DRY JANUARY 2022! Been overindulging? Drinking crept up? Want to begin a healthy new you? 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 fifth 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 most years. It has broken my habit, banished much of the craving and reset my relationship with booze. I imagine it's added years to my life.

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

Throw your hat in the ring, pull up a chair and let's do this together. 🙂☕️🧃

The DJ2022 Wagon creaks to a start in just 5 days, but always stops for latecomers 🙂

@TheWeeDonkey

Morning all, hope you're not too busy. I'm snowed under with emails this morning! Sleep has not been too bad. I sleep good if I have one drink but if I have a lot I sleep really badly, go off okay but then wake up in the middle of the night with my mind racing. Maybe its the sugar in the alcohol?

Anyway, so far so good, I guess Friday night will be the real test.

Yes it think it’s a blood sugar crash when you wake up like that. I do it too. Pass out peacefully and sleep deeply but wake up and mind is racing etc. Lie there hating myself for the damage I’m doing.

@AdamRyan

Ugh back to work Any one got tips for how to manage when others are drinking around you? Last time I did DJ my OH did it too but this year hes not so there will be open wine around and its going to challenge me :)

That is so tough. Just plan your drinks earlier in the day so you know exactly what to make when you get in from work, what to have with dinner and what to have while watching TV. Just decide on them and make them. And give yourself massive pats on the back every time you do, to reinforcer the feeling that this is way better than slurry, fuzzy, poor balance, fatigued, liver-shrivel.

@AdamRyan

Could you make sure you have some nice chocolate in too, so you aren't feeling deprived?

@DeedIDo

Day 4 here. Fitbit says resting heart rate coming down nicely, but I am peeing like a racehorse. Anyone else?

Likewise 😂. On both the resting heart rate and peeing.

Gosh, sorry to be such a rubbish OP today!

Well done if you've managed to stick with it thus far. Come back and try again if you haven't!

@Candied thank you so much for your inspiring and encouraging posts, just shows what can be achieved. Thanks for taking the time.

I'll try to post again later, but if you're looking for a percentage today then let's look ahead slightly: if you get through today, day four (and you WILL), then you'll have completed 12.9% ! Go you!

12.9% - woohoo! Thank you, I needed the encouragement, I was having a bit of a severe wobble in the face of the other statistics of the day - i.e covid!

Thanks OP, I like the percentages. I came on to say that I feel a wobble coming on (I hosted a play date earlier) but 12.9% feel like an achievement.

@Chocolatecoatedkettlebell

Thanks OP, I like the percentages. I came on to say that I feel a wobble coming on (I hosted a play date earlier) but 12.9% feel like an achievement.

*@Chocolatecoatedkettlebell* - we shall not be wobbled!

Come covid, come kids, we shall not be wobbled. (Because eventually all the little sods go, right?!)

Oh dear. I promise I haven't had a guilty glass or two. . .

@HPLikecraft

Gosh, sorry to be such a rubbish OP today!

Well done if you've managed to stick with it thus far. Come back and try again if you haven't!

@Candied thank you so much for your inspiring and encouraging posts, just shows what can be achieved. Thanks for taking the time.

I'll try to post again later, but if you're looking for a percentage today then let's look ahead slightly: if you get through today, day four (and you WILL), then you'll have completed 12.9% ! Go you!

As of midnight, we are in double figures

Hello. I had a wobble earlier as it's Tuesday and I don't work Wednesday so normally sink 3/4 bottle of wine.
But I haven't!!!!! I had a grapefruit juice with fizzy water and ice in a wine glass and ran a bath/did a face pack. It's only 7.30 here (I'm not in the UK) and I'm in pj's and about to enjoy a bit of the Witcher

I did it!!!!!! If I can then so can you. Day 4 in the bag!

