Sober October

What do you want to be sober from?

Friends and I started a sober October to get rid of addictions in our lives.

What do I want to be sober from?

Here are the materialistic things I’m going to be sober from:

• alcohol

• drugs

• sex

• social media

• parties/clubs

• netflix

• coffee (but decaf can work)

• decrease sugar (because 0 sugar is too difficult for me)

In addition, I want my emotional state to be sober too. September has been a really stressful month because of moving and people’s craziness. I want to be sober from:

• drama

• gossip

• unbeneficial relationships

• romantic desire/dating

Hence, I’ve decided if there is anyone who sends me crazy emails, I’m not going to read them—my roommate is going to handle it (yes, my roommate gets lots of extra workload). I will avoid going to friends or events that focus on gossiping about others. If any relationship goes sour, I will intentionally not solve the problem this month. They can all WAIT. Wait for my mind to be clear and for me to grow wiser. So I can be completely detached from the inner narrative, imagination, and extreme emotions that perpetuate inside me.

What am I looking for?

Focus on my life. It sounds super simple, but it’s so hard to put it into practice. Most of the time my mind is running 1,000 miles per hour, thinking of what could have happened, what I wish would happen, or what could go wrong. But I’m going to stop this switch for this month, just focusing on the things I’m doing.

Today is Oct 3rd, only the second day of me setting the intention of being sober, but I already feel very different. I’ve gained some patience, and I’ve started thinking of broader philosophical questions.

I feel I’m able to focus even more on my day-to-day work, without worrying that my life is lacking enjoyment or feeling FOMO over others’ spicy experiences. I stopped to worry about specific recent experience, but reflect on the overarching values and desires I have in life.

Sober is an interesting concept because it suggests that we often indulge in various aspects of life—whether it's material, like coffee; relational, like social media; or emotional, like unresolved relationships. But sometimes, it's important to take a step back and ask ourselves if these things are truly serving us.

So, my weirdo friends, what’s the one thing you really want to be sober from?