For anyone who is curious about Sober October, this year might be the year for you. Imagine going an entire month without drinking beer—or any other alcoholic beverage—and experiencing the physical and psychological benefits that come with it! To help you get ready for this life-changing experience, we’ve put together a list of all the steps you need to take in order to prepare yourself, your mind, and your social circle to make Sober October happen.
What is Sober October?
Sober October is a personal challenge many people across the world partake in. They challenge themselves to go an entire month without drinking alcohol or taking other intoxicating substances.
You don’t have to be an alcoholic to participate, nor do you need to be in a situation where you feel like you drink too much. This is simply a test of personal strength and will to abstain from a habit that isn’t necessarily helping to improve your life.
There are a few generally accepted Sober October Rules, but each participant tends to make the challenge their own, depending on the circumstance.
Some want to challenge themselves and go completely sober while others choose to try damp drinking, which means they significantly cut back on their consumption but not entirely.
What are Some Benefits of Sober October?
Drinking alcohol is one of life’s greatest pleasures. However, it comes with a lot of baggage. Many people use it as a way to cope with stress, anxiety, loneliness, and boredom.
It’s an easy habit to turn to. Alcohol is everywhere around us. It’s easy to obtain, take part in, and the results are immediate.
However, it’s not the healthiest of habits – physically and mentally.
Alcohol obviously has negative effects on your physical health. Drinking also takes up time that could be spent being physically active, like going on a walk, riding a bike, playing a sport, going to the gym, etc.
Mentally it’s not a great coping mechanism either. Sure it makes you feel good and chases away bad feelings for the night, but those feelings just come back the next day, often even stronger, as you didn’t actually take the time to deal with the things in your life causing stress, anxiety, and loneliness. This is why it’s so easy to become addicted to alcohol. It’s a deadly cycle of trying to drink away your problems.
People partake in Sober October to rediscover the healthy benefits of not automatically turning to booze for fun and comfort.
Instead of booze, people discover new hobbies, get physically active, and even spend more quality time with friends and family.
What are Some Drawbacks of Sober October?
Let’s face it. Drinking is more than just getting intoxicated. It’s ingrained in our society as a social norm.
We grab drinks with co-workers at the end of the day, we meet old buddies out for a beer to catch up. And often the default meetup for a group of friends is out at the bar.
Drinking makes us connected with our communities and being sober often feels like we need to give that up. That’s why many people choose not to partake in Sober October.
However, that’s why we created NA Beer Club. We want to give people the freedom of sharing a beer without the negative effects of alcohol. We prove to our subscribers that they have to give up drinking delicious craft beer to be sober. We help them discover the world of emerging NA craft brews.
5 Tips for Getting Started with Sober October
If you’re planning on dipping your toes into a booze-free bender, whether it’s a month or just a weekend, here are five tips to help you get prepared.
1. Find a friend, or group of friends, to hold each other accountable
Not only will they keep you accountable, but you can also find fun things to do together instead of defaulting to hitting the bar.
2. Pick up a new hobby
You probably have a hobby you’ve been wanting to try. It can be anything as intense as cycling, or as simple as a video game. Prep a few weeks before October by getting the equipment, signing up for classes, or just meeting people and setting times to learn.
3. Stay Physically Active
Physical exercise takes your mind off bad habits and is a natural way to relieve stress and anxiety. Find some parks nearby for you to take a walk, join a running club nearby (almost all of them welcome people of any ability), or get a gym membership. Signing up with a physical trainer is a great way to keep you accountable as well.
4. Keep a busy schedule
Schedule time with friends, family, and others to spend time doing something other than drinking. When you keep your mind occupied, you won’t have time to think about drinking.
5. Get your NA options ready
In just the past couple of years, non-alcoholic beverages have exploded in quality. Everything from non-alcoholic beer to mocktails are great alternatives to booze, and they taste much better than they did 5 years ago. If you’re looking for a new NA beer to try, shop our wide selection of non-alcoholic beers. You may discover one you’ve never heard of before!
