We look forward to October all year, as it’s the kick-off to the holiday season. We can pull out our creepy Halloween decorations and finally turn off the air conditioning when it cools down. But there’s a relatively new reason to look forward to October, and that’s the Sober October movement.
We’ll tell you all about Sober October, why it’s awesome, why you should participate, and how you can still have a phenomenal start to the season without alcohol.
Whether you’re just curious about this challenge or looking for an opportunity to cut down on your drinking, Sober October is a brilliant idea for anyone and everyone.
What Is Sober October?
Sober October is a yearly challenge or movement that encourages people to abstain from substances for all 31 days of October. After Halloween — or at midnight on Halloween for some eager folks — you can return to your normal substance use.
The challenge has been around for roughly 10–15 years. The exact origins of the challenge are fuzzy, as more than one organization takes credit for it. Some believe this tradition originated in Australia as “Oc-Sober.” Life Education, a health organization that promotes a healthier lifestyle for young people, started the challenge to encourage folks to drink less for their health. Others say the Macmillan Cancer Support Center in the United Kingdom initiated the movement as a fundraising campaign.
No matter who came up with the idea, the challenge has gone global, with people from all kinds of backgrounds and locations participating each year. Some people use it to quit substances altogether, while others just take a break during the month.
While Sober October originally referred to all substances, many people choose to focus on staying sober from alcohol. But we’ll get into that more in the next section.
Different Ways to Do Sober October
While the definition of “sober” seems like something clear-cut, there are actually many different ways we can define sober. Technically, caffeine is a drug, and many people are not willing to forfeit all their drinkable vices during this month. People also don’t want to challenge themselves not to take ibuprofen when they have a headache or Dayquil when they have a cold.
California Sober is by far the most popular, and the sobriety we recommend, but it’s not the only one. So, let’s look at some of the different types of sober people adopt for this October challenge.
Sober Sober
If you want to be “Sober Sober” during Sober October, that means no alcohol or recreational drugs. That excludes marijuana, too. This is a great one for people who feel they’ve been relying too much on their substances. If you want to do a Sober Sober October, you can give up alcohol, drugs — pills, marijuana, etc. — and even caffeine if you so decide. Think of it like a reset for your body and mind.
California Sober
California Sober (our favorite type of sober) is one of the most popular strategies for tackling Sober October. To do this, you have to give up alcohol and most drugs, like pills or hard drugs. However, you can still enjoy cannabis, whether that’s smoking THC, eating CBD, or any other form. Cannabis beverages are popular with people who go California Sober, whether just for October or forever. Basically, you only indulge in cannabis products and skip out on everything else.
Florida Sober
Florida Sober is less popular and very different than California Sober. With this type of sober, you abstain from alcohol, pills, and most other drugs, but you partake in kava and kratom, an herbal supplement and sedative/stimulant, respectively. The point is to replace those other harmful substances with these more natural and less dangerous substances, which are also fun to use. The rules don’t say you have to avoid cannabis products, so if kava and kratom aren’t for you, you can relax with cannabis instead!
Hippie Sober
Hippie Sober is one of the more out-there options, and we’re not sure how well it aligns with the concept of Sober October. But some people choose this type of sobriety for the month anyway! Hippie Sober people will not drink alcohol, take prescription pills, or do chemically engineered drugs. Instead, they get trippy with psychedelics like shrooms or salvia. Some might do LSD, which is chemically engineered, so the rules on this one are pretty loose.
Sober Curious
Lastly, Sober Curious is an authentic approach to take. Rather than abstain completely from your substance vices, you cut back dramatically and see how you feel. While this doesn’t require as much willpower as the others, it can still be tough. Some people might go from 15 or 20 drinks a week to one or two, or maybe take half the amount of prescription meds they usually do.
7 Reasons to Love Sober October
If you’re not sure why you should do Sober October, we have a bunch of stellar reasons. Find out how Sober October can make you feel better, bring your friends together, and celebrate a personal accomplishment.
You Can Reset Your Emotions and Mindset
Substances like alcohol really mess with your mind. Drinking regularly can throw your emotions out of whack, causing you to feel depressed, angry, or confused more often than not. You’ll feel more alert and clear while you do the Sober October Challenge.
You Can Avoid Hangovers
Nobody wants a hangover, so why not treat yourself to a month free of those headaches and nausea? If you go California Sober for all of October, you get to live a hangover-free life while still having fun. Imagine going to a fabulous party at night and waking up feeling fine and fantastic. It sounds too good to be true, but with the right alcoholic alternative, it’s totally real.
You Can Be Kind to Your Body
Alcohol is extremely harmful to your body. Aside from the unpleasant and often painful hangovers, drinking alcohol also causes bloating, heartburn, flushed face, weight gain, frequent bathroom trips, dehydration, clumsiness, and other issues. These things go beyond uncomfortable, making any fun you were having tainted by these awful sensations.
You Can Improve Your Health
Yes, hangovers and other drunk sensations don’t feel good. But the damage drinking does to your body doesn’t end when the alcohol leaves your system. Regular drinking can cause an array of severe and scary health problems. Long-term alcohol use leads to hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, hemorrhagic stroke, liver disease, digestive issues, cancers, weakened immune systems, learning and memory problems, obesity, and depression. And those are just the most common conditions.
You Can Drink THC Instead
Frankly, Sober October gets a lot easier when you turn to hemp-infused drinks. THC drinks from brands like Find Wunder, Cann, Wynk, and BREZ offer a delightful high that will make you forget you ever even liked alcohol or other drugs. These cannabis mocktails are tasty and give you a wonderful buzz in just moments. If you want to fly high, Find Wunder is the best option, with the highest concentration of THC of all the brands. Find Wunder also has CBD, the lowest calorie count (50 calories), and sensational flavors like Watermelon Basil, Grapefruit Hibiscus, Blood Orange Bitters, and Blackberry Lemon.
You Can Do it With Friends
Sober October is challenging, but when you do it with friends, it’s a blast. Do it with one friend and keep each other accountable, or do it with a whole group of friends. You can even make bets on who will do the best or who will cave first. It’s a fun bonding experience and helps everyone be healthier.
You Can Be Proud of Yourself
Whether you go Sober Sober, California Sober, or any of the other options, practicing willpower for a whole month is something to celebrate. It’s wise to hone your discipline, as it can make you more successful, capable, and independent. If you want a win, you can win Sober October.
Enjoying Spooky Season Without Spirits
When we say “spirits,” we mean of the alcoholic variety, not the supernatural variety, as we welcome any (friendly) hauntings this time of year!
But a lot of people are hesitant to do Sober October because they’re afraid to miss out on the fun of alcoholic autumn ciders, Halloween party shots, and spiked hot chocolate. If you find an excellent alternative, you won’t even miss drinking, and Find Wunder is the perfect choice. From Los Angeles to Nashville, thousands of people make their Octobers sober, and so can you!
Reap the benefits of Sober October without missing out on any of the fall fun with Find Wunder THC drinks.