Is past the witching hour for me (5-7pm) and I am drinking a cup of tea so I think I can count day 1 as done

Hello all, day two here...both fags and booze. I managed a lovely evening watching Emily in Paris, it's total crap but I love it 🤣 I had a non alcoholic gin, was lovely, haysmiths, I think it's just an Aldi brand, I saw today they had their own zerosecco and a rhubarb and ginger gin too, but at 10 quid a bottle I didn't really want to try it yet.
I've had a busy day, hoping to get up early tomorrow and do the rest of the housework and get some planning for school done before I'm back Thursday. Youngest back to school and eldest tomorrow, their dad has just tested positive so unfortunately now my midweek night off with my partner isn't happening for a week or so..🙁 I find it hard as I miss him loads but actually for the purposes of dry Jan and an early night, it's a good thing 🤣
Kids driving me mad as they just create mess all the time whilst I'm trying to keep on top of it...I think the next few nights, the weekend particularly, are going to be hard as I won't get a break..😬

Just watching the Hairy Bikers go North, and they went to Mr Fitzpatricks, of the Temperance Movement - so have just bought a bunch of their cordials to try!

Yay to all of us that have made it through the day - whichever day we're on!

Feeling tired after making mistake of getting sucked into a binge watch of "Four Lives" last night.

Trying to stay awake to avoid further disrupted sleep by going to bed too early.

Day 4 seems ok at the moment - @mbosnz - am enjoying your Star Trek vibe - lets boldly go onward to Day 5

Day 4 almost complete. DH is off to hockey training and I'm planning to watch the new year's eve Dr who episode in bed with a hot water bottle as soon as I’ve got the small people in bed.

Can I join please?

Regular poster but name changed.

Day 4 and having a wobble.

I usually drink in the evenings to ease my anxiety. Tonight I am really anxious about the kids going back to school tomorrow. DD is CV as am I for covid and I'm dreading us getting it.

Going to drink tonic eat comfort food and try to watch TV.

So far I've not slept well - does this get better?

Hi @Januarypip nice to have you along.

Sorry to hear you're so anxious at the moment, but good health and good sleep will be so much better for you than booze.
Whilst alcohol has a short term sedative effect, it's not worth seeking out. Firstly, as your body loses the alcohol the anxiety comes back worse, a "mood hangover". Secondly, as you build up a tolerance you'll need increasingly more booze to give the same effect, thus potentially damaging health and risking addiction.

I had a bad time with anxiety a few months ago, combination of menopause and my DD having a bad time in a foreign country. I found liquid magnesium and exercise helped enormously.

Yes, sleeping will get better and easier the longer you persist with sobriety, and the quality of that sleep will be much better than a boozy slumber.

Good luck and stay strong.

Evening Penguins, in bed with a sleepy tea (Aldi quite pleasant). Had a craving earlier - first one. I know why; planning on finishing work early(sometime owed to me) and gofer a run, but 1st day back & chaos so it didn't happen. Did some sale shopping online ( for next Christmas) and it passed. Can't do that everyday though

Day for nearly done here drinking a popcorn tea. Quite nice! Back to school and work tomorrow so hoping for a good nights sleep!

@Januarypip
Magnesium is excellent! There are bath flakes, sleep body oil and tablets too.

Day four that should say!

Evening all. Day 2 for me.

Went for a long walk with a new friend this afternoon and then must admit it did pop into my mind that a glass or two of red would have been nice tonight. But of course it wouldn’t have only been one or two glasses!

Didn’t succumb. Had a Robinsons crushed lime and mint cordial with some sparkling water and ice. Really nice and refreshing.

DH stuck to alcohol free gin and tried a new tonic - The London Essence Company grapefruit and rosemary. Didn’t bother with the gin for the second drink as he said the tonic was really nice on its own. I thought he might drink tonight but he stayed dry too.

I’m now in bed after a soak in the bath. A bit achy after my walk as I haven’t walked for that long for ages.

Day 4 almost there. Toying with a Bud zero before bed but think I might just have tea. Have had about 10 cups already today though so maybe not. I need some night time sleep yea. Tried a Pzizz sleep story last night which helped me drift off

Beating myself up a bit unfortunately. I had a lovely dinner cooked for me, so I know I shouldn't complain but they said after I'd eaten it they put sherry in the carbonara mix they then stirred through the pasta and bacon - then served it 😕 knocked me for six a bit. Sounds stupid but here we are.

Hi, I’m in. Hope you don’t mind if I join x