What is Sober October challenge? Find out how it works

We live in a world where wellness and health practices have become trends. Right from hydrating yourself to going on the keto diet, people are doing it all to get a healthier body and lifestyle. 30-day fitness and wellness challenges are the names of the game. Hence it is no surprise that many folks are planning on using the month of October as an excuse to get sober. While the major goal for the people who take up the sober October challenge is to quit drinking for 30 days, there is actually a lot more to this challenge than meets the eye. Read on to find out, “What is the Sober October challenge?”

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What is Sober October challenge?

In the old days, many habitual drinkers would cut down on their alcohol consumption or totally quit it at times for religious reasons. But things are different for us 21st-century folks. Today it’s got less to do with religion and more with health. This is where ‘Sober October’ comes into the picture. 

In simple words, Sober October challenge is a more poetic version of Dry January. A report on Refinery29 reveals that it involves cutting out alcohol for 31 days. The birth of the Sober October challenge can be traced back ten years when the Australian youth health organisation Life Education had raised money by creating the fundraiser called “Ocsober.” 

A similar campaign was done in the United Kingdom in 2017 for raising £5m in charity for the Macmillan Cancer Support. The campaign was popularly called Go Sober. Although the campaign is based in England, people all over the world can participate in it. However, today the Sober October challenge has more to do with health and wellness and is gradually spreading throughout the world.

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Here are the rules for the Sober October challenge

Well, the rules are pretty simple. The first one is very obvious, don’t drink alcohol, don’t even touch it. While taking up the Sober October challenge, many people raise money for charity. One can obviously cut the leash a bit loose for special occasions such as a fall wedding or Halloween. 

This year looks like many people are doing the Sober October challenge just for fun. Hence, they create their own rules. Clearly, the challenge is more flexible than one might think.

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What are the health benefits of the Sober October challenge?

A report on the wellness website Eat Clean Bro has revealed that two of the biggest benefits of abstaining from alcohol for 30 days are improved sleep and healthier food choices. Consumption of alcohol results in poor sleep quality, which in turn diminishes a person’s learning ability, decision making and memory. Drinking often activates the part of the brain that regulates hunger.

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Hence more drinking means more hunger and more eating. Moreover, people often tend to make unhealthy food choices after drinking. The report also mentions that alcohol impacts the brain’s communication pathways, digestive system and liver as well. The liver is responsible for detoxifying and flushing alcohol from the blood. But excess and continuous consumption of alcohol can lead to a condition known as fatty liver.

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