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Dry January 2024
December 07, 2023 08:00
Dry January – tips and advice to stay Dry for one month
Taking a month off alcohol is a great way to undo some of the damage from drinking over Christmas and New Year, it’s also a handy way to lose some weight and think again about the way we drink over the next 12 months.
The benefit of taking a break from alcohol is both physical and mental – on the physical side your body can give itself a chance to have a rest from constantly processing alcohol through the liver. You should see your skin looking healthier and brighter. You may find you even sleep better and feel lighter due to fewer calories from alcohol.
Here are some tips for making Dry January a success for you:
1. Get rid of the alcohol in the house
Hide away any left-over cans and bottles in a cupboard, somewhere out of temptation
2. Go alcohol-free
Buy in some alcohol-free drinks of your choice – there are many more alcohol-free lagers, ciders and spirits than you may imagine, try as many of these as possible and experiment with which one you like the best
3. Plan ahead
Think about any social occasions coming up that you would normally have a drink – consider what you will drink during those situations instead
4. Practice saying no
Come up with some well-rehearsed lines for why you’re not drinking alcohol – “I’m doing Dry January” works well
5. Change your routine
There are lots of activities that don’t involve alcohol – this is your chance to try out all the things you could do but never got round to. You could also use the opportunity to exercise more
6. Keep a journal
If you want to understand your drinking a bit better, try using a journal to note down times, places and situations when you really wanted to drink – this is really useful information for the future to help you plan ahead
7. Don’t give up
There may be times when you have a slip and drink even when you don’t mean to – don’t give up. Use this as an opportunity to learn from this and find out what you would need to do differently in the future. You can still stay dry for as long as you want afterwards.
8. Stick with your friends
Do you have friends doing Dry January? It will be a lot easier if you socialise together as no one will be pressuring you to have a drink
