DRY JANUARY 2021! This way please... all welcome

[HPLikecraft]

It’s that time of year again... the late Christmas present to our livers!

You may be thinking of doing Dry January to:

*detox a little after seasonal overindulgence, or
*help you cut down a bit generally, or
*help you start to get out of a harmful alcohol habit, or
*just be a bit healthier for a month...

It’s good for all of those things!

I find the MN DJ threads excellent for support, encouragement, sharing info,‘we’re in this together’ camaraderie, suggestions for grown up drinks, aversion techniques and just fun.

This is my fourth year of DJ and I swear it has made all the difference to me; it was so hard first time, but having succeeded I did dry June and October after that, and do so every year. It has broken my habit, banished the craving and reset my relationship with booze.

I won’t be finding DJ too difficult this year, but some will. Hopefully this thread will help.

Come climb aboard the wagon! 🙂☕️🧃

My “witching hour” has got later and later as my DC have got older and their bedtimes have got later. They now go to bed later than me in the holidays! 😆 This leaves a vanishingly short time for drinking if I’m not to go to bed at 1am, which leaves me exhausted next day. Plus with teens at home I’d need to set them an example of “normal, sensible” drinking which I don’t think I can do! Plus they might find the booze and try it themselves. So everything is conspiring against me drinking! Hoping I can carry on well beyond January, maybe forever?
Pixie, please don’t give up! Get back on the wagon and carry on, it will be worth it!

Good luck getting through the evening, everyone. I doubt anyone is feeling wonder just yet, but you'll still be getting healthier by the day.

@RaisinsRuinEverything yes, it gets more difficult to fit drinking in as the children get older and their bedtimes get later... thank goodness!

*wonderful

Thank you for your support. I guess I needed to see it before it became an issue.

My DS is only 4 and his behaviour isn't a regular issue by any means, he was just having a bad day! Missing the routine of school I think. I probably over reacted. I would like to say I will try again today but the prospect of home-schooling in the near future is a little daunting 😂

Signing in. Up until about November, I did months off drinking without even noticing. I rarely ever wanted a drink. Then dark evenings, boredom, never-ending lockdown...

I don't know if it's because I've told myself I can't, or because I've drunk more recently than ever before, but I'm finding this quite tricky. Much trickier than I expected. Good to have this thread! I've got the app and I like getting the teacups, child that I am.

Hmm. If Boris announces school closures I might need a hand hold instead of reaching for the wine

@SuperPixie247 I'm so, so glad you've come back to have another go. Well done, you!
My first DJ changed my life, without exaggeration, and the stresses and strains of life are easier to deal with without hangovers, headaches and bad sleep.

Hello everyone. I did dry January three years ago...and never had a drink again. Totally life changing for the better. I cannot think of one positive to drinking.

I'm excited for everyone and the possibilities and benefits that are ahead.

I will be putting the kettle on at 7:59 tonight so I have no excuse to reach for a bottle during the lockdown announcement.

@soberfabulous

Thanks for that! That's very encouraging.

Hopefully will inspire some of this year's DJers 😊👍

Well done for coming back superpixie. It's a really positive step. I am having a testing evening. My freezer has packed up, and I have a tonne of food slowly defrosting. And this impending announcement is stressing me out. But I'm drinking passion fruit lemonade which is surprisingly nice. And trying not to let it all tip me over the edge.

@Madcats luckily I work for a GP so I was reassured it's normal (although they did say why the bloody hell are you doing dry January when we are going into lockdown? Haha)

@RaisinsRuinEverything I'm like you with the teens. after sitting a few evenings with DH drinking and me sober I realised how annoying it is and how much even just a couple of glasses of wine affect your behaviour. So it's hard to preach sobriety to teens when you know that they know you are half cut.

This is also why Ive ended up as a late night drinker.

It makes you behave like a "secret" drinker.

The year I pretty much gave up was so much more relaxing.

Managed the evening so far! Did a 1.5 hour online yoga class straight after work (a risky time!) Now just drinking orange and ginger yogi tea and waiting for "the announcement" .... Bought some magnesium bath crystals to have a bath after said announcement and hopefully help with sleep. Crazy hunger though... Eaten 2 massive slices of Jamaican ginger bread cake! Keep reading blogs about how much better my skin will look in 4 weeks time. Vanity is motivating me!

Well that news is enough to drive anyone to drink! Home school until at least mid Feb 😭😭

Hope you're all ok and coping

Hope everyone’s ok after the announcement. I drank my way through previous lockdowns - determined not to do it again with this one. Please remind me of this in the days / weeks to come...

I think sacking off Dry January would be a big mistake. I think it will just make you feel worse and it's good to have a goal.

Yes, we need to stay strong. I've already made the decision to only drink the next time I can buy one in a restaurant or pub.
I think the only problem with that is not knowing when that will be

I'm not giving in! Standing firm. I've got 3 nights of sweats under my belt not starting zero again.

Depressing news tonight so staying dry is a positive thing to do. We all know alcohol is a depressant which is the last thing needed right now.

We can do it!

Day two done, thanks to lemonade and tea.
Not grumpy yet.

Good luck, everyone.

Checking in - so far so good, but as I remember from previous attempts I’m normally fine up until about the 21st at which point it becomes more of a struggle. The problem is not compensating with snack food or delicious low alcohol beers.

The Belvoir ginandtonicalike was too sweet, but I’ve ordered three tempting looking low alcohol beers from the milkman.

If anyone is looking for a low calorie low alcohol indulgence to cheer you up after a rough day I do recommend Bridgerton on Netflix. Utter utter rubbish but full of lovely frocks and beautiful men with their kit off, may cheer you up on a grey day. (Trigger warning if you’re struggling with infertility though.)

I have did sober October and managed to carry on until December 24th.

I struggled and someone mentioned the habit of pouring so I trialed some low alcohol wine and fizz and it really helped. Drinking out of beautiful glass the pop of the bottle.. Was a good substitute..

I've caved to a bottle of bailey's in this week's shop but I'd like to go for another 2 months... Good luck everyone m

Day 4 almost done. Had a pukka night-time tea tonight instead of alcohol-free beer (& 1/2 a pack of strawberry laces)
Feeling quite sleepy so think I'll have an early night. Lockdown doesn't affect my job, boringly necessary.

I'm also craving sweet stuff! Not really like me. Must be used to more sugar from wine than I realised!

My very loose plan is to cut out sweets after a week of DJ. Then all refined sugar after another week.