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

988 replies

HPLikecraft · 28/12/2024 18:08

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!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
CatOnAHotRadiator · 01/01/2025 20:50

I’d like to join. I’m secretly hoping I can do dry 2025 but aim aiming small with dry January and seeing how I go. I’ve got in bad habits of drinking 3 or 4 nights a week and have been feeling crap and want to improve things. I’m planning on printing a physical calendar I can cross the days of as I like a visual.

Im going to miss my Prosecco most I think but I won’t miss feeling groggy on a morning!

newme2025 · 01/01/2025 21:02

Does anyone else use the NHS app to log their dry days? I really like the simplicity of it, but one thing that annoys me is the money stat. It adds up how much money you save as DJ goes on, but only gives me £7 a day for a bottle of wine. I know I spend far more than that on booze (I generally buy an £11-£12 bottle from the corner shop, and spend lots more when I’m drinking in the pub). I wish you could set your own spending figure because it is a little demotivating! I think I’ll just have to keep it in mind and mentally double it. Last time I used the app the daily figure was £16 for one bottle, so they’ve obviously adjusted it.

Chorizmo · 01/01/2025 21:05

Day 1 completed, with a chilled sugar free lemonade for a treat while cooking. It’s amazing how much more I got from an hour after dinner, without being mellowed out by wine. Alarm set for 6 am and gym kit laid out for tomorrow morning.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
Waffle19 · 01/01/2025 21:09

newme2025 · 01/01/2025 21:02

Does anyone else use the NHS app to log their dry days? I really like the simplicity of it, but one thing that annoys me is the money stat. It adds up how much money you save as DJ goes on, but only gives me £7 a day for a bottle of wine. I know I spend far more than that on booze (I generally buy an £11-£12 bottle from the corner shop, and spend lots more when I’m drinking in the pub). I wish you could set your own spending figure because it is a little demotivating! I think I’ll just have to keep it in mind and mentally double it. Last time I used the app the daily figure was £16 for one bottle, so they’ve obviously adjusted it.

Use the try dry app instead, you can set the price and also choose shop bought or pub bought

HollyGolightly4 · 01/01/2025 21:26

I've just tracked back over my Fitbit app and my average sleep score was 'good' for the two months I did sober in 2024, versus 'fair' for the other 10 months. Not huge differences, but I think that is really interesting. I've worked really hard on my sleep over the last few years, but to see that difference. That's also on average once/twice a week on the fair months too, not every day.

Fordian · 01/01/2025 21:33

It's been a bit of a struggle!

My (adult) son wandered in and handed a glass of white to me and his girlfriend as we were watching Traitors 😬. I'm not discussing DJ with my family for various reasons, but none are 'problem' drinkers like I think I am. I don't think they clicked that I held the glass but didn't drink any. I quietly put it back in the bottle which is now 1/4 full, but the gf may well drink that tomorrow evening before I get back from work.

Fundays12 · 01/01/2025 21:37

Fordian · 01/01/2025 21:33

It's been a bit of a struggle!

My (adult) son wandered in and handed a glass of white to me and his girlfriend as we were watching Traitors 😬. I'm not discussing DJ with my family for various reasons, but none are 'problem' drinkers like I think I am. I don't think they clicked that I held the glass but didn't drink any. I quietly put it back in the bottle which is now 1/4 full, but the gf may well drink that tomorrow evening before I get back from work.

Well done in pouring it back into the bottle. Do you not think they will support you? DH is such a good thing to do

Thewhisperingwindsofwinter · 02/01/2025 00:54

Evening everyone just checking in to say that I completed day one of dry January. I felt a little bit rough yesterday after drinking late into the night on nye. Here's to a sober day 2 of January for us all.

CatOnAHotRadiator · 02/01/2025 06:30

@Fordian I’m not making a big deal of it either. When I mentioned it to my MIL she practically scoffed and said the only people she know who gave up drinking were people with a serious problem. There’s was no room for understanding that there are other reasons, or that feeling that you are in the cusp of drinking too much. Or even that maybe I drink more than she knows about and want to look after myself! I found her view weird and fixed.

What she thinks doesn’t change anything, just means I will quietly get in with it.

