125. Sober Curious? Olivia Noceda’s Advice for Navigating Relationships & an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

We’re sure you already know and love today’s guest, Olivia Noceda! Olivia has had an alcohol-free lifestyle for the past 15 months, so we invited her on the podcast to share her experience and to explore the concept of sober curiosity. Olivia shares her personal journey with sober curiosity and why she decided to cut out alcohol. We discuss the similarities between the sober curious movement and diet culture, and the red flags to be aware of. We also talk about the correlation between alcohol and hookup culture, and how to navigate dating while sober curious. 

Raeann and Kristina both open up about their own relationships with alcohol and share real-time reflections about why they drink. As Raeann has recently experienced, living in a drinking culture like NYC can be challenging for those who are exploring an alcohol-free lifestyle, so Olivia shares some great tips for going out and feeling more comfortable not drinking. We also delve into the potential effects on friendships and relationships and provide advice for those who want to stop drinking but are worried about the impact it could have on their social life.

Join us for this enlightening, honest conversation as we explore the growing shift towards sober curiosity and the importance of asking ourselves how alcohol does or doesn’t serve us in this phase of life. Regardless of what you choose, remember to always do what’s best for you, and that trusting yourself is loving yourself. P.S. Don’t forget to head to Olivia’s website and Instagram to try out some of her delicious mocktail recipes!

 

“The questions I started asking myself were; how does alcohol serve me? What is it to me in my life and what is my relationship with it? With no judgment, I'm not judging myself, I just want to know what it is. And very simply, I had nothing good to say about it. I just started to realize that there was nothing really positive that it was bringing into my life.” - Olivia Noceda

 

What We Talk About:

• What does “sober curious” mean?

• Why Olivia explored sober curiosity to begin with

• Similarities between sober curiosity and diet culture

• Questions to ask yourself if you’re starting to become sober curious

• Tips for living in a drinking culture like NYC while sober curious

• Navigating dating while sober curious

• Kristina’s reflections on her relationship with alcohol

• Why Raeann feels influenced to drink more than she’d like to

• How cultural influences play a role in our relationship with alcohol

• Signs alcohol may be a problem for you

• Why there’s a culture shift towards sober curiosity right now

• Advice for people who want to stop drinking alcohol but are worried about how it will affect friendships and relationships

• The correlation between alcohol and hookup culture

• Tips for going out and feeling more comfortable not drinking

 

“I feel there's obviously a lot of judgment for people who don't drink, but I also feel like there's a lot of people who don't drink who judge those that do. We all need to have a little bit more fair play and more respect for everyone's life choices, no matter what they are.” - Kristina Zias

 

“When you are following what you desire and what you are interested in and bettering your life, you're basically weeding out people who aren't aligned with your values and your mission. And that's just going to be better for you in the long run. So in the short term, it can be scary, but I think you have to look ahead to the long, long term goal. - Raeann Langas

 

New podcast episodes of Confident Collective drop every Tuesday.

 

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Visit nutrisense.io/confident and use code CONFIDENT to save $30 and get 1 month of free dietitian support.

• Learn more and save 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/confidentcollective or use code "confidentcollective" at checkout.

 

Resources:

• Website: www.olivianoceda.com

• Olivia’s Instagram: @olivianoceda

• Listen to Olivia’s podcast: On the Rocks

• Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington

• Andrew Huberman: Huberman Lab

• Follow us on Instagram: @confidentcollective 

• Follow the Hosts/Founders: @kristinazias & @raeannlangas

• Learn more: https://www.theconfidentcollective.com/

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