SoberOctober Archives - Stop Drinking Solutions

October 31, 2018October 31, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 31 – Quit Drinking in 31 Difficult Steps

Growing up I remember seeing a lot of commercials where a miracle product was sold at an amazing price: 3 easy payments of $19.95. It sounded so cheap, so affordable, and such an amazing value that I’d be foolish not to call the 1-800 number on the screen.

Even as a child, I knew that 3 payments of $20 was still $60, but something about the term “3 easy payments” made the price so much easier to digest. The $20 float out of your wallet each month as if it was destined to be spent. The fact that there were only 3 payments, made it seem that much easier.

October 30, 2018September 24, 2019

Sober October Day 30 – Keep the Streak, or celebrate?

Why not both?

At the end of my last Sober October I decided to stay sober. I knew it going in, and I had mentally prepared for that. At the end of my previous attempts, I always celebrated with a few drinks (or more).

October 29, 2018May 5, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 29 – Home Stretch

Here we are mere days away from the end of the month. In my original attempts at making sobriety work, I partied pretty hard the day my challenge ended. Pretty much the hardest I had partied even before I quit for the month. It was a good time and I still look upon it rather fondly. Continue reading “#SoberOctober Day 29 – Home Stretch”

October 28, 2018October 24, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 28 – Apps to Help You Stop Drinking for Good

In our ever connected culture we have more options than ever to help ourselves. Podcasts, online courses, blogs, eBooks, and of course apps. Apps have gone from niche distraction to everyday essentials in a very short period of time. We’re very close to the end of Sober October for this year. Are you thinking about how to stay sober through the rest of the year? If you are, it’s never a bad idea to plan ahead.

October 27, 2018October 31, 2019

Sober October Day 27 – Hypnotize yourself sober

Have you ever seen an ad that promises a cure for addiction that sounded too good to be true?Laser Therapy? Crystals, Spirit Healing or perhaps hypnotism?

October 26, 2018September 22, 2020

Sober October Day 26 – It’s Never Too Late to Quit Drinking

a point of view photograph showing a wrist with an analog watch, indicating it's never too late to quit drinking alcohol.

If you compare Sober October with learning to swim, you can draw some interesting parallels. Suppose you’re dropped in the middle of the ocean. You need to learn how to swim as soon as possible, but it’s far too late. When you’re warm and dry in your home, safely landlocked the lessons are less urgent. You could spend your entire life not getting in to a body of water big enough to swim in.

October 25, 2018October 9, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 25 – Quit Drinking for Life

In the post about Sober October Day 1, I said you don’t have to quit drinking forever… just get through a single day without drinking. Getting through Day 1 is one of the hardest days, taking the plunge is one of the hardest parts. However, when I say “Stop Drinking for Life” I don’t mean that you need to commit to stop drinking for the rest of your life… I mean quit drinking so you can ENJOY YOUR LIFE.

October 24, 2018June 29, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 24 – Go Slow to Go Fast

A photograph of a man and woman practicing tai-chi. Used to draw a parallel between slow practice and sobriety.

Sober October is not about fixing your problems with a set-time of sobriety. The old-timers can attest: just because you stop drinking, doesn’t mean you stop being a drunk. Abstaining for a short interval isn’t a fix, but it can be a test. It can also be a practice of self-discovery. What you learn on this month-long journey will depend on your unique experience.

October 23, 2018June 19, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 23 – Life Finds a Way

As famous fictional scientist Dr. Ian Malcolm once said;

“Life, Uh, Finds a Way”

Of course, he was speaking about genetically engineered dinosaurs but the sentiment stands true to this day.

As a human being your DNA has been passed down generation, upon generation based on the simple fact that someone survived long enough to pass along their genes. Like a sunflower that starts as a tiny seed, the human body starts small, breaks free and enters this world against all odds. This miracle is an example of life finding a way. Continue reading “#SoberOctober Day 23 – Life Finds a Way”

October 22, 2018September 9, 2019

#SoberOctober Day 22 – Mental Models To Help You Stop Drinking

I recently started reading and hearing about mental models and I think they are endlessly fascinating. Ideas like “Critical Mass” have changed the way humans have approach problems. These mental shortcuts let us see patterns faster when applied to practical situations.