NeedANewOne25 · 02/01/2025 07:04

My husband and I are starting today, so much easier when we do it together. He likes the Guinness Zero, but I still am on the hunt for something I like enough so it feels like a treat. I made some giant ice cubes with cranberry juice which was for an Aperol cocktail, I think I will try one of those with some tonic tonight and see how it goes. I also like Appletiser, which brings back memories of childhood family dinners so have some of that too.
Good luck to everyone.

XxSideshowAuntSallyx · 02/01/2025 07:13

I did Dry January last year, it then turned into Sober Spring (other than a couple of drinks at a wedding) and then the rest of the year was sober.

I'm starting again today as I was out yesterday and had a few. Got back and fell straight to sleep but kept waking up and now feel rough.

I'm due to go out next weekend so that will be interesting.

Donnadellaforesta · 02/01/2025 07:25

Good morning, I saw this thread yesterday and would like to join you all, please.
I've never done Dry January before, although I did do Sober October last year, and that went pretty well, so I'm hoping that DJ will too. I know that I need to adjust my drinking habits and decided before Christmas that I would have a go at DJ this year.

I was actually pretty sensible on New Year's Eve and didn't have too much to drink, and yesterday I felt pretty positive about not having alcohol. I just hope that positivity will last until the end of January (and hopefully beyond...)

Hope everyone has a great day.

MillyGoat · 02/01/2025 07:28

CatOnAHotRadiator · 02/01/2025 06:30

@Fordian I’m not making a big deal of it either. When I mentioned it to my MIL she practically scoffed and said the only people she know who gave up drinking were people with a serious problem. There’s was no room for understanding that there are other reasons, or that feeling that you are in the cusp of drinking too much. Or even that maybe I drink more than she knows about and want to look after myself! I found her view weird and fixed.

What she thinks doesn’t change anything, just means I will quietly get in with it.

Edited

Classic deflection.. she could never do it herself.

MillyGoat · 02/01/2025 07:29

I’ve just remembered from last year that the first week is filled with weird dreams .. and one just woken up from one! Anyone else??

SwiftyFifty · 02/01/2025 07:33

@MillyGoat
Omg yes last night I dreamt I was having s€x with my ex from years ago and the night before it was Robbie Williams.
Bizarre as I'm 56 and haven't had " it" for years!
Took hours to get off to sleep but slept well until 5.30 then reset shark and actually slept really deeply for another hour. That NEVER happens. And my mood ( considering its first day back ) is good!
Happy Dj all!

MillyGoat · 02/01/2025 07:51

SwiftyFifty · 02/01/2025 07:33

@MillyGoat
Omg yes last night I dreamt I was having s€x with my ex from years ago and the night before it was Robbie Williams.
Bizarre as I'm 56 and haven't had " it" for years!
Took hours to get off to sleep but slept well until 5.30 then reset shark and actually slept really deeply for another hour. That NEVER happens. And my mood ( considering its first day back ) is good!
Happy Dj all!

For some reason I found/adopted/had (not sure how I acquired it) a small pet crocodile …. Which was fine for a bit but then we tried to put it in the hamster cage (hamster died three years ago)… but then someone hadn’t taken out the hamster so it ate the hamster. Then we wanted to feed it so gave it some leftover gammon from Christmas but ir hadn’t been refrigerated so when we came back crocodile had bloated into large pufferfish style balloon and died.

the end.

Fundays12 · 02/01/2025 08:04

If anyone is a wanting to help flush out there liver milk thistle tablets and drinking loads of water is meant to help. I have been taking it daily for a couples of weeks now.

Majorityofthree23 · 02/01/2025 08:11

Thought I'd sleep brilliantly.. I didn't though didn't have the brilliant dreams below! Still feeling good this morning

VictorianScreenTime · 02/01/2025 08:17

Hi there, may I join you all?

I’ve read through the thread and like many here I’m not a “heavy” drinker but it has become more frequent over recent months and there are certain situations where I have no off switch.

