How to Make Sober Friends in 2022

Taking a break from alcohol or wading into the alcohol-free lifestyle?

Often, you might find yourself the ONLY one in your social circle doing so. In a world that’s so obsessed with drinks at every social occasion, it can feel lonely to be the only one taking a break.

You're not alone! There are millions of other women and men radically transforming the role of alcohol in their life. One in three Americans did Dry January this year. And in a recent Gallup poll, four out of every ten people don’t drink (or don’t drink anymore).

The alcohol-free movement is taking the world by storm and like-minded friends who are looking for a deeper sense of connection are out there waiting to meet you! It’s not the old-school group of people congregating in church basements, nervously clutching bad coffee. The alcohol-free movement is a positive, empowering movement that brings together people who simply realized, alcohol is not serving you or who you want to become.

Perhaps your dreams have become more important than a fermented beverage. Or your wellbeing and health matter more than fitting in. Welcome to the rebel club.

Here are four ways to find like-minded alcohol-free friends in your vicinity:

meetup.com

The easiest place to start is meetup.com. There are tons of meetups out there that combine like-minded individuals by a shared hobby, lifestyle, or interest. And there’s ton of sober social clubs out there too. Go onto meetup.com and search the word sober, alcohol-free, or recovery. Make sure you enter up to 100 miles from your house, just to see what’s available in your vicinity. Many of these groups host activities like brunch, yoga, hikes, mocktail tastings, etc.

Don’t see anything in your area? What if YOU were the person to start one?

Meet People Online

You can also meet people online. I’ve met dozens of women online first who turned out to be great friends in real life. The two most effective places to start are in private alcohol-free Facebook groups and Instagram. In the Euphoric AF Facebook group, we have almost 4000 women all over the nation (and world). Some are bound to live in your area. Women who are empowered and choosing to see alcohol differently in their society. And it’s totally private (meaning your family or Facebook friends won’t see your conversations). Instagram also has so many sober influencers and women just starting their journeys. Be sure to follow euphoric.af for daily alcohol-free lifestyle tips and reels. I’ve made a lot of friends simply by commenting on other people’s posts.

Events and AF Bars

There’s also a lot happening in real life too. A lot more events, alcohol-free bars, and mocktail pop-ups than ever before. You can start looking for events that cater to the alcohol-free lifestyle in your vicinity. For example, there are brick and motor alcohol-free bars or alcohol-free bottle shops in many cities across the US (like Austin, New York, Houston, Laguna Beach, Denver, etc.). There are also mocktail pop-ups (like the Sans Bar National Tour—I’m speaking in Houston, Chicago, and NYC) and events hosted by Daybreaker for sober raves. So follow along and keep your eyes peeled for an event near you.

Group Coaching/Masterminds/retreats

But if you're really looking for an intimate group where fostering friendships is the point, one of my best tips I have for you is to immerse yourself into a formal group coaching/mastermind program or retreat. I usually host a group coaching program twice a year. And every single time we host this group, the women form such strong bonds and friendships. In fact, they continue meeting even after the group is over and are really there for each other.

Another example is a mastermind, a very in-depth high-level program with deep personal growth work and retreats at the end (stay tuned for Euphoric masterminds for alcohol-free women). And lastly, retreats to far-flung tropical destinations or even nearby are an incredible way to meet new people and get away from it all for a week.

The next Euphoric alcohol-free women’s retreat will be held in Puerto Vallarta on Nov 26-Dec 3.

Learn more about Euphoric retreats here.