The Rise of Sober & Sober Curious (business) Women

Written by Kirsty Mulcahy a Transformational Life Coach, lived-experience sobriety coach, speaker, and founder of SoberBuzz Scotland , SkyRose Coaching and awesome member of our mentor group Get Seen Get Sales!

More women than ever are questioning their drinking and it’s not because they hit rock bottom.

It’s because they’re building businesses, families, and lives that align with who they are and they ain't got time to be dealing with hangovers. Chuck the perimenopause into the mix and it feels more like a slow death than a hangover…!

When I stopped drinking alcohol in 2017 I had very little choice, I was a high functioning

alcoholic. The only other sober people I knew of had also had pretty severe issues with the

booze. But 8 years later more and more people are choosing to live alcohol free as a lifestyle choice. It’s no longer just about addiction, it’s about alignment, choice, empowerment and a big sprinkling of taking your power back!

The rise of alcohol free drinks, sober influencers, and Dry January shows it’s more mainstream than ever. More and more women are realising that drinking might actually be holding them back, not helping them cope. I was working a really tough corporate job, a single mum and caring for an elderly relative and the thing I thought that was helping me unwind was actually the unravelling of me.

Since I quit in 2017 I have not only completely transformed my life but I have supported

hundreds of women who are curious about what life is like without hangovers.

"There’s nothing boring about living a life that doesn’t need escaping from"

I am gonna clear up a few things first!

You don’t need to quit forever (unless you want to!)

It’s great to take a break from time to time.

If anything is having any negative impact on your life the sensible thing to do is to step back and ask, what value is this adding to my life and at what cost?

Sober curiosity is about noticing where alcohol stops serving you. And, most importantly!

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for drinking less, or thriving more.

So, what do I mean by a negative impact?

• Taking time off work ‘cause you drank too much

• That “dodgy tummy” you keep blaming on IBS?

• For loads of my clients, it magically clears up when the wine stops flowing.

• Saying things you regret at work events (hello Monday morning cringe)

• Interrupted sleep, anxiety, low moods—all after a night drinking.

These aren't random, they are biochemical.

Alcohol impacts your gut, your brain, your nervous system, and your hormones.

It spikes dopamine and GABA in the short term (hello buzz) but then crashes them leaving you anxious, sluggish, and mentally foggy.

One study from the University of Sussex found that 70% of people who reduced their alcohol intake reported better sleep, and over 50% said they had more energy and better concentration.

Not surprising when you know it takes your liver about an hour per unit to metabolise alcohol and that's assuming your body's not already stressed out (we are business owners, of course we are a lil stressed from time to time…)

When a client messages me to say, OMFG Kirsty, I am finally getting a run of good sleep!! I run around my house with joy, if helping people get a better sleep is my legacy I want it on my tombstone. Cause, there is nothing better than good sleep!

Why Drinking Less Can Make You a Better Business Owner:

• Better decision-making — no more hangxiety, brain fog or “did I really say that?”

• Improved sleep — and with it, more creativity, clarity, and emotional resilience

• Stronger boundaries — alcohol often numbs stress signals that are trying to tell you, oi!

  You're doing too much

• More confidence — alcohol might give a quick high or feeling of calm, but it chips away at

  real confidence. Relying on it to be social or visible often masks deeper insecurities and the day

  after hangxiety is a real confidence killer. When you're sober or drinking less, your self-trust

  builds. You know what you said, how you showed up, and you don’t need booze for false

  confidence.

• More time — your evenings become a space for rest, connection, or actual business strategy

  and planning, with Amanda’s Social Media Planner, of course!! (rather than doom-scrolling with a glass in hand)

My Top Tips for Drinking Less (or Not at All)

You don’t need to go full on monk mode or delete your social life. This is about getting curious.

✨ Project YOU

Think of this less as “giving something up” and more as "building something f*cking brilliant" You’re creating space to feel better, sleep better, make clearer decisions, and feel proud of yourself the next day.

Tip: Set a goal, to run alongside drinking less, that excites you—run a 5K, build a morning

routine, grow your business with a clear head, and make that your why.

Pause Before You Pour

Next time you reach for a drink, just pause.

Ask yourself:

“What do I really need right now?”

Is it to unwind? Connect? Escape?

Because alcohol’s just a shortcut and often a regrettable one. When you identify the real need

(comfort, rest, joy, connection), you can manage it in a way that actually helps.

Play It Forward

Before the first sip, imagine tomorrow morning.

Will you wake up clear-headed and proud—or full of anxiety and regret?

This isn’t about guilt, it’s a power move.

Visualising the impact helps you choose rather than react.

A good question to ask yourself is, how do I want to feel when I wake tomorrow morning?

Or, how do I want to feel when I climb into bed tonight? No one answers hungover or half cut!

Kirsty enjoys a swim in the sea every morning!

Curate Your Feed

Your social media can either push you toward change or pull you back into habits you're trying to break. Unfollow anyone who makes you feel sh*t or pressured to “just have one.” Anyone boomeranging their prosecco was promptly muted when I finally got “aff it”!

Fill your feed with sober creators, coaches, and communities that make this path feel

empowering, not boring. (Sober or Sober Curious people are not boring….!)

Journal on it!!!

You don't need to be a writer. Just get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

Start with:

• Why do I want to drink less?

• How do I want to feel in my life?

• What do I want more of?

• What do I want less of?

Keeping track of how you feel after nights you don’t drink vs. nights you do can also be eye-

opening. This creates your “Why List”—a personal reminder of what you're choosing instead of drinking. When the urges hit, go back to it.

Get Support (Hi, it’s me 🙋🏼‍♀️)

You do not have to do this alone. Whether you're going alcohol-free for good, for a month, or

just curious what it might feel like to take a break—I got ya!

Coaching gives you space to reflect, be honest, and build a toolkit that works for you. I have many ways to help you live a life and build your businesses without reaching for the vino every time life be life-ing!

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to wait for a rock bottom to re-evaluate your relationship with alcohol.

More and more women, especially business owners, are realising that the “wine o’clock” culture isn’t serving them. And if you are a parent, mummy really does not need a wine - she needs a hand!

Drinking less (or not at all) isn’t about restriction, it’s about expansion.

More clarity. More energy. More alignment. And more time to build the life and business you actually want.

So if that little voice inside has been nudging you to make a change why not get curious to how that could look, what ya got to lose?!

And I promise you—there’s nothing boring about living a life that doesn’t need escaping from.

About the Author

Kirsty Mulcahy is a Transformational Life Coach, lived-experience sobriety coach, speaker, and

founder of SoberBuzz Scotland & SkyRose Coaching.

Known for her bold, heart-led approach to helping women live alcohol-free lives they’re proud of, she also swims in the sea every morning and still loves a good night out!

Find her on Instagram @skyrosecoaching_ @soberbuzzscotlandcic