DRY JANUARY 2024! 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!

DJ threads are 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 7th year of DJ and I swear it has made all the difference to me. It was so hard first time, but it has definitely 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 DJ2024 Wagon creaks to a start in just 5 days! Join us!

I've got into bed to watch tv with a cup of tea. Never been in bed so early 😂

Day 8 here and feeling good! Sorry TMI but my poos are much better now since I don't have the wine shits anymore

The calories i am saving in wine i am eating in other junk food but hey one thing at a time

Thank you @Happyface120 and @Neptunium93 - I am very much putting myself out there naked via this blog, so really appreciate any and all comments!

@freshstart2023 perhaps you are putting too much pressure on yourself...? One day at a time until the end of Dry January - and then see how you feel then? It's easy to extend at the end than tack on at the beginning after all...

@wellitywellness I think I am! Problem is I’ve already told several family members and friends that is my plan. So I’ll feel like a failure if I can’t manage it.

Happy sober birthday @Sonolanona !!

We've been invited to a bday party end of the month, glad it's at the end, I can see me doing it sober, if it earlier I'd have found it hard so I admire you sticking to AF when it's YOUR birthday so early on. Well done xxx

Made it. Another one in bed with cup of tea.

My birthday falls mid Jan which always gives me a dilemma when doing Dry Jan. This year is my 60th! Think I'll have to give myself a pass for that

I have eaten so much crap the last two days, biscuits, Christmas cake, ice cream. It's not great, I doubt I will be losing any weight this week. But still chugging along with staying dry. I'm about to curl up in bed with a book, and tick off another day. Maybe tomorrow I can avoid being mugged by the biscuit tin...

Day 4 and doing ok. Had a fleeting wine twinge at the end of the working day, which is also the end of the week for me, but not as much as yesterday and easily dismissed.
I'm trying to do my yoga session at 5pm every day, which is a good transition from day to evening, this being a trigger point for me. It also provides a distraction from any negative thinking as well as the physical benefits so a winner all round. Just have to find the motivation to get on the mat....so far so good.
I had quite a busy evening planned but that has fallen apart with people cancelling as they've been exposed to covid and don't want to pass it on. So just me and the cat tonight.
I've lit some candles, getting into my pjs now and going to watch some TV before an hour reading in bed and hopefully a good sleep.
Gym tomorrow and a bit of daytime socialising over a coffee then seeing my fella for an AF Friday night. That'll be a novelty 😳

DC is fast asleep and I have (what has become my evening-ly) AF beer. Currently Big Drop Brewing but I think for the next case I'll go for Lucky Saint.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm just a miserable person haha! I don't really know what to do with myself in the evenings (currently reading). And hoping I'll start feeling more energised in the mornings to go and start fitting 20mins of exercise in my morning routine.

But Day 4 is almost done and Ive managed to keep AF.

Snap @Hedjwitch - I'm 60 this month too! Don't normally attempt DJ, so it's not usually a dilemma, but this year I think I might see if I can find another way to celebrate, on the basis that I can spin out the celebrations a bit this milestone year - planning a party in the summer, (never normally do anything as my birthday falls in the most depressing week of the year).

@katmarie remember alcohol tends to be full of sugar (wine, mixers, beer even), so you may just be craving that after stopping drinking.

I'm day 3 (was out on NY Day) and doing well. Drinking lots of water and feeling motivated by sleeping better and reading more on an evening.

Well, I've been rubbish and only started today! But then I did a solid 17 days sober before Christmas so I'm not beating myself up too much.
This thread is encouraging reading 🙂

Enjoying the updates - i reflected on that after DJ last year i have really cut back on my drinking - however this is partly to do with being diagnosed with breast cancer in april - which has meant quite a lot time not feeling like it, and also being aware that there is a link between low alchol intake and lower reaccurance rate -

I am currently aiming for a damp Jan after a small glass of wine yesterday. I have cut down my drinking over the last few years but I still drink out of habit too much. I sleep much better without it so that's a good motivator to cut down.

Day 4 done and safely tucked up in bed!!

Quite a small victory today as instead of shoving a freezer meal in the oven for the DC and I in the hope I wouldn’t be enticed by any nice ingredients/dishes cooking we had posh home made pizza with a salad, music on, catching up as we cooked, table set nicely and all sat together which was absolutely lovely and wasn’t tempted once (definitely normally a bottle of wine type dinner!)

I have been enjoying a Diet Coke with ice with dinner but I’m not going to get myself too hung up about it as it’s not wine!

On to the weekend and day 5…

Day 2 done! Been getting into cross stitch in the evening which I find keeps my hands busy & less inclined to drink. Even when I was drinking before DJ I found that doing it meant I could make a glass of wine last almost a whole evening!

I’m in bed - made it to the end of day 4, wahey!

Day 4 completed.
I am still taking this one day at a time.
Urgent work project has cropped up so hoping a clear head will help me do the best I can.
Hoping for more consistent sleep.

Another day done. I’m just doing one day at a time, and not trying to think ahead. I do take pleasure from looking back though and feeling proud of the AF days so far!

@vinoandbrie one day at a time is a good way to deal with it.

Watching The Traitors - at least I'll remember who's who tomorrow.

Day 4 done - happy with progress so far

Another day done here too. I've realised I last had a drink on Christmas Day, so that's 10 days.

Friday tomorrow, let's see how I handle the temptation of a post work drink.

Day 4 done here too. I'm still just don't it. It's not hard as such, I'd just rather have a glass. Ah well, only 27 days to go!

A great thread. Dh & I are Friday Saturday night crack open the white wine people, more on holidays. We don't drink anything else apart from the occasional beer. I'm grateful I cant stand any form of spirits. We've participated in DJ before & succeeded but every year is different with different reasons to to have a few. Tonight we're celebrating nearly day 5.... with tea & coffee of course 😁

Got to the end of day 4, almost bedtime and I have managed to resist - just hoping I sleep better tonight as I’m exhausted.

Thanks rubberychicken for this..

‘I felt exactly as you described, I wanted to give up but the thought of it was so scary and not realistic. Read on forums about people giving up totally saying 'if I can do it anyone can' and thought yeah easier said than done, and it scared me. But I decided to do DJ and set a limit of 2 weeks only, after which I could have a drink, but I didnt. 2 years later I'm still AF, it can be done but you need to find something else to replace it. I also had to tell myself my mind wasnt wired to be able to have just a glass of wine as it wouldn't be. I've come to realise I have no off switch, so the only way for me is to be AF, and you know what its great, so many benefits. I think what helped is partner doesnt drink, never really has so that helped.
Just set small goals, may be 1 week, tell yourself you can drink after, then when you get there tell yourself 'well done, l dont fancy a drink now, may be leave it another week', after a while the cravings go, you just need to break the habit and remove the trigger to drink. Well that was my experience anyway’

ive found that to be SOOOO encourgaing, thank you.
and the rest of this thread is suprisngly encouraging. I thought it would be all smugsters who easily do it all perfectly, instead I’ve found sage advice and compassion.
Day 1 done! With a LOT of toast.