DRY JANUARY 2025! Join us for a healthier start to the year! All welcome 🥤☕️🧋

[HPLikecraft]

It’s that time of year again!
If you need a detox, to lose weight, to be healthier, to undo some seasonal overindulgence, to sleep better, to look better, to have healthier skin, to save money, boost liver function, improve your memory, or to decrease your likelihood of dying earlier of various nasty illnesses (sorry for the sudden hard ball!) then you’ve come to the right place!

The MN DJ2025 Chat thread is for anyone who wants to reset their relationship with alcohol; whether you’re a weekend tippler or a problem heavier drinker.
This is a friendly, non-judgmental thread where we support and encourage each other, exchange ideas and information, share alcohol-free drinks recommendations etc.

Hopefully we’ll have some fun along the way. Please hop aboard the good ship DJ 2025, everyone welcome!

They say it takes 21 days to break a habit.

Today has been by far the hardest since starting DJ - if I can get through this weekend (and I’m not sure I can) then I can’t imagine things can get any harder.

Keep the faith @newme2025.

Maybe “play it forward”? If you drink tonight, visualize how will you feel tomorrow. And if you don’t drink tonight, visualize how you will feel tomorrow.

I am settled in front of the fire with a Trip CBD drink and an episode of Dexter.

@newme2025 you can do this. Just think about how much happier you will be when you wake up with a clear head tomorrow.

What are you up to for the evening? Doing anything to occupy your thoughts? Do you have a nice drink in that will help to give you that comfort of having a drink in hand?

Ok just checked the bottle and I've accidentally done better than I thought as I've been drinking alcohol free Prosecco. So the last two are dry days for me !

It's harder than I thought but actually that proves to me it's more psychological like needing a treat

Day 13 for me today. I have just poured an AF kopperberg into a wine glass. It's absolutely lovely. We are going to watch a film tonight and get up tomorrow to take the kids sledging

I'm might try that, what flavour?

Strawberry and lime. I really like it

Maybe “play it forward”? If you drink tonight, visualize how will you feel tomorrow. And if you don’t drink tonight, visualize how you will feel tomorrow.

Thanks. Safely upstairs now and running a bath before bed. Today was tough but glad to have made it through. If it wasn’t for this thread I think I’d have caved!

Saturday night success! Now off to bed

Well done @TalkingPoint55 - you sound very similar to me and my DH. Thanks for the list of suggestions, I really need to try the martini.

Weirdly for me today I’ve not craved wine at all. First time of a weekend in a long time that I’ve not even thought of it.

Question though, how many CBD drinks can you have in an evening. I necked one with dinner as it was spicy and I fancy another one now catching up on the Traitors.

Still going strong for now, on the sofa in front of the fire watching TV, very nice it is too. Am replacing alcohol with sugar though, boo - does anyone have any top tips for not giving in to sugary snacks?!

Still going strong here.
Thought I would try some zero % wine with dinner tonight. It was awful, like a bad, vinegary Ribena! I think that I will just stick with water!

Had some zero alcohol "gin" with tonics tonight. Chuffed with myself. Two weekends down!

Well thats day 10 done, and it was easy for me

The 6pm wants, I have realised are habit rather then craving. Saturdays we are usually in the pub till 7 so we dont get supper till 8ish, tonight I went in to cook at 7:30 , and not a thought of a drink entered my head

So dinner cooked and eaten and settled down with a film in front of the fire

I think whats really changed for me this DJ, is Im a lot more laid back and a lot more relaxed with myself , Im not stressing the small stuff

Awake and fresh after a night of not indulging.

One thing that's just lovely is my weekends seem longer. I usually wake up Monday morning thinking 'I cannot believe it's Monday again' probably because I would normally wake up Saturday morning dusty from the previous night's drinks so it's a much slower start to Saturday. Then drag myself through the Saturday chores and activities and then inevitably indulge again Saturday night, leading to a slow start to Sunday and low enthusiasm to do much.

But yesterday I was up and out early with high energy. Got all my jobs done and then had a lovely relaxing evening and great nights sleep. Now I'm awake early on Sunday morning and can't believe I have another whole day off in front of me. It feels super ☺️

@FordianI think that sounds like you were upset because your friends prioritised getting drunk the night before over your lovely event- which is totally fair enough! If in advance they'd said 'sorry, we're having a booze free month's I feel it would have been different!

Proud of myself yesterday, went to a 60th with a lot of heavy drinkers. Had af koppaberg (tropical, delicious) AF Corona (big squeeze of fresh lime, decent) and I didn't give in! My friend had a pinot though, and I was tempted for a second to have a big glug 😆. Food is a different matter, but baby steps...

Been lurking in the background but reading all your updates. I almost caved yesterday after some in law upset that had me stressed out (not my circus, not my monkeys, but they keep trying to get me involved) but I stuck firm and we’re rewarding ourselves this morning by going out for breakfast.

@MistletoeAndWine123 inspiring post, thank you! I can totally relate.

@HollyGolightly4 that is so impressive - I don’t think I could do it TBH!

@Sunandseaforme that would have been a major trigger for me too - well done for sticking it out.

Here’s to day 12… we have some guests coming over later who will be drinking, so it’s going to be a challenge.

@newme2025 thanks! Put whatever you're having in a decent glass if you want my advice 😂

I’m trying to think of DJ as five really difficult days left (i.e. five weekend days). I find the weekdays manageable and am fairly confident I can get through those (Friday is a bit harder but not awful). Saturdays and Sundays however are a struggle.

I’m hoping after DJ that I will be able to easily carry on not drinking in the week, having reset my habits. Last year my drinking crept up to the point where I was drinking six or even seven days a week. I’m hoping that having four nights off a week from February will seem easy after 31 days sober.

Morning all. Well, triggers and stresses abound but you're all doing well to stay strong. Isn't it quite telling that the first thought for many of us is "Aargh! I'd really like a drink to help me through this!" Instead of a going for a run/bike/gym, cup of tea, chat with best friend, retail therapy?

Well done for staying strong.

Think I'm overdue a progress report, so it's 11am on day 12, which means we're...

35.5%

of the way through!
I suppose our next significant checkpoint will be the 50% mark. This is 12 noon on Thursday. Hey, that's no time! I'm sure I'll see you then.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone! 💪💪

That sounds lovely @BurntBroccoli ! Where do you get the Lemon Balm tincture?

Another thing I’ve really got to do - try and enjoy the here and now, instead of counting the days until February.

I am on day 15 (actually had it in my mind it was day 14 till I checked my dry days app). I feel better generally. My skin looks better, my eyes look brighter and last night I slept way better. I do have a sore head today but that's my sinuses rather than a hangover.

Hurray, over a third done! I don’t think I’ll bother with a special drink next weekend. I’ve only had a couple of glasses from my 0% Prosecco and while it might be different in summer, at the moment I’d rather have a cup of tea (or a whisky, tbh!).

Well done everyone!