Are you interested in experiencing a month without drinking? Entering the new year with the resolution of refraining from alcohol has become a trend. Many people abstain from taking booze for the first 31 days. This dry January challenge makes people experience better physical and mental health benefits. So, if you are looking for tips to get successful with a dry January, this blog is for you. Let’s get into this.
What is the dry January Challenge?
The dry January challenge provides a significant opportunity to cut down on the habit of drinking for a month. It makes people experience what life feels like without alcohol and gives them a chance to take a break for a while. It was first hoisted by Alcohol for Change (previously known as Alcohol Concern) as a public health campaign in 2013.
But now it is widely opted by the people in the US and other countries. It inspires people to experience no alcohol in January with the intention of improving their health.
Why should you try Dry January?
After a week full of holiday parties and treats, many people participate in dry January to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol. They want to make healthy changes in their behavior that have a lasting influence even beyond these 31 days. It gives you an opportunity to experience better health and living conditions.
Moreover, abstinence from alcohol ameliorates your sleeping cycle and boosts your energy. You can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, liver damage, cancer, and other health ailments. So, you should try a dry January to kick off the new year with an urge to feel better and healthier.
Dry January Benefits
Every year, many people participate in the dry January challenge. NIH research revelated that about 2 million people participated in Dry January in 2015. You might be thinking, why do a bunch of people try this every year? Are there any dry January benefits? Let’s delve into it;
Improves Sleep and Energy
Dry January acts as a fresh start to a healthier life. According to SSA research, 56% of participants in dry January experienced better sleep, 50% had better health, and 52% had more energy. So, a month without alcohol can improve the quality of your sleep and sustain your energy levels.
Alleviates Health issues
Moreover, according to another study published in BMJ Journal, short-term abstinence from alcohol improves blood pressure, insulin resistance, weight loss, and cancer-related growth factors.
Financial Benefits
Enjoying a dry January can save help you save a lot. A Psychology & Health report published after surveying 4232 adults revealed that 63 percent of participants saved money due to this one-month campaign.
Planning for dry January-Top 7 Tips
If you are starting the new year with a resolution to refrain from drinking, this writeup can help you streamline your efforts in the most efficient way. Here, we have shared the top 7 tips that can help you to procure dry January benefits.
Make your home alcohol free
Eliminating alcohol from your home is significant to get a successful dry January. Every time you open your refrigerator full of wine bottles, you might be enticed toward it. So, if you are planning to participate in the dry January challenge, the first move is to eradicate all the temptations that can trigger you to slip up.
For this purpose, clear your home from all the booze. You can dispose of it or hide it in a place that is out of your daily reach.
Set some smart goals
If you want to acquire the benefits of dry January week by week, you need to do proper planning for that. You can set some realistic goals to abstain from alcohol during the whole month. How can you do that? It is quite helpful to write down a list of milestones you need to cover during this period. You can start with the smaller goals and then head towards the larger ones.
For instance, you can slowly refrain from drinking by cutting back on the number of drinks you have each week. It doesn’t matter what inspired you to try a dry January. Keep reminding yourself of the main reasons frequently. It keeps you going to achieve your goals.
Look for your support group
The next tip for staying on track during this sober course is to cultivate a network of supportive people around. Tell your family and friends about your dry January challenge. It helps you to remain on target and keeps you accountable.
Moreover, if your pal or family member is also practicing no alcohol in January, it’s a win. You can have someone to share your goals with. Additionally, you both can plan exciting activities together that involve no booze. A supportive environment can make this period easy for you.
Avoid the triggers
One of the best dry January tips is to avoid the situations that provoke you to drink during abstention. These are called triggers that tempt a person to get his hands back on the glass of wine.
So, it’s significant to understand the triggering environments and opt for the measures to avoid them. For this purpose, keep yourself away from the people, locations, and things that are associated with drinking.
Try alcohol-free beverages
It’s pretty hard to refrain from alcohol when everybody around you is drinking. When your friends are taking shots of vodka in social gatherings, how can you be sober? For this purpose, the best thing to satisfy your craving is to go for alcohol-free beverages.
You can try substitutes like a mocktail, soda, nonalcoholic beer, juices, and more as part of a dry January diet. So, you can satiate your thirst by using these alternatives to alcohol.
Keep track of your drinking
The other important tip for succeeding in the dry January challenge is to track your drinking. If your goal is to drink less, you can achieve that objective by monitoring your boozing. You can use the dry app or keep a journal or calendar to record the number of days you have passed without drinking.
It acts as a motivational tool that keeps you encouraged toward your goal. Moreover, you can also set the standard sizes for drinking (in case you are intended to consume less). It prevents you from having much and keeps you on track.
Slipping up is okay; try again
You have made a new year’s resolution to avoid drinking during this month. You have shared this goal with your family & friends. But, during a social event, after a week, you have a glass of wine. Did you screw up? Definitely not. It’s not about all or nothing.
If you have one drink, it doesn’t mean you give up and continue drinking the whole month. Slipping up is okay. Get back on the sober January challenge. Take a fresh and continue your progress.
Conclusion
In short, the dry January challenge is an intriguing experience to take a new start to your new year. It makes you feel better after a week full of alcohol consumption at holiday parties. So, abstaining from drinking for a month supplies you with countless physical and mental health benefits along with financial savings. It maintains BP, weight, and insulin levels and reduces the likelihood of diseases. To acquire dry January benefits, you need to do proper planning. You need to set goals, try alcohol substitutes, avoid triggers and seek help.
Why not give it a try?
