Sober October challenges people to give up booze for the 31-day period while also raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. It marks an ideal time for people to take stock and examine how their drinking habits could be impacting their health and happiness.
Steph Keenan, operations manager at With You (a charity which offers support with alcohol, drugs or mental health issues), said: “Our research last year found that over 8.9 million adults are currently drinking above ‘safe’ levels each week.
“It also found one in five of people are concerned about their own drinking or that of a partner, friend or family member.” NHS guidelines recommend drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol (six pints of beer or medium glasses of wine) a week, spread over a minimum of three days.
‘Grey area drinkers’ are those who are drinking more than they want to even if they don’t exceed the limit. The advice for people who want to curb their drinking habits is entirely different to those who can’t function without alcohol, as it would be dangerous for them to stop suddenly.
With Sober October now underway, here are six expert-approved ways to reset your relationship with alcohol.
Consider the consequences
The first evaluation a drinker would have to take is to assess how consuming alcohol affects their physical and mental health. “Ask yourself the question, ‘Could my life be better physically and emotionally without alcohol?'” Janey Lee Grace, author of Happy Healthy Sober and founder of The Sober Club, suggests.
She continued: “People ought to be concerned if they are waking up at 3am with remorse, knowing they are drinking too much, if they are drinking secretly or are embarrassed to go back to the same off licence.” Strong cravings to ‘take the edge off’ a bad mood is said to be a troubling sign.
Steph Keenan added: “Drinking alcohol to feel better can also make other problems worse. For example, drinking to cope with financial problems could put more strain on your finances if you’re spending money on alcohol.”
With regards to health effects, Lee Grace continued: “If you have any physical symptoms, feeling bloated, digestive issues, lethargy, or feeling anxious, often you know deep down if you are drinking too much.”
Take a break
Alcohol-free spells don’t have to be restricted to Sober October or Dry January, but rather you can set a goal anytime you are ready. Lee Grace said: “Set yourself a challenge. At least 30 days and prep ahead.”
By telling your friends and family, or asking a partner or best friend to join in, you could receive the support necessary to smash your goal. You could even post on social media to document your progress.
It may be useful to plan some alternative social gatherings that don’t involve drinking, such as soaking in culture, watching films, or tucking into food. The expert suggested finding “some activities that you enjoy – stopping drinking will free up some time.”
Identify your triggers
By noticing your triggers that make you more likely to drink, you could help cut-down on alcohol by reducing the exposure to these triggers. Keenan explained: “When you’re exposed to a trigger your brain releases a tiny amount of the happy hormones you get when you drink, then you crave more.
“Triggers can be just about anything, including people, moods and feelings, places and time of the day or week.” If you struggle to resist the temptation of popping in for a pint on a Friday night, it may be useful to change your after-work plans.
“You could walk a different route home or spend more time with family and friends who don’t drink,” Keenan continued.
Drink-free days
Rather than embarking on a prolonged booze-free spell, you may wish to increase the number of ‘dry’ days you have each week. “Drinking every day, or almost every day, makes you more at risk of health problems from alcohol,” said Keenan.
She continued: “However much you currently drink, having an extra drink-free day each week is a simple way to make a change. This gives your body more time to recover, reducing your risk and protecting your health.”
Mind your measures
It makes it harder to cut down your alcohol intake when drinking at home. This is because the size of your drinks becomes harder to monitor.
“When you drink at home, it’s easy to pour bigger drinks than you would have at a pub or bar,” said Keenan. “This makes it hard to cut down because you don’t know exactly how much you’ve had.”
To help combat this, try using a measuring jug and aim for smaller drinks than usual. “For example, if you normally have a large 175ml glass of wine, try having a 125ml glass instead.”
Seek support and inspiration
Support can be found in many forms when trying to cut back on booze. Lee Grace suggests reading ‘quick lit’ books about stopping drinking, including William Porter’s Alcohol Explained.
Equally, you may find it useful to talk to an expert or other people who are going through the same process for moral support and guidance. Lee Grace added: “By far the best way is to connect with like-minded people.”
