If you enjoyed Christmas as much as we did then you might have found yourself feeling slightly ashamed by the amount of empty bottles in your recycling bin. In order to try and enter 2022 on a healthy footing, we’re giving Dry January a go this year. We’ve never done it before but we reckon it’s about time our livers and our bank accounts had a rest!
The only problem we can see with doing Dry January is that January is a shit month. We return to work after a few weeks of rest and relaxation only to find our stress levels going up, fresh deadlines to meet and co-workers ready to wind us up. Plus it’s cold, grey and miserable. Oh, and we’re skint as well. All of these factors contribute to us wanting to do nothing more than pour ourselves a big glass of wine at the end of each day.
So how can we make it through the month and win at Dry January? In today’s blog we’re going to look at some tips for making it through the month without hitting the bottle. Resisting temptation and changing bad habits is hard but with a little willpower and some decent strategies, you can make it through.
- Avoid Temptation – There’s no way you’re going to make it through the month if you have a house full of booze within easy reach. Clear your kitchen and your wine rack and pack all of those bottles away in your garage or your shed or a cupboard. Out of sight, out of mind until you can enjoy them again next month. If you’re invited to a social event where you know you’ll be tempted to drink then either decline the event for this month or take a substitute beverage with you.
- Announce Your Intentions – Make sure that you let the people in your life know that you’re making a commitment to stay alcohol-free for the month. Encourage them to hold you accountable and, even better, see if you can find a friend to do it with you.
- Replace The Booze – Many people find that they have a routine with their drinking. That glass of wine at the end of every day has become a ritual that needs to be replaced if you want to break the cycle and win the month. Try substituting the alcohol with a non-alcoholic drink. There are plenty of alcohol-free drinks on the market these days such as ‘no G&T’ or alcohol-free beer. Give them a go instead or else replace the act of having a drink after work with something entirely different. Pick up that hobby you’ve been meaning to start, take the opportunity to hit the gym or treat yourself to an episode of your favourite TV show.
- Be Aware of Potential Problems – You should be aware of potential alcohol withdrawal symptoms that may occur during your Dry January. Depending on how much you usually drink, you may experience mild symptoms including nausea, anxiety, shaky hands, headache, sweating, vomiting and insomnia. Severe symptoms could occur within a few days and can include hallucinations, racing heart rate, delirium and fever. If you do find yourself suffering from withdrawal symptoms then you should seek immediate medical help. Dry January is about improving your health, not making it worse.
- Don’t Give Up – It’s okay to slip up every now and then. If you fall off the wagon, then start again the next day. The point is to give your body and mind a reset. Just by committing to drink less for the whole month, you’re doing that. If there are celebrations and events that you want to go to, one night of drinking is fine. Also, if doing a month of no drinking seems like a particularly daunting task then try doing a week or two weeks instead. Do whatever you need to do in order to motivate yourself to stay dry.
We hope that the tips above will help you to get through Dry January. It’s okay to admit you’re struggling and it’s okay to fall off the wagon occasionally. The important thing is that you get back on and try again. Don’t let your good intentions get derailed by temptation. Just by reducing your alcohol intake for the month, you’re making positive changes to your health in 2022.
SJB
So Just Be 