How to 1 Up Sober October

Sober October. For many of us we decide that enough is enough and we want to stop drinking for a whole month. I love the idea.

We as humans tend to get stuck in our patterns. Our bad habits and behaviors. Our vices like alcohol are addictive. Sometimes the only way to kick an addiction or a poor relationship with a substance is to stop doing it all together.

This is and has been a great strategy for many people. How ever they seem to fall back into habits or behaviors just as quickly once the month is over.

The hope is that from abstaining from alcohol for a month we break the need or want to have it. We develop a better relationship with it. A healthier one.

The problem here is that just quitting is only getting rid of what we used to cope with our stress. We do not look at what was actually causing the stress that created this drinking habit in the first place.

What tends to happen if we do not resolve this stress is that we find another coping mechanism. Sometimes healthier than alcohol, some times worse.

What I suggest as well as eliminating things that we are doing to create a healthier relationship with it is starting new CONSTRUCTIVE habits that help us grow our capacity.

As well as stopping bad habits what new healthy habits are we going to start?

This is how I 1 up the Sober October Challenge with START.STOP.CONTINUE.

Instead of creating only a list of activities that we want to abstain from we include what activities we would like to START doing, as well as activities that we would like to continue doing.

START. STOP. CONTINUE

START

Here we want to focus on what activities we would like to add to our current routine. This can be as simple as going for a 30 min walk outside, or reading 10 pages from a book.

What activities are going to help grow your capacity?

What new skills do you want to acquire?

What new healthy lifestyle activity are you going to pick up?

STOP

This is all of the things that you would like to stop doing.

This is what Sober October focuses on. Suspending or abstaining from an activity for the whole month.

What can you get rid of to make room for new great things?

CONTINUE

This list is just as important.

Somethings we just know we need to keep doing to keep us sane.

However things must leave this list if they are no longer serving us and move to the stop list.

I am always looking for new ways to keep growing my capacity. I appreciate everyone out there who wants to get healthier by getting rid of bad habits and behaviors. However I know from experience that humans are creatures of habit. If we want it we will find a way to get it. If we want to develop healthier relationships with alcohol or other substances we must find another alternative or coping mechanism to deal with the stress otherwise we are not actually fixing the problem.

SO in order to have a successful Sober October, spend some time thinking about what things you can add to your routine instead of take away. Use the starts stop continue lists to help you grow your capacity and develop a healthier relationship with yourself.

Send us your STOP_START_CONTINUE lists and let's hold each other accountable to creating healthier relationships.