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 🙂

@ColouringPencils @SJFarter - basically the issue with most AF drinks is that they are not alcoholic. As Sr'Alan would say " for that reason Im struggling ...

That said I don't know how they managed to mess up with AF beer as most of the ones Ive had do taste like beer and are ok if you fancy a beer. What's good is that most pubs have an AF one now.

Anyway Im not struggling too much with DJ. A few longing looks at the aisle of shame in my local Tesco but not finding it too hard to resist. Next Friday may be tricky as DH going to a Burns night supper.

Don’t think I’m going to make it through till the 31st - my sis is visiting from overseas, this weekend and 4 weekends is enough, dh is stoically sticking with dry Jan - so we’ve made him the driver!

Morning all. Waves a flipper 🐧
I’m checking in. Can I just say, my nails are done. I dyed the grey out of my hair at the weekend, a job I’ve been putting off for months. I dropped one pound of weight gain last week and despite the kids being at home most of the weekend, I’ve kept on top of the mess.
Productive weekends rock.

Last week. The end is in sight. I’m also interested in continuing into February. I may not stay completely dry but I’d appreciate continuing to cut down and feel like this for a bit longer at least!

Last week. The end is in sight. I’m also interested in continuing into February. I may not stay completely dry but I’d appreciate continuing to cut down and feel like this for a bit longer at least!

I'm considering giving myself a monthly drinking night, ideally coinciding with a social event. I don't want to slip back into drinking just because it's a Friday. So maybe only drinking if I'm socialising rather than at home.

Morning, Monday and day 24.

I had a very quiet weekend as my youngest was still testing positive. Read a lot and played board games. She's clear this morning so I'm hoping for another negative tomorrow so she can get back to school.

Feeling happy this morning and full of energy, not a usual Monday morning feeling that's for sure 😂

Morning all. Day 24 check in. Another weekend completed! Keep going the end of January is in sight.

I knew yesterday would be tough. It was. I caved. Had red wine.

But even though I seem to have had wine a lot this week over all I have drunk a lot less I n January.

Back on it now till the end of the month. I haven’t done a seven day stretch yet so that’s the aim for this week. Neighbours coming over on Friday for dinner but I’m planning on sticking to ginger ale and water. Female neighbour is really good and only ever has two glasses so it’s not as if everyone will be drinking a lot.

I am not sure what to do post-Jan. I find it much easier when there are strict rules as I am very stubborn won't break them.

Evening all. Almost less than a week to go. I have to confess to a tiny swig of Xmas sherry that was using up in dinner cooking.

A moment of madness. Back on the ' berg and hoping the last week will be plain sailing

I too had a moment yesterday and had a double whisky with DH in front of the fire and before roast dinner.

Forgive me penguins!!

Back on it now

I feel good that I've got this far but not convinced I'll last the weekend. My brain is already telling me I've done 4 Saturdays, so why not have a couple this Saturday....

Good evening, everyone.
Sorry I've been a little quiet; a few family stresses, though they didn't quite lead me to drink, thankfully.
Well, one more week left. Blimey, this has dragged, hasnt it?

A few fallers off the berg but that's OK, all the dryness you've achieved will have been so beneficial.
Yes @space21 of course you're forgiven.

@SJFarter of course you'll manage this weekend! You've managed all the others; and given that DJ ends on the Monday, it's worth clinging on for those last couple of days.

Good luck on attaining that 7 day stretch, @Peridot1!

Thanks @HPLikecraft.

Tucked up in bed after an evening of ginger ale and tea.

Still going. This does feel like a long month!

Still on the berg but am contemplating hopping off for one night tomorrow to have single dram for Burns' Night. DH pointed out we could have haggis and whisky next week instead, so will probably try to stay tight inside the huddle but I am tempted.

After saying I didn't feel at all better from being sober, I just reviewed how much work I have done this month. It's been a lot more productive than I realised, and I think being sober has a lot to do with that..

So where is this elusive sleep?

Tbf, once I get to sleep, I sleep better but I'm still not nodding off any earlier.

Morning you lovely lot.

Lordy, this is a long month. When I got up this morning after 5 hours sleep (I need to go to bed earlier, work is busy and I always feel I need a couple of hours down time) I asked myself if I feel better not drinking.

