Taking a month-long break from alcohol may improve your skin, sleep, energy and mood, but the transformation tends to be temporary. It’s all too tempting to celebrate four weeks of abstinence with a large glass of wine, a boozy night out or to use the month as a yearly reset – a temporary pause in an otherwise wet year. For loads of us, Sober October is the perfect break ahead of a super hedonistic festive season.

Unsurprisingly, a 2021 study published in Drug And Alcohol Dependence found that participating in initiatives like Dry January didn’t lead to less drinking over time. And that’s because, for many people, that all-or-nothing mindset simply doesn’t work. We’re either drinking or we’re sober.

But attitudes towards abstinence are changing. Just look how popular the term ‘Damp January’ has become. That’s the idea that it’s better to consciously cut down the amount of alcohol you consume to a level that you’re able to sustain all year around, than go the whole hog – only to return to previous habits. It makes sense, right? The key to success, however, lies in setting clear and measurable targets.

Why taking regular microbreaks from booze is more beneficial than going 'dry' for a month, according to experts