Are You Taking Part in “Sober For October”?
Sober October; are you game?
Why not sign up for “Sober For October”? An exciting fund-raising effort is encouraging everyone to be booze-free for 31 days in October to support the charity. People who sign up are called ‘Soberheros’. You can say no to the booze and yes to saving lives. It could improve your health, and raise awareness for a good cause.
Sober in October this year may feel less attractive due to the pandemic. The stress of 2020/21 has led to a spike in drinking. Data released revealed that a third of Brits have been drinking more during the lockdown. If you feel like your quarantine drinking habits have grown out of hand, Sober October may offer a reset button.
These challenges have become legendary, and the tradition is set to continue for the month of October 2020. The charity drive which has seen more than 38,000 brave souls preparing to go on the wagon for a month, raising over £762,000 for McMillan Cancer Support in the process.
Many people in the UK consume alcohol on a regular basis. Having a drink with dinner or enjoying a night out with friends. Have you wondered what it would be like to give up drinking for a month?
Studies have shown having any kind of alcoholic drink, either frequently or occasionally, could impact on your wellbeing. This has led to various charitable organisations creating challenges centring on individuals giving up drinking and lasting for four weeks.
Tips for a successful Sober October
If you want to go sober in the month of October, then you should start by telling those close to you. They say that a problem shared is a problem halved and discussing stopping drinking with family and friends can provide you with a strong support structure which can help.
However, abstaining from alcohol for 31 days can show you what life could be like if you stopped drinking altogether. Say goodbye to binge drinking until you blackout, with no memory of what you did the night before. Wake up without waking up tired and nursing a hangover.
There are various other ways of stopping drinking for a month that can be advantageous for your health. It can clear your skin, help you lose weight and decrease your chances of serious illnesses, such as heart problems, liver disease, and cancer, amongst other conditions.
How To Go Sober For October
Sobriety is learning to live your life outside the blanket that alcohol or drugs so often provides. It means getting to know about yourself and learning to love yourself. It also means learning to trust others as they are and getting to know them for what they are. In time, sobriety may involve developing a new perspective and a more optimistic outlook towards the world around you.
Whether you are quitting your drinking habits for the month, for the year, or forever, there are specific ways you can take to ease the start. Here are some pointers on how to stay sober during this autumn month – and beyond.
Try an alcohol-free drink. If an alcoholic drink temporarily quenches your thirst it’s not the alcohol that does it, but the water content of that drink. The same principle applies to taste: if a drink tastes good its not the alcohol, but either the remnant of fruit juice that hasn’t turned to alcohol or the fruit mixer or sugary drink that’s been added. We wouldn’t need to sweeten the pill like that if the alcohol itself tasted good. Alcohol kills bacteria which is good for work surfaces, kitchen utensils, hospitals, clinics and dental surgeries. But alcohol is not so good for the good bacteria in your digestive system, so take a probiotic drink daily.
Treat Yourself. Cutting out alcohol means you will have some extra money to spare. Why not reward yourself with a day out to do something you’ve always wanted to. It doesn’t matter how much or how little you consume because true mental relaxation is, in fact, an alert state of mind: it doesn’t involve trying to block out cares and worries, but feeling completely free of them. So go have fun, relax and enjoy your day without alcohol.
Have a good restful and relaxed nights sleep. Alcohol is a diuretic. This is a drink that makes you thirsty. That’s why, after a heavy night drinking, you wake up at 3 am. with a mouth like a dry riverbed and one thing on your mind: water! When you drink more than usual, you will probably have to get up in the night to go to the toilet. The fact that some individuals can drink 16 pints of beer proves that alcohol creates thirst: you couldn’t drink 16 pints of water if you tried. It might help you get to sleep initially, but even just a couple of drinks can affect the quality of your sleep. As the night progresses, you spend less time in a deep sleep, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep and more time than usual in a night of less restful sleep. If you’re regularly drinking more than the suggested limits, you may find you awake the next day feeling like you haven’t had any rest at all.
Treat yourself to a night out with friends or a romantic evening with a special person.
Are you looking for a fun date with a friend or a romantic meet-up that doesn’t include alcohol? Have a look at our inspiring list of alcohol-free pursuits for you to enjoy in the city of London.
Soak up a bit of nature. Waking up with no hangover on the weekend means you can go out for the day and go for a walk. If you just feel like having a stroll, there are loads of picturesque walks to be found in every town or city.
These are just a few of the benefits of going alcohol-free. You will feel amazing. Not drinking makes you richer, healthier, can help you lose weight, gives you more energy, the list goes on!
A month off drinking could be your chance to make permanent differences in the way you drink.
The fact is that alcohol misuse is linked to seven types of cancer, and the more you drink the more you are at risk.
Find out more about alcohol and cancer
It’s also a good plan to make sure you know about how your regular drinking compares to the UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines.
Try Out Free Self Assessment Tool
If one month without booze seems difficult, particularly in a pandemic, go slow. “Even if you don’t go completely sober, a reduction in drinking is still a worthy goal.
If you believe you are addicted to alcohol or drugs or see a need to get sober, you too have the potential to make this change. You have the power to get sober and to live sober, to be an unsung hero, and to create a healthful, positive life – substance-free.
Contact Rehab Guide on 0141 427 3491 Glasgow office or 02072052845 London Office
SOBRIETY IS THE NEW COOL!
