7 Reasons Why You Should Go Sober For October
Abstaining from alcohol has many benefits, from health and wealth to improvements in mood. This blog looks at 7 reasons why you should go sober in October.
It is estimated that the average Brit consumes 9.8 litres of pure alcohol annually, which equates to around 108 bottles of wine a year - higher than any other country in the West. With gyms slowly starting to open back up again, personal trainers booked, and zoom yoga classes at large to get you on track to a fitter, healthier you, we take a look at the ever popular fad of “Sober October”. In particular, what benefits it will give to you, both financially and physically. I must admit that there is no greater joy than opening up that bottle of wine or cracking open that ice cold beer after a long and dull week at work - however it can cause havoc to your life if you begin to overindulge. In the UK, it is estimated that 7.8 million people “binged” on alcohol on their heaviest drinking day - binge drinking can be defined as drinking more than 8 units of alcohol in a single session for men or more than 6 units of alcohol for women.
Sober October encourages people to go booze-free in October to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, who need your support now more than ever. You can decide to go 14, 21, or 31 days sober. Post your progress on social media and ask your friends, family, and colleagues to help support your journey to help raise money.
Why Should I Go Sober?
There are several reasons why cutting alcohol out of your life will prove a massive benefit ranging from health to wealth to improvements in mood:
Better Sleep - An unshakeable fatigue follows a big session on the booze because getting a solid night’s kip is tricky with one too many beers inside you. Alcohol interrupts your normal sleep pattern, so waking up after a few hours or feeling exhausted the next day is common. Taking a break from alcohol will enable you to get better-quality sleep and ultimately give you more energy.
Weight Loss - Due to their high sugar content many alcoholic drinks are pretty calorific, and regularly adding lots of extra calories on top of your recommended daily intake can make it difficult to lose weight. And as you become a little lighter on the scales you should find that there's a few extra pounds in your bank account.
Save Money - Cutting out expensive rounds at the bar or bottles of wine on your weekly shop could quickly have a positive effect on your bank balance, giving you a bit of extra cash to try a new activity, join the gym or update your old wardrobe. Not to mention the late night drunken kebabs and hungover McDonalds you fork out for the next day!
No More Hangovers - Nobody likes hangovers, a deep throbbing headache while feeling drained and nauseous from the bottles of wine the night before. Imagine how much better you would feel by not having to experience this feeling anymore? Waking up feeling fresh, being productive during the day and not having to reach for the painkillers anymore. Having “the fear” and checking your call logs, text messages, and trying to piece together where your life went downhill last night will be a thing of the past!
Better Mood - While your first drink may make you feel better, alcohol is actually a depressant. Those dreaded hangover blues, or “the fear”, are caused by a direct effect of alcohol on your brain chemistry. While one drink is OK, pretty soon booze will betray you by interfering with neurotransmitters in your head and can even reduce your levels of happiness-boosting serotonin.
Look Better - Alcohol dehydrates you which means your body (including your skin) is deprived of certain nutrients and vitamins which are usually delivered by being hydrated. Not only that alcohol affects your hormones. By simply giving up the booze you will begin to see positive changes in your skin and face.
You Will Feel Happier - The last of our reasons to stop drinking is all about longevity, I don’t think it’s difficult to see how the accumulation of all the benefits mentioned in the previous points is going to have a positive impact on your life. A healthy body is a happy body, especially when friends and family are supportive of your change.
The team at Cloud Pharmacy is joining the “Go Sober for October” campaign this year to help raise money for MacMillan Cancer Research. From the reasons I've listed above it's a no brainer why you should take a break from drinking. So why don't you join us for the 31 day challenge, and we can see what a difference cutting booze out your life can have!