Yes I do. The witching hour is still a bugger but this no drinking malarkey is definitely getting easier. New found habits are becoming entrenched and that was the whole point.

Hope everyone is feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed this grey January morning.

Even given my bad week last week I am finding the not drinking much easier now.

Having a drink around 5.30 or so was such an ingrained habit here. Every day. Even days I swore I wasn’t going to succumb I’d end up waiting for DH to ask if I was having a drink knowing I would say yes.

So although I drank a few nights last week they weren’t just drinking because it’s 5.30.

Last night it was easy to not drink. It wasn’t even a case of resisting. DH had alcohol free gin but even if he’d had real gin it wouldn’t have bothered me. (Although if he’d had wine I might have struggled a bit more.)

And I slept really well too. 8 hours 35 minutes according to my Fitbit.

I've found, much to my surprise, that the hardest day for me is Sunday. I've failed dismally, on three Sundays! On the plus side, the other six days, I've done brilliantly. So I'm determined not to fall off the wagon this Sunday, to tack another three days on the end of January and to be damned proud of myself for what I have achieved, as opposed to my usual go to, which is mentally bashing myself for my failures, while ignoring my successes.

And my successes have been aided so much by the pengiwings, and the Head Pengiwing herself. [Waves grateful flipper, and fluffs feathers as she climbs back on the 'berg}

Still going here (recent name change, if I look like a random!). Day 25. Beginning to consider how I can ease back into 'moderate' drinking post-DJ. I dont want to be dry permanently but would like to develop better drinking habits.
L
I think my drinking falls into two categories

1. Glass or two of wine on a weekday to wind down and expedite the switch off from a stressful day
2. Weekend/ social drinking. Meeting friends for a walk and a pint or two on a Sunday, friday wine at home with my partner, then either cooking with wine or eating out on a Saturday.

The max I would drink (not a wedding/on holiday) would be a gin or two bottles of beer plus half a bottle of wine. So not excessive amounts but adds up if that is two days a week plus a large glass of wine on another two or three days. I'm looking at taking out some of the drinking that is an emotional response, and looking at what I can do to wind down (hot bath, good book, fitness class, yoga)

I'm also going to try and fill my calendar with other things I enjoy that dont centre around drinking.

I so agree @mbosnz. I’d normally beat myself up about failure and carry on drinking. But I’ve had quite a few wins. One being not drinking on Saturday night having drunk on Friday. Normally that would mean starting again on Monday. So celebrating the wins is so important.

How are things going with your DH, @Peridot1 (think it was you!). I am going through a really bad time with mine. On the plus side, I do think not drinking is helping me to think more clearly and less emotionally, as well as to remember everything that has been said. There have been a few nights recently where I have felt very glad that I didn't have wine as I know we will end up having a mild disagreement or one of us leaving the room, rather than it turning into a full blown argument. Still depressing though.

It was me @ColouringPencils. Things are much the same. I’m much chattier in the evenings when I’m drinking - it’s been noticeable a few evenings that I don’t have much to say to him sometimes. I’m kind of just coasting along really.

We have had lots of drunken arguments over the years. Hate them as don’t remember what was said.

It will be interesting to see how things go longer term with drinking less.

It is depressing when things are crap. But I think it’s better to deal with it whilst sober - as you say you have more clarity.

Sorry to hear things are much the same, @Peridot1. Yes sometimes drinking makes the conversation flow more easily. I am a quiet person anyway and don't mind there not being much chat, but feel like there is a big distance between DH and me at the moment.

Evening all - just noticed that we are at 950 messages so may have to hop onto a shiny new berg before the month is out. Which would be good as that should get us onto February and beyond.

@FanGirlX - I'm also finding sleep still not quite there. I blame it on all those years of feeding babies. Surely it can't still be due to giving up drinking.

@mbosnz - I also find Sundays surprsingly tricky. I take DC somewhere on Sunday evenings and always used to pop to a supermarket to buy some wine to enjoy with Call the Midwife. Have now realised quite how awful the script writing is in Call the Midwife - things change a bit when you are 100% sober

ANyway plodding onwards towards the weekend - binging on peanuts & other salt snax.