SOBER OCTOBER

To whom it may concern, throughout the last five years I have struggled with consumption of unhealthy substances (ie: alcohol excessively, marijuana, “smart drugs”, and unhealthy foods) and I have looked for many avenues to cut down on that unhealthy living. While I don’t feel comfortable quite yet cutting all forms of these things out of my life, as I believe moderation is key, I do feel that if left unchecked it could spiral dangerously.

Therefore, I instituted a new rules to help me develop some form of self control over time.

Firstly, I have tracked my days of sobriety and days of unhealthy living in an app called “Days Since” which tracks all forms of habits you want to quit down to the second. It has helped me extremely, allowing me to see the heights of my habits and helping me curb them over time. It also helps to develop a competitive sense of yourself. Try going as long as you can, beat your previous record, and then hold in your mind whenever you falter the idea of “hey, I went this long before I can do it again” and you will build confidence.

Secondly, I have begun participating in the Joe Rogan Experience tradition of “Sober October”. I take the month of October and develop many new habits and refrain from any form of substance and alcohol consumption for the month. I have done this the last three years and it has helped tremendously in developing my discipline and self-control. October is a hard month initially, but with time and control it can help you really ride strong into the holidays with strong, positive habits.

Lastly, I try to keep my mind occupied. “Idle hands do the devil’s work” and that is never more true than when trying to limit and moderate negative activity. Sitting around or just watching tv will always cause me to slip up. Thankfully, I have a job that’s extremely time consuming so it helps to keep me occupied. But, even on days I’m not occupied with work, I try to formulate a plan to keep my brain away from negative thoughts. I like to realize the idea that thoughts are separate from action. If I remove myself from my thoughts then they have no control over me. I would advise this to anyone who is struggling that doesn’t think they have a real problem but just wants to get a handle on things.

Various things I do to stay occupied: go to the gym, buy a stationary bike and ride it, ride a bicycle around your neighborhood or town, spend time with family, read, and even sleep. Sleep seems counter-intuitive but one thing I will say is during times I feel the weakest against my convictions the best course is to totally remove yourself from the moment and sleep. You’ll wake up feeling like you’ve conquered that demon and that you’ve lasted just a few more hours. It will build your confidence and help you maintain your progress.