Dry January boredom…

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First Friday night of Dry Jan, usually me and DH have a glass of wine/ beer or 2 most evenings whilst cooking dinner and chatting all evening. Today is day 5, and the boredom is overwhelming! We aren’t normally TV people, but seem to just sit in silence watching tv or on our phones.

1. please tell me it gets easier?!
2. please tell me what you guys do instead of having a drink in the evenings (esp weekends!)

thank you!

If youre not enjoying it why bother. Just have a glass of wine. Life's too short

Why can you not still chat? It's quite sad if you need a drink so you can talk to your own spouse.

If you need alcohol almost every evening to make life less boring then either
•you have an alcohol problem
•you have a boring life

Keep off the booze and find something fun and interesting to do of an evening.

I don’t know if it’s just being so used to the habit of it, that now we just aren’t sure what to do with ourselves!
I haven’t slept well at all either so think the tiredness is making me even more dull 😅

We’re normally very social people so will meet friends at the pub on the weekend, then there’s things to talk about.
but realistically how much is there to talk about when you go to work and sit at home? DH works from home so doesn’t speak to anyone in the day, nor is my work life very exciting.

@KnickerlessParsons Keep off the booze and find something fun and interesting to do of an evening

thats what I’m trying to do 🤣, so asking what others do for fun to get ideas!

Research and make interesting non alcoholic cocktails ..I had one with ginger, lime and chilli which was fab. Play some board or card games. Go to the cinema if you can go out, get sitters or whatever. If not, research some new box sets and get immersed. Take longer to cook a new recipe and buy interesting flavoured tonic, tart it up with slices fruit etc.

I've taken to binge eating but I'm not sure I'd advise it! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Tbf I'm not doing dry January just trying to cut back (aiming for 20+ af days in Jan). I know what you mean though, it is boring, as well as eating I've been sleeping more!

I just want to say that the boredom feeling is normal at the beginning. Your brain is used to its big dopamine hit from alcohol on a Friday night and without it you feel bored.

Keep going it gets easier. When I'm on a sober stint after a couple of weeks my brain chemistry has reset itself and I find joy in nice food / film, alcohol free drinks - I don't miss the alcohol.

I’m so jealous of this! We’re also going to the gym everyday, and eating healthy so triple whammy, but I just cannot sleep!!!

Dry jan went up the shitter for me an hour ago.

Oh is currently smugly on his high horse. Honestly after the day from hell I am thoroughly going to enjoy this couple of glasses of wine.

We did dry November. Was much easier, I think I'll stick to that going forward!

This is reassuring. We are doing first dry Jan for a few years and I've been mostly fine but finishing work on a Friday I felt the strong urge for wine for first time. Have done similar to others and got a load of fancy overpriced AF beers for DP and some fancy soft drinks for me to have in a nice glass. Nice dinner and a decent film to watch.

Thank you! That is really reassuring- just got to keep pushing through! There’s only so many nights we can watch a movie before being bored to death, so will suggest a card game or something x

I don't understand why you can't cook and chat with a soft drink...?

I’m also bored to death op. I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m an actual alcoholic though so suggestions like ‘if you’re not enjoying it then just have one’ aren’t helpful! Doesn’t help that oh works away so I’m sat on my own at home. Kids are in their rooms, can’t entice them out with cards or a board game. I’ve spent such a ridiculous time on mn and reading, my eyes hurt. What do people even do at night? I don’t really watch tv

She obviously can. It’s just boring. It’s a simple fact for people who like to have a drink that boring things are generally more fun when you’re drunk. That’s why we do it 🤷🏼‍♀️

There’s something very convivial about opening a bottle. We love to have a glass while my h cooks and I sit and chat to him.

It’s not quite the same with a soft drink.

We’ll also often go to the pub on a Friday for a couple of drinks and a chat. Wouldn’t dream of doing that for soft drinks 🤷

So yes, I am missing booze on this Friday night. But there’s only 3 left after tonight!

I like a glass of wine every evening, and I'd happily drink it all evening if it wasn't alcoholic - when younger, I'd only drink to get drunk and wouldn't bother with just one glass. Now, I don't want to get drunk, and I want a hangover even less.

I just like the taste, and that it's a lovely chilled drink that isn't lemonade sweet. I can't find a non alcoholic drink that gives me that, ah, here we are end of the day feeling.

So, I don't feel bored being denied my wine, and I don't have one until about 10.30pm most evenings. But Friday! Love sitting with a glass of wine at. 9pm with another later ... and I feel a bit deprived this evening. Previous four evenings haven't felt like this.

Sanctimonious Susanna Reid on TV the other morning, simpering on about not drinking, made me want to open a bottle.

We do dry Jan every year. We make sure we have some board games in and a deck of cards to hand. We both usually get through a book or two with some early nights for reading. We typically have a smidge more sex

Dh and i do the thing you seem to look down on, sit on the couch and watch telly....

Get your coat on and go for a walk?

I have to say the extra sex is a bonus. When we drink my oh always falls asleep on the couch and I go to bed alone (when I’d be up for it). In the morning he’d be up for it but I’m feeling bloated and quite sick. Nice to be in bed and feeling ok at the same time :)

See all the things people here do, don't you do the same but have a drink as well?

Surely having a drink doesn't change your evening that much??

@ssd whats with the sarky and twatty posts? U ok hun?