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 🙂

@OhBitchPeas are there any books you’d particularly recommend?

Unexpected Joy of Being Sober is excellent.

Sunshine Warm Sober (which is her second book).

Alcohol lied to me

I'm currently listening to Drink? But I'm not too sure about it. The guy owns a wine bar so seems to be massively contradicting himself throughout. But for the genuine facts of what alcohol does to you I guess it's good.

Also - Glorious Rock Bottom is an excellent book

Joining in if I may , though I’ll probably start on Jan 2 as we have some friends coming round to see in the new year with us

Ive done DJ before , but it’s very easy to slip back into the old habits

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober is really an excellent book ( dusts it down to reread )

I had AirPods for Christmas, and plan on listening to some Quit Lit podcasts ( if anyone can suggest some please , I’d be very grateful )

It was Allen Carr’s ‘Stop Drinking Now’

but having just looked at Amazon previews it looks very very similar to ‘Alcohol lied to me’

Thank you @OhBitchPeas
I will take a look.

I will be reading one of the recommended books too, thanks, to help me stay dry. Started today and feeling positive!

Joining if I may! Had too much last night so not drinking today.

I’ve signed up to do a couch to 5k at a local running club so hoping to get into that.

Looking forward to feeling fresh, but already dreading the boredom on weekend evenings. Does anyone have any tips for Friday /
Saturday nights? I’m absolutely fine in the week but usually mark the weekend with a few drinks and I do find it fun, so that will be my challenge.

You may indeed @Mushroo !

For those weekend nights perhaps get some posh snacks and AF drinks, and find a good new (to you) series to binge watch and get lost in. Even if you have to pay for it, you're not spending money on booze.

I've just started rewatching Breaking Bad, my favourite series ever!

Alcohol Explained by William Porter is a great motivator for quitting drink. It actually made me want to give it up forever (although I obviously failed!). Also Allan Carr's Easy Way to control alcohol which is a similar read.

Wishing everyone willpower for the next month (and beyond!)

Stayed dry yesterday and just realised I have been drinking for 8 days solid over Christmas. It's just too much. Feeling fresh and positive this morning and deciding on a book to support me through the month.

Morning everyone, happy new year! We celebrated in style last night and drank a LOT but amazingly I don’t feel too hideous today. Really really looking forward to not drinking for quite a while! Good luck everyone!

I'm in. Spent the last 2 years drinking way too much, so it's time to give my liver, and ultimately my wallet, a break.

Happy New Year everyone. Almost a relief not to have to drink for the next month. No decision to be made. Didn't go mad last night so not feeling too bad this morning (still recovering from month long flu) looking forward to a much healthier January x

Can I join? Have overdone it in December and would like a reset. I've just chucked the rest of last nights wine down the sink and am googling lovely cordials instead.
I'm feeling optimistic, in the past I've waited until I go back to work to start (and never finished) DJ, but feel ready and weirdly excited today.
The challenge will be Friday/Saturday nights and getting used to new habits

Happy Sober New Year everyone! I too am feeling really positive about DJ today. If I can do all of January and most of February I know I will feel fantastic 😊

Happy first day of DJ everyone, hope no one feeling the effects of NYE today. I enjoyed a few drinks last night but feeling fresh this morning and motivated to get on with things.

Good morning, and happy new year everyone! Hope you're all feeling good and positive!

I had a few glasses of bubbly last night, but am feeling fine and happy to ditch it now.
Welcome aboard newcomers, the wagon always stops to let people on.

Again, please try to check in when you can, you lovely dry people, you; and let us know if you're struggling. Or indeed, smashing it. Well get through this 😌

Good morning everyone and Happy New Year!
I had a AF a night last night - I stayed up late reading instead. Feeling good this morning despite disrupted sleep and some crazy dreams.

I’ve been drinking way too much recently - it’s been creeping up probably since lockdown if I’m honest. I’m not sure if I’m looking to reset my relationship with drink - or to give up totally - and I don’t think I want to make that decision just yet. For now I’m just looking forward to (hopefully) feeling the health benefits- both physically and mentally - that a dry month will bring, and I will take it from there.

Wishing you all positivity for today!

I bought nonsecco for the weekend as I will feel it then but plan to pamper myself by doing my nails, hair, face masks etc though I work some weekends which helps

For me it’s actually week nights that are the hardest. I wfh and have got into the habit of turn the laptop off and pour a glass of wine. It’s automatic. So I really have to break that association. Any tips welcome!

I think I need to be in.

Drinking has got silly since lockdown. Never get 'pissed' but have a couple of glasses of wine every night.

I’m in. I’m feeling a bit bleugh this morning and I realise I have drank every day for 10 days, maybe longer actually.

My skin looks like shit, I feel really boated and sluggish and low level anxious.

We’re having FIL over for a roast dinner today so DH undoubtedly will decant a bottle of red shortly to start letting it breathe. And FIL will turn up with champagne.

But I’m determined to start today, not tomorrow.

Never get 'pissed' but have a couple of glasses of wine every night.

Now that I think about it, I’m the same. I can only remember one day in the last 3 or 4 weeks where I’m positive I didn’t have one alcoholic drink.

What do you recommend? I always find it so tough to start with. I have the Craig Beck hypnosis one which really works for me. He sounds like such a smug McSmug face but then I'm asleep and wake up feeling fabulous so must be working.