Better skin, better sleep: 10 reasons to give up booze during OcSober

Next month is OcSober, a month during which South Africans are asked to quit drinking as part of a campaign to raise awareness about alcohol abuse. The idea is simple - stay sober in October and donate what you would have spent on booze to charity.

To prepare yourself for next month, consider the benefits of going on the wagon:

1. DEEPER SLEEP

When you drink too much, you spend less of the night in a deep, restorative slumber. You're also more likely to wake early and find it hard to go to sleep again. Better sleep has a knock-on effect on your mood and your ability to concentrate.

2. BETTER MOODS

If you're already feeling sad or anxious, alcohol is likely to amplify those emotions. The day after you've been drinking heavily you are likely to feel low and depressed.

3. MORE ENERGY

Alcohol can interfere with your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease. Drinking too much can also make you feel tired, sluggish and a bit under the weather.

4. BETTER CONCENTRATION

Regularly drinking above the alcohol unit guidelines (no more than 14 units per week) will affect your concentration and ability to work.

5. BETTER SKIN

Alcohol dehydrates your skin, making it dull and grey. Add bags under your eyes from a lack of sleep and you'll look less than your best.

6. IMPROVED WEIGHT

Alcoholic drinks are high in calories and can be very fattening. Cut out just one beer a day for a week and you'll have consumed close to 1,500 less calories.

7. A HEALTHIER STOMACH

By drinking less you could get rid of complaints like diarrhoea and indigestion. Alcohol irritates the stomach and makes it produce more acid, which can cause gastritis.

8. MORE TIME AND MONEY

By doing something different you could discover other interests and meet new people. With the extra hours outside of the bar you could join a sports team or start a hobby.

9. LONG-TERM HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

Cutting down on alcohol will reduce your risk of developing cancer, liver and heart disease and could lower your blood pressure.

10. BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

Arriving home as the person you left as in the morning, instead of the aggressive, slurring idiot you become after hours at the bar, could do wonders for your personal life.