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!

Another one with weird dreams. Think it s all stuff that I haven’t processed

Day 9 - it's freezing! If anyone is near a Sainsbury's today I highly recommend their alcohol free mulled wine (it's spicey and v warming) and last time I looked they were reduced. Maybe all gone but worth a try.

Day 9 - sounds good and it's gone quickly for me.
First day back at work yesterday- didn't get the wine witch tapping me in shoulder to buy on the way home- in fact it never entered my head (which I have only just realised). This second time around is definitely easier- must be knowing that I can do it?

Did have an early night - football on TV helped that decision. Sleep not as good as previous but feel good this morning.

Well done everyone - one day at a time

Good morning day 9 😊
Great to feel better first thing. Although I rarely drink on a school day I feel my Friday Saturday habit & effects must spill over into Mondays. My sensible head tells me your sleeping better,losing weight, looking better so why go back & yet I know I'd miss that time with DH when we put the world to rights either at home or after work in the pub. Another AF day everyone 💪👍

Well done everyone!
I am still feeing absolutely shattered. It is probably a lot to do with what life held for me this last week.
Both teens girls have been very needy and then there was my OH in the run up to his sister’s funeral yesterday.
still I did all of that without alcohol. I am just waiting to feel ‘better’ not drinking. I mean I know I do in some ways but I am just so flipping exhausted
and wrung out.
the awful thing is that I can’t wait for this DJ to be over . I can’t imagine doing it again but I hear the first time is by far the hardest?

Just quickly as need to get on. The first DJ is the hardest but when completed you really do feel great having accomplished it 👍

Day 12 for me.

So sorry everyone having a hard time especially those losing their pets. They do mean so much ❤️

@BigButtons

Agreed with Pp. this is only my second time but I am definitely finding it easier this time round. It's like the knowledge that you did it before, and remembering the sense of achievement at the end of jan spurs you on. You can do this!

On a separate note - anyone else gaining weight? I am definitely eating a bit more than normal but not unhealthy stuff - but not enough to compensate for a whole bottle of wine a night and I'm not craving carbs in the mornings either. I don't mind staying the same weight but would rather not gain too much!

Day 11 here. Sending lots of love and support to those struggling.

Went out for a curry last night and stayed AF. It was actually really enjoyable, although did have a tiny wobbly moment when the waiter took our drinks order. Finally settled on OJ.

Today is going to be hard for me. I have my first counselling session in a while, as I've been on the waiting list. Historically, this is quite a big trigger for me. I've got a plan of action for afterwards (going for a walk with the dog and treating myself to a nice coffee) but I'm more concerned about this evening. DH is working until 8pm and I'm worried that, without him keeping me accountable, my resolve will weaken when DD goes to bed. I think the best plan of action will be to eat early and have an early night, maybe treat myself to a bath or a new book as a distraction. We will see!

Good luck today, everyone. You can do this!

Just checking in. Although I got through my AF weekend, I'm going to be honest and say I felt let down because I didn't really feel any better for it - I was hoping to have more energy/motivation etc. Perhaps I expected too much, too soon. Anyway, back in the 'safety' of the week for the moment and day 9 for me.

Well I managed to finish yesterday off booze free. I went to bed at half 8 thinking I'll spend a lovely couple of hours enjoying bed and reading my book and mumsnet but I just fell asleep. Is anyone else sleeping loads more? That's the second night in a row I've been asleep before 9.

Day 8 for me today because I had a family party on New Year's Day at which I drank (copiously).

Finding it generally ok on the whole, although I think about wine every night and also cannot stop eating - mainly sweet stuff and chocolate which I never normally get cravings for! Hoping the lack of alcohol calories will be balancing this out.

Bizarre dreams here also - although I'm actually quite enjoying those as a side effect!

I'm not sure I feel I have any more energy yet but I do definitely feel less groggy in the mornings which is nice. Hoping this month is the reset I need to then change my drinking habits permanently going forwards - over the last 5 years in part due to an incredibly stressful job (which I am now out of) it just crept up until I was drinking the best part of a bottle of wine every night.

Day 9..I'm managing early mornings much better. Drinking less coffee and more water. It's helping checking in on here.

Everyone is doing brilliantly. I haven't found it that hard yet, crazy really because in recent months it's been extremely rare that I've gone a day without a drink...unless I was horribly hungover. 🙄

I'm also having quite vivid dreams. Anyone notice that their face feels less puffy? Not sure I've lost any weight... but somehow my cheekbones and jawline feel sharper without the booze.

Still here, still AF!!

Back at work tomorrow which is normally quite triggering for me, feel like I have to reward myself with wine on the way home but glad I’m going into it feeling stronger with a week down.

Phoned a friend last night and had a catch up, normally we will sit and on either ends of the call with a few glasses of wine, he did but I was very happy with my tea.

Interesting what a previous poster saying about it being triggering to other people and make them reflect on their own habits. My friend had asked me how DJ was going and when I said well so far, he got a bit sarky “Oh what the point, life’s short, good for you” type thing.

It was all jovial but I did remind him that I hadn’t brought it up and he had asked me. I thought bizarre that my decisions could have such an impact on his emotions.

@Loungechaise Not necessarily my face but around my abdomen area I definitely feel less 'puffy'. Not lost weight but just feel less wobbly around my tummy.

