My #1 Hack for Sober October
Hot damn! Weโre a whole week into Sober October!
How are you feeling?
Have you noticed any detox effects? Which ones?
What have you been doing to take extra care of yourself?
Logan and I had a good first week, though there were definitely some challenges. Haha. Logan's been missing weed and his afternoon beer, but he was pretty pleased by how much more he was able to accomplish during the day. ๐ We did some fall cleaning and donated/threw away a TON of stuff from every room in the house. I finally parted with some too-small jeans that I'd been hoarding for a few years, and it was tough to part with them -- they just fit soo well... when they fit... ๐ haha. However, I CAN say that feels good to release what's not serving us/me and make room for new. I mean, in a way that's what Sober October and fall in general are about, right? ๐
Overall, my week was... insightful. I learned something embarrassing about myself that I hadn't realized before -- I'm addicted to Instagram! I tend to scroll when we're chillin' on the couch after dinner, but I wasn't aware of how serious that habit was for me. YIKES! The first couple nights were rough, but I feel good separating from it. It'll be interesting to get back on in November... thinking that I should put some restrictions on it for myself. In its absence I decided to download the Tasty app to inspire myself to cook more, and it's been AWESOME! ๐ It's laid out so everything is really quick and easy to understand, and you can filter your search to be as healthy or as ~indulgent~ as you want. So far I've tried 4 recipes, and I've bookmarked several others for later. Hell yes!
During an elimination challenge like Sober October, you may notice things on your Do Not Consume List (ex - alcohol and weed) simply because you canโt have them.
This happens for a few reasons, but a big factor is MINDSET, and this brings us to my #1 Hack for successfully getting through the month: REPHRASE YOUR THOUGHTS!
Rather than thinking and telling yourself โI canโt have thisโ or โIโm not allowed to have that,โ switch to โIโm choosing not to have this right now.โ When you think in terms of "I can't" and "I'm not allowed," you put yourself in a place of deprivation and trigger that urge to rebel. In comparison, when you think in terms of choice (and a limited time-frame), you put yourself in a position of control which is empowering. OF COURSE you can have Halloween candy and a glass of wine, but you are choosing not to for a few weeks.
Sober October is an opportunity for you to make a commitment to yourself -- even if it's just short-term. This challenge isn't about perfection, it's about effort and practice. In the end, there is no winner or loser, only you showing yourself that you are capable. If you start feeling deprived, switch your focus to what you can have and recognize the abundance there, knowing your body, mind, and spirit are grateful. Remember your WHY (why did you decide to do this anyway??) and know that you can do it!