Dry January Tips to Help Stick to your Goals
Even if you do not struggle with an alcohol addiction, cutting down on drinking is a smart and healthy choice for your mind and body. After a long holiday season filled with lots of food, drinking and parties people take this opportunity to kick the new year off with a detox. Dry January started in the UK in 2014 to help participants save money, sleep better, gain more energy and generally live a healthier life. If you’re ready to kick off 2022 with the resolution to drink less, refer to the Silver Linings Recovery Center’s Dry January Tips to help you succeed & meet your goals.
Follow these 10 Tips to Successfully Navigate through Dry January
Make Goals: While the goal of Dry January is to significantly slow down or stop drinking alcohol for 31 days, you may want to think beyond that. Set goals for things you want to accomplish during this abstinence like start a 5-day workout regiment, lose 10 pounds, read more or start a new hobby.
Remember to start small and set realistic goals.
Eliminate Temptations: Beginning the new year with alcohol in your refrigerator or cabinets there is a strong chance you will be setting yourself up for failure. If you plan on drinking at home for NYE, only get the exact amount (or less) that you need.
Get your Friends Involved: Having friends to hold you accountable (and vice versa) can make accomplishing your Dry January goals easier. Not only can you motivate each other, but you’ll have someone to turn to if you’re feeling triggered or tempted.
Avoid Drinking Triggers: Time of day, people and places are the most common drinking triggers. While avoiding a bar can be relatively easy, you can’t exactly stay away from friends and family the entire month. Enlist your non-drinking buddy to tag along to events with you for support! If you usually pour a glass of wine when you get home from work, try going on a walk or doing a light workout instead.
Plan for Urges: Inevitably, you will have the urge to have a drink or two with your friends and that’s ok! To really stick to your Dry January goals, it is important to have an effective action plan to overcome these urges. A quick walk or other such distractions is a great way to put your mind off drinking.
Find Healthy Alcohol Alternatives: Mocktails are a great way to still feel included in your group of drinking friends. Just keep in mind these can be loaded with sugars; mix in a seltzer water with lime to keep your calories and sugar down.
Don’t get Discouraged by a Slip: It is not the end of the world if you have a glass of wine 2 weeks into January. You did not fail. The main point is to cut down on your drinking & develop a healthier lifestyle. If you slip, simply start again the next day!
Develop New Coping Mechanisms: Many people use alcohol to cope with stress and promote calmness, but when alcohol is eliminated, you need to find new coping mechanisms. From journaling to reading, exercising, yoga, hiking, painting, music and more, there are endless new hobbies & activities you can discover to help you deal with stress.
Seek Professional Help: Dry January is not an alternative to professional addiction treatment. If the time off from alcohol has made you realize you have an unhealthy relationship with drinking it is time to seek support.
Silver Linings Recovery Center offers a variety of alcohol addiction rehabilitation programs at our Langhorne, PA and East Windsor, NJ locations. Help is waiting; call 1-855-960-3769 to speak with an addiction specialist today.