Day 10 here and I'm eating like a horse! Very carb based foods which I'm guessing is for the sugar by body has been missing. So I'm going to have to be careful with how much I'm eating!

Seeing SiL later; she can drink 2 bottles of wine on her own and she'll be expecting me to join her...she's in for a shock! Had a tough weekend but didn't have any booze. The AF beers and GnT's sorted that.

Morning all.
Reasonable sleep. Clear headed.
I find I am tackling some of those house based tasks that have been on my actual or mental 'to do' lists for so long. This is in part procrastination/avoidance of a bigger task, that will get done, but nevertheless better that I am achieving something rather than endless doom scrolling!
Have a good day, and, if you know you have a challenge later, plan ahead to avoid the automatic reach for a glass of something alcoholic.

I have a friend who gets shirty every year about my Dry Jan habit. It's hard not to bring it up as we eat out every month. In Jan I offer everyone a lift - it would be rude not to but she goes on and on about how ridiculous the whole thing is - isn't Jan bad enough etc Thing is I like the restart, I feel better not worse, it feels good to cut back after the overindulgence of December. I don't think everyone should do it, I don't care how much anyone drinks as long as they aren't annoying to spend time with and then I just avoid them. Even if I gave up for good I'd still rather hang out with the drinkers or the ex-drinkers - I've never really gelled with the tee-total crowd I'm too badly behaved.😁

Better start to the day after yesterday's magnesium-induced toilet issue 🤐...

Like a couple of others, I'm not feeling more energetic at all. In fact it's a struggle to motivate myself to go out or vacuum the house. But I think I am less anxious, and I am getting more sleep.

Regarding the dreams, I wonder if we've always had vivid dreams, but the alcohol somehow made us not remember them? Also alcohol induces more deep sleep, so there would be fewer dreams to remember.

Was googling David Nutt after @wellitywellness wrote about his book in her blog, and discovered the Sentia range of drinks, which he endorses. I have ordered some and will report back.

Reflecting today, that not drinking has been the easy part; adjusting physically has been the hardest. But I suppose that means my body needed the break. Also thankful that I haven't given up coffee - I am more dependent on that than wine!

I’m fast 800 Ing a swell, and StIlL haven’t lost much weight! But I feel less bloated, my eyes are clearer, and I generally feel brighter.

I have an ear worm of Robbie Williams singing Clean, though.

Still on it!

Unmumsnetty hugs to all who are having a hard time. The fact that you’re still dry is amazing!

Well my sleep is finally improving. Not brilliant, but better than last week. I have a bit more energy and have started going to the gym again. Generally feeling a bit more positive and less anxious. I miss red wine and although there are some good af beers and sparkling wines out there, I still haven’t found a good af red wine, so I’m sipping ginger tea in the evenings. Another plus is I’m starting to lose weight. Just under 2lbs since we started this. Not a huge amount, but if it continues, I should be at goal for my summer holidays 🤞

I’m still here. The 2lb I initially lost has gone back on. But I’m sleeping better. Have had cravings for sweet things which is odd as I wouldn’t have said I have a sweet tooth. Guess it was the hidden sugar in wine. Having done first week AF, now going to introduce no added sugar and no crisps. I know if I tried to do it all once, there was a bigger chance I’d give up. Decided to try and stagger developing healthy habits. Admiring those that are going for complete reset though. And those who have carried on AF and remain sober. At the moment, I just keep thinking of that first wine while watching 6 nations.

25% done, I'm delighted with myself. Really not finding it difficult this year which is not always the case. I know I failed at DJ during the covid years so I understand how hard it can be when you're mentally not in it!

My diet is complete shite though, I'll tackle that in February :)

Keep strong everyone.

I can help with the sleep thing a little - sleep was part of my psychology degree.

we sleep in 90 minute cycles. Each cycle contains various depths of sleep, one of which is the part you dream in. At the end of every 90 minute cycle your sleep ‘lightens’ and this is when you are most likely to naturally wake. If you find waking to your alarm in the morning really tricky, like it’s getting you from a deep sleep, then you can try to calculate in 90 minute sections from when you plan (appreciate this isn’t always easy!) to sleep to when you wake, then setting your alarm for one of those lighter parts of your sleep cycle will help you feel less like you’ve been abruptly woken. So for example if you go to sleep at 11, and have fairly unbroken sleep, having your alarm go off at 6.30 will be easier than at 7, when you’ll have probably gone back into another deep sleep part of the next cycle.

No one really knows why we dream, but we do know it’s essential for mental well being. Prisoners who were tortured with sleep deprivation, and studies (fairly unethical ones!) that show what happens when your sleep is disrupted enough to never dream, have far more issues with mental health and capacity.

alcohol disrupts the correct depth and length of sleep cycles - hence why you are all now having dreams you were either missing, or just don’t recall. We all dream, many many times every night, but we don’t all recall them all. Interestingly if you ignore the advice above about sleep cycles and wake yourself in the middle of a deep sleep, you are far more likely to remember your dream.

I think craving sweet things is an incredibly common side effect for those of us who get our usual sugar fix via wine.

I am having something sweet in the evening when I wouldn't dream of it when I've had a drink. Trying not to ingest huge amounts of calories though so I'm limiting myself to ice cream, fruit yogurt or fresh fruit.