Good idea: an alcohol break in October

And then suddenly it was October. It is always a good time to take an alcohol break, including in October. Maybe you will participate in OokSober en stoptober. We give you 10 reasons why taking a break in October is a smart plan.

Yes, of course you participate in Dry January. Because starting a new year fresh and fit is a great feeling. But why wait so long? October is a great month to let go of alcohol. Balancing after a long summer full of brie, pizza, beer and wine is a good idea and already compensate because December is just around the corner. There are many benefits to an alcohol break of a month. Below you can read more about the 10 benefits of a temporary alcohol stop.

1. Awareness

That glass at the end of a long day, after sports, during a pleasant evening on the couch; some drinks have become such a habit that you don't even think about them anymore. By temporarily eliminating all alcoholic drinks, you notice the role alcohol plays in your life. This realization helps you to make a more conscious choice in the period after IkPas: do I have an alcoholic drink or not.

 2. Structurally less alcohol

Not drinking alcohol for a month or 40 days will not only provide you with immediate healthy benefits, it will also affect your long-term alcohol consumption. For example, six months later, IkPas participants drink an average of 30% less alcohol than before their IkPas period!

3. More energy

Not drinking alcohol is one of the best gifts you can give your body. You will feel fitter and more energetic, because no more energy is lost for your body to get rid of a toxic substance: alcohol. Stopping drinking alcohol is better for your liver - the organ that has to break down all alcohol -, your heart and your blood pressure. There is a good chance that you will see evidence of your improved physical condition in your sports performance. But your outside also improves. An important effect of alcohol is that it widens your blood vessels. This causes more blood to flow through the blood vessels, resulting in redder or swollen skin. When you stop drinking alcohol, the blood vessels slowly narrow again and your skin regains its normal, healthy complexion.

4. Sleep well, get up rested

Contrary to what is claimed about taking a 'nightcap', drinking alcohol does not help you sleep better. You fall asleep faster, but the sleep itself is less deep. Alcohol also affects your REM sleep. This is the part of your sleep where you dream, your muscles relax and your brain processes all the information and emotions of the day. Alcohol suppresses your REM sleep, so that you recover less well at night. You will also feel more rested physically if you do not drink alcohol before going to sleep. By not drinking, you sleep better and you start the day full of energy!

 5. Mental fitter

About 63% of the IkPas participants indicate that they feel mentally fitter. Not drinking ensures that you can concentrate better, are sharper and feel better about yourself. Alcohol has a negative influence on the serotonin level in your body. Serotonin, also called the happiness hormone, helps regulate your mood and ensures a healthy sleep pattern. Moreover, stopping drinking alcohol gives your self-confidence a positive boost. After all, you are mentally strong enough to pass!

6. Learning to say 'NO'

'No thanks, no alcohol for me, I participate in IkPas'. Under the guise of participating in this challenge, you can undisturbed all alcohol during this period.

7. Good example makes good following

You have more influence on the (later) alcohol use of your (grand)child than you may think. Your child mainly learns by doing what you do. If your child sees you drinking a glass of wine with dinner every night, it is more likely that drinking alcohol is considered normal. Research shows that children think more positively about alcohol when their parents drink. Children with a positive attitude towards drinking drink more on average than other children. By -temporarily- not drinking alcohol yourself, you are telling your child that drinking alcohol is not automatically part of it, but is always a conscious choice. Young people of the age that they are allowed to drink alcohol themselves are also sensitive to this.

8. Breaking Habit Behavior

An alcohol break of 30 to 40 days will help you break your habitual behavior and start creating new ones. This way you actively work with IkPas on a lasting change in your lifestyle. Curious about how to replace old habits with new ones? read here how psychotherapist Carien Karsten replaced the longing for her regular wine with a new tasty ritual.

9. Hello buddy less

A nice side effect of stopping drinking alcohol is that you can lose weight. For example, 32% of the IkPas participants indicates that they have lost weight during the challenge. Read why you lose weight by stopping alcohol in 'Losing weight and alcohol'.

10. You save money

Those few specialty beers or that bottle of wine with the weekly shopping add up considerably. For example, 55% of the IkPas participants noted that not drinking saves money. Logical, because a simple calculation example shows that not drinking alcohol is a real saving factor. Suppose you buy two bottles of wine every week for 5 euros a bottle. In that case you give such a
€520 per year on alcohol. And then we don't even count the terraces, evenings out for dinner or going out. Not drinking will give you such a nice holiday!

Encore: no hangovers

IkPas creates more awareness, so you are less likely to drink (too much) alcohol afterwards. Never again (too much) drinking also means: no longer having a hangover. This quickly reduces the number of mornings you wake up with a bursting headache and a protesting stomach to zero! Think of all the time you gain with this and in which you can now do something fresh and fruity. Yes!