The Sēkwl Guide to a Successful Sober October

Maybe you’re going alcohol-free for all 31 days.

Maybe you’re taking a break during the week but leaving yourself a little wiggle room on the weekends.

Maybe you’ve had a very fun summer, and your body has respectfully submitted its version of a PTO request.

We get it, andwe’re fans of the idea that a reset isn’t punishment. We’d argue you should genuinely look forward to a reset!

With that in mind, here’s our very unofficial Sēkwl guide to making Sober October actually…fun?

1. Choose YOUR Sober October Adventure.

Before October 1 arrives, decide what you’re actually doing.

Thirty-one completely alcohol-free days? Great.

No drinks during the week? Also great.

Skipping alcohol at home but giving yourself flexibility for special occasions? Hell yeah.

Make it easy on yourself. Have a plan that removes the nightly negotiation with yourself, and remember, you do you on this!

2. Stock the fridge BEFORE you start.

This one sounds obvious, but it matters.

If your refrigerator is filled with things you’re genuinely excited to drink, reaching for something alcohol-free becomes a whole lot easier.

Grab sparkling water. Find a zero-proof beer you love. Experiment with mocktails. And, yes, we’d suggest putting a few Sēkwls in there to let functional mushrooms add benefits to your alcohol hiatus!

The point isn’t to replace every drink with another elaborate beverage. It’s simply to give yourself options! We love options.

3. Keep the ritual, just change what’s in the glass.

Sometimes it’s not actually the alcohol you’re craving.

It’s closing the laptop and pouring something at the end of the day.

It’s meeting friends for happy hour.

It’s making a drink while you cook dinner.

It’s sitting outside with something cold after mowing the lawn.

You don’t necessarily have to give up the ritual just because you’re changing what’s in your glass.

Pour something delicious over ice. Grab the fancy glass. Add the garnish.

Wednesday deserves a good drink, too.

4. Have a game plan for going out.

You don’t have to spend October hiding from your friends.

Take a quick look at the menu before you head out. See what zero-proof options are available. If you’re going to someone’s house, bring something you know you’ll enjoy. Maybe even share that Sēkwl love!

And if somebody asks why you’re not drinking?

Stare blankly and say “because I don’t want to"

That’s it. You don’t owe anyone a TED Talk.

5. Find someone to do it with you.

Everything is a little more fun with a buddy.

Recruit your partner, roommate, best friend, coworker, group chat, or the friend who talked you into that last round of tequila in August.

Share mocktail finds. Check in with each other. Go somewhere that has great alcohol-free options.

Accountability doesn’t have to be serious.

6. Don’t turn one imperfect day into an imperfect month.

Had a drink?

Okay. No judgement - that's what resets are all about.

And it doesn’t mean October is ruined. In fact, this is the point. One decision doesn’t erase every other decision you’ve made. Get up the next morning and keep going.

We’re much bigger fans of progress than perfection around here.

7. Pay attention to how you feel.

One of the interesting things about changing a routine is simply noticing what happens.

How are you sleeping? How’s your energy? What does your morning feel like? Are you saving money? Are you discovering drinks or routines you actually want to keep?

You don’t need a spreadsheet or a wearable to tell you whether something feels good.

Just pay attention.

8. Make November different because of October.

Here’s the part we think is really interesting.

Sober October doesn’t have to end on November 1 with everything immediately going back to exactly the way it was.

Maybe you discover you love alcohol-free weekdays. Maybe you find a mocktail you genuinely prefer.

Maybe you decide you don’t need a drink every time you go out.

Maybe nothing dramatically changes—but you’re a little more intentional about what you drink and why.

That’s still a pretty successful October.

YOUR OCTOBER. YOUR RESET. YOUR RULES.

We’re spending October talking about all of this: alcohol-free occasions, mocktails, small habits, Fall Reset ideas, functional mushrooms, and ways to make choices that feel good without making life boring.

Because that’s really the point.

You don’t need to reinvent yourself this October.

Maybe you just need a little room to reset.

And if you’d like something delicious in the fridge while you do it?

Well…we know a sparkling water you’d love. 🍄❤️