The rise of sober dating: here's how to get it right this Dry Jan (and beyond)
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January might sound like the most depressing time to abstain from alcohol, but nevertheless: every year, millions of people swear off it entirely in the name of starting off the New Year the right way. And in fact, sober living is on the rise. Of the estimated 9 million Brits who will be abstaining from drinking in January, many will be seeking to continue that streak into the rest of the year and beyond.
Gen Z is already one of the cleanest-living generations in memory. In 2021, it was revealed that 38 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds and 21 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds either don’t drink or hadn’t drunk in the past 12 months. Throw in the increasing number of celebs – Tom Holland, Rihanna, Bella Hadid – who are giving up the bottle for good in the name of their mental and physical health, and what you have is a wellness trend that is becoming increasingly, well, trendy.
But with that comes a whole host of different challenges. Good news: you’re no longer in danger of drinking too much at work parties, or indeed, at nights at the pub with friends. Plus, that wallet is looking mighty healthy. But on the downside, you now have a whole new gauntlet to run.
Enter the sober date. Dating is already one of the most nerve-wracking past-times out there – anybody fancy spending a few hours in a pub with a complete stranger in the interests of finding out if you’re compatible? – but increasingly, the rise in the number of people going sober means figuring out new ways to approach this most stressful of pastimes.
