Sober October is about not drinking alcohol for the entire month of October.
What is Sober October? Meaning, definition, explanation
Rules for Sober October:
There is only one rule:
1. Don’t drink alcohol in October.
Don’t drink beer, refrain from wine. Refrain from mixed drinks. Refrain from drinking liquor. Stay dry.
Still go to parties and friends‘ houses. Stand firm when alcohol is offered to you. Learn to say „no.“
Why should you participate in Sober October? Reasons
Alcohol consumption can become problematic without you realizing it. A break of a few weeks – similar to fasting – can change one’s own perception of drinking behavior. The time of „Sober October“ should therefore be used to reflect on one’s own well-being and habits.
The biggest advantage of „Sober October“ is that you don’t have a hangover the day after a party and you don’t have to sober up. Another big advantage is that you didn’t have a film break (blackout).
Another advantage is that one’s body can fully benefit from strength training, since growth phases are not interrupted by alcohol.
Those who participate in „Sober October“ learn to say „no“. Because one will have to turn down quite a few offers.
If you want to go one step further, ask yourself why you need alcohol at all: Is it for relaxation, to get high, or to loosen up? If so, the next question should be asked immediately: Why can’t I do this without a bottle? What is inhibiting me?
Another reason for participating in Sober October is that you save money. Namely, one no longer spends money on alcoholic beverages.
Giving up alcohol improves your diet. Alcohol isn’t very nutritious, and what you eat when you’re drunk usually isn’t either. (It’s usually nice and greasy.)
Ultimately, sobriety is also self-care.
Sober October: Sober in the club
People who party sober will perceive their friends and those present at the club differently.
Editor’s note: The author was once sober at the club. The smells you perceive when sober are not pretty. People stank badly of sweat. Conversations with drunks are little or a lot of fun. Either people are fun and act like kids or they are already so drunk that they suffer a loss of control or become aggressive.
Health Reasons for Sober October:
People who abstain from alcohol perceive their bodies differently and better. Most people know that it is sometimes not so easy to decide when you are drunk that you should stop drinking. As a result, you tend to drink too much.
Alcohol makes you fat! Alcohol contains many calories and regular consumption is reflected in the weight. With men there is here the famous beer belly.
If you abstain from alcohol (for a few weeks), your skin will improve. It will look healthier. Your immune system will become stronger. Because alcohol dehydrates the body.
Abstaining from alcohol can increase mental / spiritual health. Someone can become more emotionally stable. Memory can also get better.
Sleep is disturbed by alcohol and is less restful. Someone who goes to bed sober will wake up much more refreshed.
It is also true that too many people die of alcohol poisoning or become alcoholics. Preventing this should be society’s goal.
The bottom line is that every day you don’t drink alcohol is a good day for your health.
Origin of Sober October
The idea and the project of „Sober October“ goes back to an Australian initiative and fundraiser. The aim of the initiative was for participants not to drink alcohol for one month. Participants of the initiative are supposed to collect money and donate it to „Life Education Australia“.
In the meantime, the initiative also exists in Great Britain. There, it is called „Go Sober for October.