How to Win Sober October (Even If You Drink a Little)
As you probably guessed from the title, Sober October is an attempt to get people to stop drinking alcohol for a month. It began in 2014 as a fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support in the UK and has grown into a worldwide trend, possibly fueled by the rise in alcohol consumption that has accompanied COVID.
There are other popular dry month campaigns – Dry July, Dry January – but I think October is the best time of the year for a 30 day wagon ride. It’s right before Thanksgiving and Christmas when you’re likely to be drinking extra, and there’s something about winter approaching that encourages solemnity, sobriety, and self-esteem. Plus, “Sober October” rhymes.
Benefits of Sobriety in October
Not only being able to test your willpower, but not drinking (or cutting back) for a month has real benefits. You will have more money in your pocket, you will feel good about setting a goal and achieving it, and the health benefits of even a short period of abstinence will be significant.
A 2015 study by Prof. Kevin Moore of the Royal Free Hospital in London found that people who drink moderately to heavily while abstaining from alcohol for 30 days show increased insulin resistance, lose an average of 3 kg of weight. reduce cholesterol levels and report an increase in energy. sleep and mood. Also: It’s good for your liver. Quitting alcohol reduces fatty changes that can lead to cirrhosis and other liver diseases.
Another benefit of a sober October: Nothing will bring out a drinking problem more clearly than having trouble stopping drinking for a while.
Tips for a Successful Sober October
Alcohol has a strange place in our culture. It is a powerful, addictive and potentially deadly drug, but it is available everywhere and is so accepted in society that it is practically expected of society. All of this can make it hard to say no, even if you’re not addicted to drinking. Here are some tips that will hopefully make your sober October a little easier.
- Come up with your own rules . There’s no right way to spend a sober October, so decide for yourself if that means giving up one drink a night or giving up all drinks for a month. Any progress is better than no progress.
- Don’t think of it as abstinence. Think of it as an opportunity to get out of the rut for a few weeks to get a clearer picture of your relationship with alcohol.
- Let supportive friends and family know about your plans . Quitting drinking or going to the saloon is hard, so make sure your loved ones don’t ask about it.
- Practice how you will stop drinking . Mentally preparing for what you will say can partially alleviate the social pressure that alcohol often surrounds.
- Plan non-alcoholic activities . Maybe you could get frustrated with going to a bar after drinking soda, but why check it out? Instead, use October as a chance to do all the fun and non-alcoholic things you’ve been dreaming about for a long time. Visit the observatory. Take a dance lesson. Learn to play pickle ball. Volunteer. Complete the corn maze. There are plenty of options.
- Exercise more. A fun little workout can boost the mood you might be looking for with a drink.
- Take it one day at a time . This is the famous A.A. advice. Don’t think about leaving for a month; think about not drinking at least today. By breaking time into manageable chunks, it seems less intimidating.
- Pamper yourself in other ways. If you’re the type of drunkard who enjoys a glass of wine after dinner as a treat, replace it with something else. Making complex non-alcoholic cocktails is fun. Just like eating a piece of chocolate.
- Don’t worry if you slip . Just because you had a beer one night, it doesn’t mean that everything is ruined. Just start again. Nobody keeps score.
Take it seriously if you find you can’t do it
Participation in a sober October encourages a more thoughtful attitude towards alcohol, and part of this appreciation includes being honest with yourself. It is possible to be addicted to alcohol without fully realizing it, to abuse alcohol without being addicted to it, and to have many other possibilities on the drinking spectrum .
If you really can’t go 30 days without alcohol, even if you feel like it, then you should think about the fact that you have a drinking problem. Do a self-assessment and talk to your doctor or therapist about your concerns.