October has become a month for abstinence with Stoptober (a month to quit smoking) and now Go Sober for October (a month to forgo alcohol). As the dark nights draw in and the weather turns colder you might feel that the challenges presented by giving up drinking for a whole month are more than you can face as well as the end of summer, so here are some quick tips on how to get through and why you should try. Go Sober for October is a charity initiative set up by MacMillan Cancer Support. You sign up and get yourself sponsored by your friends, family and colleagues to go for a whole month without alcohol and the money you raise goes to help someone suffering from cancer.
But you will benefit too.
Giving up alcohol for even just a month can have some really beneficial effects on your health. Scientific studies have shown that taking just one month off of alcohol can lower your blood pressure, improve liver function and even reduce the risk of liver disease and diabetes. It will also improve the quality of your sleep.How to get through Sober October
If you drink quite heavily, giving up for a month might not be as easy as it sounds, so here are a few tips to help you- Change your routine – instead of doing the same things each day that you would normally do, where you might find yourself drinking, do something different. Try some new activities where you will find that you are not tempted to drink. If you keep yourself busy, you will have less time to crave alcohol.
- Eat well – giving up a drink for a month could save you a lot of calories, so why not make a bit of extra effort and cook yourself something special or even go out to eat more than you might do usually? The money you will save on alcohol over the month can add up quite quickly.
- Exercise – while you are not drinking and your body is benefiting health-wise, why not notch up the exercise and get fitter? It’s a great way to relieve the cravings and it keeps you busy too.
- Spend, Spend, Spend! – go out and enjoy the money you are saving by not drinking and treat yourself to some new things – new clothes, new gadgets, whatever you’ve had your eye on but didn’t think you could afford.
- Make some non-alcoholic cocktails – actually, they taste pretty good and you’d be surprised how much they can make you feel as though you’re drinking if you dress them up nicely in a cocktail glass and make your drinks feel special.
