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!

@HollyGolightly4 I have lost count of the number of mornings I woke up hungover and committed to a few days of AF only to head to the shop at 5pm. Something has clicked this time and am determined to make sure it lasts. It's great to be with everyone for DJ, whatever is motivating us all!

Hi @MissSmith80 👋 together we can do it!

Think i'll join in this year. DH and I were only talking about DJ this afternoon. We've drank 5 nights out of 7 over Christmas and feel rotten for it. We usually only drink once a week but do have a tendency to overdo it so i'd like to be able to regulate a bit better. Think a break is just want we need.

I doubt we'll go for AF drinks, i'll just stick to tea and ice cold juice/water.

Oh yes, I'm in!

I'm actually really looking forward to it. We have guests and I'm sending them home with any alcohol that isn't finished by the 1st.

I’m so in.

Oddly getting a bit excited for DJ - maybe cos I'm a newbie! We're going to have some champagne on New Year's Eve - feels like an adequate send off to 2023, embracing new beginnings and DJ.

I want/need 2024 to really be a change driver of a year for me.

I'm joining though tend to start on 2nd if there is leftover NY champers 🙈

Thanks HPLikecraft for starting the DJ 2024 thread. I joined last year's and appreciated the thoughts, suggestions and cameraderie.
My AF alternative is just plain ole tonic - Schweppes over some of the fancier versions. Family that drink beer rate AF Drop Bear Beer options and this holiday tried Purity and they were OK too.
See you all at check in 1 Jan 2024.

I’m in! Thank you so much for setting up the thread OP!

I'm also in.

Last year I extended dry January to mid Feb and felt so much better for it. That extra couple of weeks of not drinking really seemed to emphasise the benefits of it!

Following that success I had all sorts of good intentions to reset my relationship with alcohol, to only drink at weekends and so on. It didn't happen. It's so easy to slip back into old habits, I like wine far too much...

We have definitely overindulged a LOT over Christmas and I'm actually looking forward to being dry for a bit!

Well, I'm raring to go with my MN DJ friends old and new. Its particularly nice to sea those who've signed up especially, or are apparently doing DJ just because they've noticed this thread and been inspired.

I have a sea swim planned for the morning of 1st with my fit friend, so that will help me not to drink too much tomorrow evening! It'll be nice not to start January with a hangover.

I'm in! I've been drinking more days in the week than not, even if it is lower alcohol wine (about 5%), it's still too much!
FIL is going to join me, and DH told me he is going to give it a go, but not be as strict as me. I need a reset, and it's great to have people in RL supporting me also.

I have heard the sugar cravings can be pretty bad.
i don’t eat chocolate and sweets but i do have sugar in my tea.
I have also heard that people eat ice lollies to help when a craving hits?

Sea swim sounds great for NYD, I should have a fairly fresh head as we're staying in with the kids after lunch out, I'm planning an early night after a family movie.

@BigButtons I find my binge eating of all kinds goes down when I'm not drinking so it may balance out.

Looking forward to my last alcohol of the year today. I'll have a big glass of red with lunch and prosecco this evening with the family. Then tomorrow I'm going to get stuck into the Try Dry app and maybe add an alcohol free podcast to my rotation.

I noticed I haven't started by stocking up on Becks Blue this time. I don't know how long I'll last, but in previous years that has been a bit of a crutch for the first two weeks. Maybe it's my subconscious testing whether I can just go cold turkey.

Good luck to you all and really hope that anyone who has a problem realises they do and this changes their life.

Not a smug teetotal at all but now rarely drink mainly because my son developed epilepsy and I never knew when I’d have to drive to the hospital so more or less stopped.

I hope this helps you all and if not think of the money. Tesco fizzy water is great.

I've decided there needs to be no booze in the house when I wake up tomorrow
So, all I have to drink today is 1/2 a bottle of toffee vodka liqueur, 3/4 bottle of Baileys, almost half a bottle of coffee liqueur, a bottle of mulled wine, 2 cans of Guinness and a magnum of Prosecco.

I shall go the supermarket today and get some zero alcohol gin and soda/ tonic water. The worst bit is going to be the weekends. That is when my OH and I sit together and drink. Tbh I am really worried about how this will change the dynamic of the relationship. I have been drinking so much more since being with him. I guess I’ll get the zero alcohol stuff in. He also wants to really cut down , but doesn’t think he can stop for a whole month.

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Morning all. I know DJ doesn’t start till Monday, but I just wanted to record that I didn’t drink last night.

Saturday is usually a (shared) bottle of wine in front of the Telly night, so not drinking on Saturday is a good start for me. I’ve already had three nights drinking this week and will be again tonight as we’re out for a meal, so a dry Saturday is a drop in the ocean really. But the Saturday night wine is a habit I find extremely difficult to break, so last night is giving me a modicum of optimism for the month.

As a bonus I slept really well last night.

Good morning, everyone, hope you’re all feeling ready and geared up to start tomorrow. Good luck with getting through Hogmanay and all the expected indulgences thereof!

Morning all. Looking forward to doing Dry Jan again. Overindulged at Christmas and need a reset. Here's to a fabulous dry Jan. ☕

Morning! Just recording my hopes for the month, so I can come back and compare. I'd like: better and more refreshing sleep, more energy, less puffy eyes, more free time in the evening and a better evening/bed time routine (instead of falling asleep in make up). Fingers crossed!

Morning all - gorgeous sunny day here at last! Helps with the feeling of positive new beginnings. I didn’t drink last night and slept well for the first time in weeks and weeks and so feeling very virtuous! Adult kids and OH will be drinking tonight but I’m ok with that and won’t join them. OH joining in with DJ - he does it every year. First time for me and tho nervous I’ve got the Try Dry app at the ready & AF options lined up. Thanks so much OP for getting this thread up & running…it’s been the push I need to do this!!! Have lovely NYEs everyone however you’re spending it…..