Although the term Dry January has origins dating back to 2000’s, it has sprung up more notably in recent years in Europe, UK & US and is gaining momentum as a global trend to abstain or reduce alcohol consumption for the month of January.
There are numerous benefits to “dropping the bottle” for a while, the predominant one being to develop a new relationship with alcohol. January can be an idealistic month as it’s when we tend to kick off our new year’s resolutions and it’s often when we’re still recovering from those December hangovers...
Evidence points strongly towards the idea that both men & women should not drink an average of more than one regular drink per day (a beer or half a glass of wine) to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Light drinkers would probably not go too much over that, but moderate to heavy drinkers may be well in excess and cutting back or abstaining can be a challenge - potentially with withdrawal side-effects (anxiety, irritability, nausea, fatigue, headaches & shakiness).
SO, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF DRY JAN:
- Your overall health will improve
- Your liver will get a well-deserved holiday 😆
- Achieve your fitness goals quicker
- You’ll sleep better
- Your immune system will be stronger
- Helps with weight loss
- Your skin will look better
- You’ll feel more energized
- Your mind will be clearer
- You’ll re-evaluate your relationship with alcohol
HELP ME OUT, HOW DO I DO THIS?
- Set yourself some (achievable) goals
- Start a new workout routine or sport
- Find a friend to partner with for Dry Jan and support each other
- Switch up your routine, specifically around those times you normally have a drink
- Journal your journey e.g., take a selfie every couple of days to see your progress
- Do fun things to distract you from having a drink
- Store away all your alcoholic drinks so they are out of sight
- Find healthy, non-alcoholic alternatives to drink
