After the holiday season, it’s commonplace to give up drinking alcohol for a month or longer, such as Dry January. The holidays are a complex time for many, and social drinking is widely accepted to manage festive season stressors. A month of no alcohol can start anytime.
An alcohol-free month significantly improves your mental and physical health. If you find yourself drinking more than usual, a month of abstaining from alcohol helps you re-evaluate your drinking habits. In addition, there is a social benefit.
Initially, the health benefits are numerous and noticeable relatively quickly. You will find yourself sleeping better, having more energy, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and more money. You’ll notice you may lose weight, have clearer skin, and feel less depressed, anxious, and stressed. Overall, your mental and physical well-being will significantly improve.
Moreover, it helps you re-evaluate your drinking habits if you feel it got out of hand over the holidays. Consider asking yourself if alcohol is used as a tool to cope with stressful situations. Do you find yourself feeling stressed without alcohol, or have your drinking habits impacted your relationships or your professional life? If the answer is yes, consider a month of not drinking alcohol.
Finally, and most importantly, you’re helping remove the chance of impaired driving. While few people set out to drive impaired, alcohol leads to poor decision-making. Abstaining from alcohol is the backbone of effective drunk driving prevention. The percentage of arrests in Kentucky that were for DUI decreased between 2012 and 2018, before increasing in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, the percentage of arrests that were for DUI decreased again.
If you need help to start and are unsure how to achieve success, consider some of the following tips to help you out.
Create a supporting environment where you know you will succeed. Thoroughly purge all the booze around you; either dump it, hide it, or give it away. Moreover, find a suitable non-alcoholic drink for social situations.
Recruit a friend or family member to participate and help avoid temptations. Not only will you support one another, but you can also plan activities that do not involve alcohol, and you can speak about the successes and challenges of abstaining from alcohol.
Stay busy and active and take this time to focus on your mental and physical well-being; take advantage of having more energy and sleeping better. Utilize Dry January or sobriety apps that will help you track your progress and find practical ways to hold yourself accountable.
If the benefits make you feel great physically and mentally, consider continuing for another 30 days. Embrace your new attitude to alcohol use.
Nickolaus Hayes is a healthcare professional in the field of substance use and addiction recovery and is part of the editorial team at DRS. His primary focus is spreading awareness by educating individuals on the topics surrounding substance use.
