Doing the Dry January Challenge?
Start of the. a new year with healthy habit suggestions from Alexia Eller, LMSW.
Have you ever heard of Dry January? Some people want a nice healthy reset for the beginning of a new year and decide to not consume alcohol for the full month of January. The effects of alcohol if drank frequently can impact your health in different ways. People who partake in this challenge, maintain sobriety for 31 days and many have noticed a substantial increase in their health benefits (1). Alcohol Concern Academic research suggests that those who participate in this challenge have continued to lower their alcoholic beverages in the following months due to seeing the improvement in their lifestyle in various areas (2).
So what are some of the benefits of Dry January?:
The published journal by Mehta et. al (2018), reviewed that a month-long reprieve from alcohol can create some positive effects on your health such as improved mood, better sleep, more energy throughout the day, possible weight loss, lower blood pressure, and cholesterol and much more. Whatever your reason may be for doing the Dry January challenge, here are some tips to help you succeed.
Tips for Dry January Challenge:
Set a goal - What is your goal for doing this challenge? Are you doing it for your physical benefits, and emotional health or wanting to see if you are able to not drink for a full month? Knowing your intentions for this challenge will help you through the month.
Plan ahead - Prepare yourself when you are going into social situations where there may be alcohol present or involved with friends, coworkers, or traveling. Have a plan of what you want to order when asked for a drink; like sweet tea, flavored lemonade, soda, or a fancy mocktail.
Your answer - Sometimes our friends or loved ones seem to question us if we decide to not partake in an activity that is normal for us to do on a weekly basis, so if they ask you why you aren’t drinking, have your answer ready! “I am doing Dry January this month as a healthy reset for the year” or “I want to improve my health and starting off the new year feeling strong in my decision is powerful for me” can work just fine!
Self-care - When you are doing this challenge, create some activities that promote your well-being while occupying your free time and provide you with a distraction while reinforcing your commitment to Dry January. Maybe go for daily walks outside during your lunch break or try new healthy recipes!
Tracking your progress - Find an aesthetically pleasing calendar template for your phone to track your progress with cute emojis or look into a prompted journal electronically or physically to document how you are feeling after each day to show your success.
You can always create or modify your challenge as needed for your personal health reasons but remember to look for the visual representation of your progress and the impact you feel each day physically, emotionally, and mentally. You can always have little goals or a list of ideas to implement when you need a distraction such as creating non-alcoholic beverages or mocktails if wanting something bubbly in the challenge. If you choose to participate in this challenge, you can always have an accountability partner as well if your friends are interested or find a Facebook group online that is engaging in the challenge for extra support. Dry January is a great reset for the year and helps your well-being, so take the step to try it out!
If you need additional support in tackling addiction, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, our team is here to help. With online therapy and in-person options at our Arlington, TX-based therapy office.
