywhere. From being called Mommy’s time out, mommy juice and mommy’s little helper, wine has become ubiquitous at gatherings from kid’s birthday parties to lunches and events of all types. For many moms, the social circle consists of other moms in the neighborhood or moms of their children’s classmates, making it harder to break free from this cultural norm.
Sober Space Can Help
“Every sobriety journey is different but many women who maintain sobriety will tell you that building a new lifestyle is critical. Sober Space is the tool that will help moms find new, like-minded sober friends and try out activities that don’t involve alcohol,” Dordick says.