Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship28 Tammi 2025

#130 - The Sober Curious Lifestyle and the Impact on Your Friendships: with Hallie Sawyer

Do you know someone who has adopted a "sober curious" lifestyle? Perhaps it's a pivot you've been considering for yourself? The term is usually credited to Ruby Warrington, author of Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol.

“Sober curious” means you're curious about how much you're drinking and how your health, relationships, and work and more might change without alcohol, even if you don't have an addiction.

Today's guest, writer and podcaster, Hallie Sawyer, began a sober curious journey several years ago and is here to give Dear Nina listeners an honest account of how it began and why she has stayed completely committed to avoiding alcohol years later.

Meet Hallie Sawyer:

Hallie is a writer and host of the podcast, The AWEd Life, which is an acronym for Awake, Well, and Empowered. Living AWEd has been her life filter since challenging herself to give up alcohol for 90 days which is now her M.O. She’s a midlife mom with three adult children who recently became the owner of an empty nest and is ready to take on this next stage of life with gusto. She shares her writing weekly on Substack and you can find her on Instagram at @hallie_sawyer and @theawedlife.

Links mentioned and other related episodes:

Ruby Warrington's book, Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Deep Connection, and Limitless Presence Awaiting Us All On The Other Side of Alcohol
Dear Nina episode #17 Friendship and Sobriety: Jen (Gilhoi) Veralle
Hallie's friendship project!
I was a guest on Hallie's podcast, The AWEd Life, where we discussed the changing nature of friendship in midlife.

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Special thank you, as always, to my assistant producer, Rebekah Jacobs!

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