DRY JANUARY 2023! 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 sixth year of DJ and I swear it may have saved my life; 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. Everyone welcome 🙂☕️🧃

The DJ2022 Wagon creaks to a start in just 4 days, but always stops for latecomers 🙂

Another dry day for me and a very productive evening. I started painting the livingroom after me and DH finally agreed on a colour scheme we both liked. DH and ds1 built IKEA units together fit ds1 copious amounts of Lego that often end up on his bedroom floor like little feet torture weapons lol. I am going to try finish the livingroom tomorrow day time as the kids at back to school/nursery so I can put up all my ornaments etc at night. Ds1 has swimming lessons so it's Skeats hectic as I also do an exercise class on a wed night.

Delurking to say how much this thread had helped me to stick with DJ and realise that it's a tough ask without support and distraction.

Thank you all for your tips, stories and countdowns! Day 10 done here. Roll on 8am!

dons lurking cloak again😁

This really made me laugh: www.facebook.com/reel/1218647942094903?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V

Loved reading all today's success stories! @Hedjwitch you're an inspiration, @greatly that's fantastic I felt exhausted just reading about your workout and huge well done @pointythings sounds like you nailed it, fingers crossed.
Hope everyone is doing ok and looking forward to smashing through tomorrow!

Well done @Hedjwitch and all others who have resisted temptation. I haven't really been around any of my normal drinking buddies yet so it hasn't felt too onerous to keep on the straight and narrow.

Just caught up and was struck by the conversation a few pages back about how our kids see us when we're drinking. Damn. That triggered a lot of memories for me around my dad. You're all right though, just because I think I'm drinking nice wine and our house is safe and tidy, the effect for my kids is exactly the same as it was for me back then. Fuck. Going to have to seriously reconsider how I play this after DJ.

Morning everyone.
Some great positive posts above. I have a night out in a couple of weeks time at the end of January. It'll be tricky, but what the hey... at least I'll be able to drive home!
DH is drinking less too now which is great, because his middle aged booze belly is getting seriously large.

Anyway, I'm off to don the overalls and fetch my tool kit to knock up a shiny new thread #2. Link to follow shortly.

@1000yardstare glad you're with us and benefitting from the thread, even if mostly silently. Swanky lurking cloak, by the way...is it Uniqlo? 🙃

Morning everyone. I had been sleeping better but last night was a car crash. Don't know why.

I went to sleep listening to Matthew Perry's autobiography and kept waking up, rewinding (makes it sound like I was listening to it on a cassette!) and losing my place when I drifted off. Aghhh just want to go back to bed!

I have my DM coming down to stay for a few nights. I'm lucky in that we get on but she can also be quite 'testing'.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

@Greatly how are your legs this morning? Great effort!

Shiny new thread, everyone:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4717411-old-habits-dry-hard-its-dry-january-thread-2-newcomers-always-welcome

@HPLikecraft preens and swishes
How did you know!😁

See you all on the new thread.

Re: weight loss.

I try not to weigh myself (has become obsessive in the past), but have to wear uniform for the first time in a while next week - will be interested to see if it's a bit less right! Have not been dieting concurrently because frankly, that's too much at once!

Ok so I did drink seven nights ago, so all up this month I have had 13 days alcohol free and one not. I was upset that I did it, but am now trying to concentrate on the positives. I always thought I was a light drinker, but am surprised at how hard it has been, how clearly I am thinking and how much more energy I have. DH is still drinking, so instead of sitting with him the kids and I walked our dog around our neighbourhood and I came home brighter.

We're still dry. Last night we both fancied a drink, but resisted. No idea about weight loss but have really felt a drop in energy. Sleep possibly marginally better.

Sorry to say it, but I am looking forward to a drink in Feb.

Still dry. My friend is out in London and sending me pics of cocktails 🤨

I feel a wretch
I visited a friend and she had a glass of wine poured for me as I arrived and after a horrible day I caved.
And then drank at every opportunity
I obviously have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and yet I keep returning to it believing that next time it will be different.
Back on track now
Making promises to myself ( again)
So cross that I couldn't even do Dry January with all the support on here.

@Sunshineesther there is a thread after this one. Don't beat yourself up. Many have cracked then found the resolve to carry on.

Old habits DRY hard! It's DRY JANUARY thread #2... newcomers always welcome! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4717411-old-habits-dry-hard-its-dry-january-thread-2-newcomers-always-welcome