- Emily Syphas
- October 1, 2022
How To Thrive This Sober October
Sober October is upon us once again, and given the last few months in the world we feel it’s the perfect time to put down the booze for 31 days to reset and reconnect with ourselves. A survey conducted by Alcohol Change over lockdown concluded that more than a quarter of people have drunk more during lockdown, and 1 in 5 people have been drinking as a response to stress or anxiety. It’s a great opportunity to put healthier habits and coping mechanisms in place for the last quarter of the year. We think a month off (although we would suggest 3 months if you want to really feel the benefits of an alcohol free life) is enough time to reap the rewards of better sleep, improved skin, feeling more focused and motivated, improved mood and have more energy. There really is nothing to lose by going alcohol free (apart from the booze) but everything to gain.
To help keep you motivated and on track, we have put together our 5 top tips to help you through a Sober October:
1. Find great AF alternatives
we are lucky enough that no/low is one of the biggest growing and most exciting categories out there. You won’t be stuck for choice when looking for an alcohol free alternative and some taste that good you won’t actually miss the real thing. It’s a good idea to get stocked up as this will help navigate reaching for something stronger when perhaps you have had a stressful day, feel like you want to celebrate or want to relax. My favourite AF spirits are Lyre’s, Caleno and Everleaf, my favourite fizz is Noughty or Wild Life Botanicals and my favourite beer is Heineken 0.0, Lucky Saint or Brewdog.
2. Enjoy hangover free mornings
Imagine no groggy mornings, no feelings of regret or anxiety and no wondering where all your money disappeared to. You get to wake up feeling fresh, motivated and ready to attack the day. You could even put a morning routine in place think 10 minutes of mediation, 20 minute run or yoga and then write down 5 things you are grateful for. This has been a game changer for me and I guarantee it will help you stay on track!
3. Take up something new
Not only are you going to have more energy you will have more time because you won’t be spending time in bed with a hangover and naturally will be going to bed earlier than usual so you will be having more time to do the thing(s) you have always wanted to do. Perhaps this is a simple as read a book you have always wanted to read or time for a podcast, taking up a new gym class, signing up for a course or visiting a park you have always wanted to visit. Whatever it is, write ONE thing down right NOW and go do it!
4. Keep up your social life
Make sure you still go out and go and do the social things you have planned to do or said you would attend. Sober socialising can be one of the most scariest things to do sans booze but one of the most important. Be kind to yourself if going for the whole evening seems too much allow yourself to go for an hour and then leave. The fact you showed up and were present is enough.
5. Find sober pals
This is the perfect opportunity to find some sober pals either other people you know that are taking part in Sober October or what about using this as an opportunity to connect with some new people? You can always head to our Sober & Social website to join our membership where we operate a sober buddy system and run weekly events so you can connect with like-minded people, look at communities like Club Soda or head to Instagram and start finding some sober accounts to follow and reach out (the sober community are super loving and responsive).
