Is cutting back a better alternative to Sober October?
It's that time of year when "Sober October" is hitting the headlines and popping up all over social media. Many people are thinking about mindful drinking again, and questioning how much reaching for a drink has become part of their weekly routine. But is a period of abstinence the best way to get back to drinking on your own terms if it has started to drift into a habit?
Is a month off the best way to cut back?
Don't get me wrong, I've published numerous articles advocating that periods of not drinking are good for mental and physical health. But as someone who has spent over 30 years working in the wine trade, and the past three years as one of the country's leading non-abstinence alcohol moderation coaches, my question is whether a white‑knuckle endurance challenge for 31 days, with no moderation strategies or skills in place, gives the best chance of changing a habit in the long term.
You wouldn't jump off the couch and suddenly run 5k without first building up to it. Try it with willpower alone, and it might put you off running for the foreseeable future, and send you back to the sofa where you started. The same is true for alcohol moderation. It's a skill you can learn, up to the point where it becomes second nature. At that stage, periods of abstinence become a walk in the park (no pun intended).
October is a good reset month
October is a good bridging month. Many people might have been tempted to drink more than usual over the summer because of the exceptional weather, as if they had a temporary pass akin to being on a foreign holiday. Those outdoor, sociable habits can easily turn into solo drinking on the sofa on a Wednesday. And before you know it, the relentless season of festive drinks invitations will be upon us. It's a timely opportunity for a reset before then.
What my clients found during a month off
Many of my moderation clients had tried Sober October or Dry January before coming to me, with some fairly common results when jumping straight in:
- Without other strategies in place, it was an exhausting and grim experience trying to white‑knuckle it with willpower alone.
- Without the option to say yes to anything, they felt a huge social tax had been placed on them.
- Once 1st November or 1st February arrived, they celebrated, then spent much of the month catching up on missed opportunities.
Those same clients are now confirmed Flexi Drinkers. They have a moderation dial they can turn up or down, rather than a binary on/off switch, and they enjoy regular periods of abstinence on their own terms.
Where to start when you want to cut back
- Ask yourself what purpose a drink is serving, especially the midweek drinks you didn't really plan.
- Cutting out those "no-reason" drinks will give you some early wins.
- Your sleep and energy can improve quickly, giving you more incentive to keep going.
- Pacing strategies repurposed from fine dining wine service mean the drinks you do have are about enjoyment rather than effect.
What else helps you cut back on drinking?
Getting back in control isn't just about strategies. It's also about:
- Understanding: what alcohol does to your body, brain, sleep and finances.
- Mindset change: how you manage stress and emotions during the day, and what purpose alcohol serves in your life.
- Exploring alcohol-free alternatives: there are many quality no and low alcohol products on the market now, from alcohol-free wine to spirits, that genuinely compete on flavour and complexity.
- Talking to a professional: someone who can help you understand why you drink and how to apply the right strategies.
This is why I built Couch to Control™, an online course, with a one‑to‑one call to review your drinking pattern, that teaches you how to cut back on your couch wine, control your weekend wind-downs and enjoy more of the drinks you consciously choose. It draws on behavioural science, my own articles indexed on Google Scholar, and the programmes I've developed at Alcohol Reduction Coach™.
If your drinking has become more of an ingrained, autopilot habit, the more in-depth ARC programmes are built for that.
Couch to Control™ is designed for non-dependent drinkers who want to cut back. If you are worried about your drinking, or unsure whether that describes you, please speak to your GP before making any changes. You can also contact WithYou for free, confidential support.