I made a decision on a whim, right after a morning workout, when I was feeling strong and positive for what was on the docket for my day. I decided to observe Sober October.
When I decided this, I initially thought, “wow, Sober October has a cool ring to it. I should see if I’m the first person to ever come up with this…then I’ll launch my own social media campaign, collect sponsors, and then run off into the sunset as I cash in my millions in endorsement deals.” Unfortunately, I am not the first to be so clever. This 2019 article from InStyle provides a good overview of Sober October. In my defense, it’s still relatively new, especially to the U.S., but definitely not my idea, so I can’t take credit.
While the origins of Sober October come from Australia and the U.K. and connect to really great causes in their respective countries, my Sober October will be anything but noble for anyone but myself. Why am I attempting Sober October? Because I’m bored and want to do it. Also, to prove to my husband that I can do it. And, no, I am definitely not pregnant.
But, really, though – why am I doing this? Well, here’s a little about me. I consider myself a connoisseur of fine boxed wine (fine boxed wine likely isn’t a real thing, so perhaps that might be my million-dollar idea since I was late to the Sober October boat). I also love to try, and generally consume, all sorts of craft (or, just regular, tbh) beer. In fact, as I write this, I’m enjoying a lovely 4 Hands Brewing Company Ripple White Ale (check it out). Most nights since the birth of my son in May, I’ve had a few sips of beer or a glass of wine. Which, of course, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and everything in moderation is my motto. When I was pregnant with my son, I subbed my beer/wine nightcap for nightly ice cream (and subsequently gained 45+ pounds and birthed a 9-pound baby #noregrets).
What I’m trying to say is … I’m treating Sober October as kind of a detox before heading into the last two months of the year. The last two glorious months filled with family birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Oh, and November 3, where I almost certainly will be pouring a glass from one of the finest boxes of wine. Further, if I examine myself a little more closely, I can also acknowledge that I have not been super kind to my quarantine body. Between third trimester pregnancy, postpartum struggles with how my body looks and maybe overcompensating a bit with exercise to “bounce back”, I’m hoping to reset and refocus a bit before the end of the year so I can bring my best self to the holidays … even if we remain to ourselves.
At the end of the month, I’ll be successful if I feel just 1% more focused. I’m looking for a small shift in hopes of carrying good energy into the rest of 2020 – because we could all use some of that this year!
. Her hopes are to reset and refocus herself for the days ahead.){kind=link}