Many of us start drinking at college just to fit in, then we find ourselves at work entertaining clients or just letting our hair down with colleagues on a Friday night as part of the “work hard play hard” culture.
As we get older, many of us switch to using a glass (or two) or wine in the evening to relax or to relieve stress — it just becomes part of our daily routine.
Here’s the thing:-
Alcohol is a toxin and we owe it to our amazing bodies and brains to take a break now and then.
8 Reasons Why:
- Many of us have white-knuckled our way through Dry January but 30 days is just not long enough to experience the benefits of sobriety. Whereas 66 days of sobriety will boost your health, improve your looks and give you a glimpse of just how awesome alcohol-free living can be!
- Alcohol is a drug and we need to take regular breaks to ensure that we are not becoming dependent. 20% of social drinkers will become dependent over the years. Alcohol is insidious and sneaks up on us which is why an annual “dependence-check” makes a lot of sense.
- 66 alcohol-free days will certainly have an impact on your waistline. Of course, wine is full of sugar and it also leads to unhealthy snacking. Even more important to know is that because alcohol is a toxin your body will focus on metabolising it first before it even thinks about burning up your food.
- A break from booze will have a positive impact on your looks. You will lose that puffiness in your face, your skin will clear and your eyes will sparkle.
- “Alcohol is the only drug we have to justify not taking” — harsh but true. If you tell your family and friends that you have given up drinking they may well ask you why on earth would you do such a crazy thing. Whereas, if you tell them you are doing a 66-day alcohol-free challenge as a health kick they could well leave you in peace.
- To feel rested we need 7 cycles of REM sleep. Drinkers usually get 2 at the most. The resulting fatigue builds up over the years, especially if you drink a glass (or two) of wine every evening. Ditch the drink for 66 days and you will sleep like a baby and begin to feel fabulous — who knew?
- Covid 19 is going to be us for some time so we need to maintain a strong immune system. Alcohol is linked to 7 different types of cancer and more than 60 diseases. Taking a break from booze will reduce your blood pressure, bring down your cholesterol levels and boost your general health.
- You will experience the “Domino Effect”. After a significant period of sobriety, your mind will clear and your energy and motivation will come flooding back. You may well start reviewing and changing other parts of your life — your eating plan, your exercise program, your career, and your relationships.
Why 66 Days?
We picked on 66 days because that’s how long it takes to change a habit so if you are thinking about making alcohol-free living a permanent lifestyle choice then you will find it SO much easier after 66 days — you will have built a whole new neural pathway!
If you are just looking to cut down then do the challenge and you will find it SO much easier to drink within the low-risk levels of one and a half bottles of wine (or six beers) a week.
Join our Annual Challenge!
If you’d like a bit of support to get through the 66 days then sign up for the Tribe Sober annual challenge and get online, community, and audio support.
Depending on which hemisphere you are in it will be a Sober Spring or a Sober Autumn — either way, it will do you the world of good.