Dry January Roll Call: Into The Second Week Of Dryuary
Shout out to my Dryuary peeps! The people giving sobriety a chance in January to clear the head and liver from the holidays. The people giving their mornings a break from the ibuprofen. Dry January starts the year off by challenging yourself to go booze-free during the month.
Some people just slow down on the booze intake for the month and they call it going “damp”. For me, it’s a commitment that I’ve done every January for about a decade. It clears my head and gives me a sense of control over my booze intake that I feel like I could use after a busy holiday season filled with great reasons to have a few drinks. Office parties. Going out for drinks with the guys. Getting together with old friends. Wine here, beers there. Cocktails when I’m wrapping gifts. Christmas day wine while I’m doing all the cooking… And let’s not forget New Year’s Eve. It all adds up.
So, we’re 8 days into Dry January. Here are some of the benefits that you may be feeling if you’re keeping the tops on the bourbon collection this month:
- You’re sleeping through the night.
- This year it took a little while longer for the sandman to get the message that I was abstaining from the booze. But, he surely has the memo by now. This past weekend I got great sleep. Deep sleep with barely a move. Last night, I swore that my head hit the pillow, and the next thing I knew I was hearing the alarm.
- Here’s an odd aside to the, “sleeping better” thing: During Dryuary I find it harder to wake up – harder to motivate my head off the pillow, but when I do I get moving much quicker. In other words, it’s like my head needs an extra minute. But after that minute, things get snappin’ real fast.
- You’re losing weight.
- Every January I drop anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds, depending on how heavy I am at the start of the month. Dropping a few pounds is something that I can count on during the dry month. And, who doesn’t like dropping a few pounds? If I combine Dryuary with an increase in my running plan (which I’m doing this year for some unknown reason?!) then I can probably expect the scale to show the results.
- You’re a little edgy.
- Yep, that’s possible. The pressure to not crack a bottle of wine with dinner prep could lead you to be edgy around the house, with the kids, and so forth. I’m no expert on why, but I know it happens. My best advice is that you can expect that and plan for it. For example, steel yourself going into dinner prep time. Have a backup beverage ready to go and don’t make it so easy to break the no booze-streak (ie, don’t keep your favorite IPA in the fridge). Or plan to have a different beverage on hand as you plan for the weekend’s NFL playoff games.
If you’re still in the Dryuary, good on ya! And if not, don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s a tough challenge. You can get back on the horse again and start a new streak any time. Maybe the no-booze thing isn’t for you or maybe it’s a sign that you need more support from family and friends or a real professional. And don’t forget, there are other months to try a streak of sober days. A friend of mine chooses the month of October and calls it “sober-tober” and ends the month with a celebratory beverage on Halloween. Maybe that’s the thing for you.
ALSO READ: Tips And Reasons For Not Drinking During Dryuary
No Booze, No Problem: Alternatives for Dry January
