Forget Dry January: everyone is participating in Sober October

Are you also participating in a month alcohol-free? Or a month without smoking, or a month without eating meat — in any case, a month of not doing something? I have the feeling that Dry January is losing popularity to Sober October, also known as Stoptober. Many people around me are skipping alcohol this month (and often they do it again in January), and that makes sense: after a summer of partying, socializing, and hopefully celebrating vacation, your body might be ready for a bit of rest.

In England, they are taking it even bigger: there, Sober October is linked to a good cause Macmillan Cancer Support. So if you can miss something, for example what you normally spend on alcohol, then this is a nice cause to contribute to.

I’m not participating (‘surprising’, my surroundings will say sarcastically), but I do plan to go alcohol-free for four weeks leading up to Christmas, although there isn’t a catchy name like Sober October for that yet. I looked up what a month without alcohol does to you… And it turns out to be quite a lot.

It has been proven that sleep improves significantly (which I could use), but it would also work wonders for your memory, your immune system, and lower the risk of cancer. It can also have additional benefits, such as improving your blood pressure and weight loss. So if you’re already doing well in October: keep up the good work!