9 surprising benefits of living a sober life

Sober October is upon us – and it might just trigger the lifestyle change you’ve been waiting for. If you’re looking to revisit your relationship with alcohol, whether that’s to start drinking more mindfully, relate better to your friends who’ve gone sober, or even to quit entirely, this one-month-long challenge, which involves going ‘dry’ (alcohol-free) for the month of October might well appeal.

So, a hangover-free autumnal month enjoying the best non-alcoholic drinks on offer… it sounds appealing, doesn’t it? We asked Millie Gooch, founder of Sober Girl Society, a global community for sober and sober-curious women, about her take on the popular no-alcohol challenge. She told us: “Whether you want to take a break for the physical benefits or simply have some space to re-evaluate your reliance on booze, Sober October is a great initiative for anyone a little bit sober curious.”

Explaining that Sober October might be the perfect way to navigate the social challenges of laying off the booze, she added: “The month long-sabbatical might be especially appealing if you’ve been planning to take a booze-break for a while but find that peer-pressure is often your downfall! Because although Sober October shouldn’t have to be, it has fast become a pretty socially accepted reason for why you’re not drinking tonight.”

Ultimately, she concluded, Sober October is a worthwhile challenge that’s been embraced by many of her community: “Having witnessed hundreds of our community members take on the challenge over the years, many of them have expressed developing a more mindful relationship with alcohol and lots have even cited that the challenge (and clarity it provided) resulted in them breaking up with booze for good.””

Officially, Sober October is a charity challenge in association with Macmillan Cancer Support. This partnership means that all the funds earned from taking part in the challenge go towards funding essential services to treat those suffering from cancer.

Embracing the challenge as a fundraiser is simple: you simply sign up on the Go Sober website, and ask your family and friends to donate to help get behind your challenge. It’s worth mentioning the challenge is aimed at social drinkers – so if you suspect you might be suffering from alcohol dependency, or you’re worried about heavy drinking habits, then it’s best to speak to your GP first before embarking upon the challenge.

The benefits of going sober

With a growing interest among young people around sobriety and sober-curious lifestyles (according to the latest UK data, 26% of 16 to 25-year-olds are teetotal), the benefits of sobriety are more well-documented than ever – from clearer skin to mental health benefits.

That said, they bear repeating – and that’s why we spoke to someone who could run us through the benefits of sobriety first-hand. We asked Emily Syphas, a Sobriety Empowerment coach who runs sober community Sober & Social which supports, empowers and encourages those exploring or leading a teetotal lifestyle, to share her experience with us.