My Top Tips for Going Sober This October
I know it is cliché to say it, but I can’t believe how quickly 2021 is going! This year seems to be flying by and it only seems like yesterday that I was talking about going sober for October in 2020! Well, October 2021 is on the horizon and if you are sober curious and you want to see if you can commit to being alcohol-free for an entire month, then I wanted to provide you with some of my sobriety top tips to help you.
Why October?
It’s certainly true to say that you can decide to go alcohol-free any day of the year. However, October has been long recognised as a month where a large portion of the population give it a try, thanks to the campaign started by Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity not only encourages people to attempt to stop drinking for a whole month, but also encourages them to do it to raise money for that fantastic cause. Therefore, I also encourage anyone to give it a go. Not just to raise money for charity if that’s what you would like to do, but also for the fantastic benefits that going alcohol-free can give you, which I have also covered in a previous blog post which you can read HERE.
I know that actually committing to a full month of sobriety is no easy task. It may feel like it on day 1, but for anyone who is actually addicted to alcohol, unfortunately it won’t take long for it to become progressively harder to stop yourself drinking throughout the month. It will take a huge amount of willpower to stop yourself from drinking again. That’s why I wanted to write this blog, to help give you some excellent tips to help you stay away from alcohol for the whole of October. Who knows, you may want to carry on longer!
#1 Shake up your routine
If drinking has had a central role in your life up to this point, then there is going to need to be some changes made to help stop you turning to alcohol in October. Even though a month may not sound too long, it really is for anyone who relies on drinking to manage their emotions, or have become so reliant on alcohol they feel they need it to enjoy life. You need to replace alcohol with something positive. Don’t just view it as you are giving up something you enjoy for a whole month, have October as the month where you are replacing alcohol with something else you have always wanted to do. Whether there is a particular hobby you would like to start up, you want to start exercising more, or you just want to have more time for yourself and your family, focus on doing something different in October that you will enjoy.
#2 Identify your triggers
You may not realise it, but there are likely certain triggers that cause you to drink alcohol or start to crave having some booze. Whether that’s finishing work and going past the pub, cracking open the wine when you start cooking your evening meal, or when you are experiencing certain emotions. To help with keeping alcohol-free throughout October, you need to be honest with yourself and identify when and why you are most likely to start drinking alcohol. That way you can actively do things to avoid those triggers from occurring throughout October. Also, just being mindful that you are wanting to drink because of a particular trigger can help you to understand that it’s just a trigger and you don’t need or have to drink at all.
#3 Alcohol-free drinks
This is always a contentious area of debate within my Facebook Support Community. My personal stance is that alcohol-free drinks are fantastic and a great way to still feel like you are having a treat without having alcohol in your system. I do also understand why some people are against alcohol-free drinks as for some, it can encourage drinking again due to the taste. However, this has not been my own personal experience. My advice is that if you are looking to go sober for October, then treat yourself to some of the excellent alcohol-free ranges that are available. Stock up and treat yourself to one if you find yourself really craving alcohol to help give your body a treat and your mind a rest.
#4 Journal
I have long commented on the benefits I have experienced throughout my sober journey with writing a journal. It has been truly life changing for me and helped keep me sober focused. If you currently don’t write (or never have had) a journal, then now is a fantastic time to start! Your journal is your safe space to write down all of your thoughts and feelings along with documenting your progress with going alcohol-free for the days and weeks ahead. Being able to write down what you are experiencing is a fantastic mental relief and not only that, but I guarantee you will enjoy being able to read back through your alcohol-free journey and you will thank yourself for documenting your progress throughout.
#5 Free Resources
When I first started out on my sober journey, I was amazed at how many free resources there were available online to help. From the start, I was like a sponge, trying to absorb as much information as I could to help not only understand why I had an alcohol addiction, but also discover tips on what I could do to stop drinking, remain alcohol-free and also the benefits I will experience in the short-to-long term. Here are some of the top resources that I have available for you, but it’s not just me either, there are a number of other authors and content creators available as well:
Whether you have been sober curious for some time, you are interested in seeing if you can go a whole month without drinking, or you want to help raise money for an excellent cause, I do hope this blog goes some way to help you on the road to this exciting journey. I would love to hear from you in the comments section about your progress throughout October. What challenges are you facing and what benefits are you experiencing from not drinking? I am here to support you throughout and I am confident that you will not be disappointed with giving yourself a break from alcohol both physically and mentally.
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