DH doesn’t drink so when I have wine at home I tend to moderate- might have half a bottle over a weekend. My problem is what I am thinking of as “trigger situations”- a classic one being when I come to visit my parents…

As soon as I sit at that kitchen bench I’m thinking “oooh and now a nice glass of wine”. And they will always offer and they’ll be sipping away too and then we’ll have dinner and continue wining away and then sit chatting for an hour or two and still drinking away. Then suddenly I’m waking up the next day groggy and tired.

I find it soooo hard to refuse- mostly because I actively want to join them. It feels like I’m completely conditioned to do it. Like auto-pilot. And even if I think in advance “no I won’t drink this time” I will almost always crumble immediately!

Similar happens on (rare) nights out with work or friends- I just can’t find an off switch and stick to one or two glasses.

And the problem is because the nights out and visits to my parents aren’t regular, and because my regular drinking is “moderate”, I can always kid myself that there is no problem🙈

But I want it out of my life. I want to stop drinking for the health benefits, because I’m in my 40s now and I need to start really looking after myself, because I don’t want my kids to think alcohol is just an automatic part of life.

So that’s why I’m here. I want to do DJ and actually stick with it and maybe find a way to re-wire my Pavlovian response to these situations, hopefully with some help and maybe insights from all of you lovely people. So here’s hoping! 🤞🏻

Nigellasrockyroad · 02/01/2025 08:30

Right! I’m starting today.
From previous experience, the next few days will be tough whilst my body adjusts to lack of alcohol. Week 3 is also tough because that’s when my January blues really kick in.
As usual, me and DH will be transferring £18 every day into our AF savings account. It’s good to see it mount up (also rather shocking to see how much we waste on wine!).

Fundays12 · 02/01/2025 08:30

VictorianScreenTime · 02/01/2025 08:17

Hi there, may I join you all?

I’ve read through the thread and like many here I’m not a “heavy” drinker but it has become more frequent over recent months and there are certain situations where I have no off switch.

DH doesn’t drink so when I have wine at home I tend to moderate- might have half a bottle over a weekend. My problem is what I am thinking of as “trigger situations”- a classic one being when I come to visit my parents…

As soon as I sit at that kitchen bench I’m thinking “oooh and now a nice glass of wine”. And they will always offer and they’ll be sipping away too and then we’ll have dinner and continue wining away and then sit chatting for an hour or two and still drinking away. Then suddenly I’m waking up the next day groggy and tired.

I find it soooo hard to refuse- mostly because I actively want to join them. It feels like I’m completely conditioned to do it. Like auto-pilot. And even if I think in advance “no I won’t drink this time” I will almost always crumble immediately!

Similar happens on (rare) nights out with work or friends- I just can’t find an off switch and stick to one or two glasses.

And the problem is because the nights out and visits to my parents aren’t regular, and because my regular drinking is “moderate”, I can always kid myself that there is no problem🙈

But I want it out of my life. I want to stop drinking for the health benefits, because I’m in my 40s now and I need to start really looking after myself, because I don’t want my kids to think alcohol is just an automatic part of life.

So that’s why I’m here. I want to do DJ and actually stick with it and maybe find a way to re-wire my Pavlovian response to these situations, hopefully with some help and maybe insights from all of you lovely people. So here’s hoping! 🤞🏻

Welcome to the group. You have made a good start just being on here and recognising your triggers is fantastic.

ThisCharmingteacher · 02/01/2025 08:38

First day done - no particularly wierd dreams, went to the cinema last night and normally have a glass of wine - but was fine not too

Thisisthedawningoftheageofaquarius · 02/01/2025 08:39

thanks for the thread! Started yesterday; love the reset a DJ gives and definitely needed after December indulgence!
didn’t sleep great last night but did have weird dreams - glad it’s not just me!

Miloarmadillo2 · 02/01/2025 08:45

With you on the weird dreams - my DH has defected to the Russians! NYD was crap - rainy dog walk then moping about the house. I need to keep busy.

fixingmylife · 02/01/2025 08:50

I found it fairly ok on the first day, although I did reach for some sugary snacks. I suppose that is because I'm craving the sugar from the alcohol. I need to watch this as by the end of the month I want to be sugar-free as well, but I'm taking this as a gradual cutting down rather than cold-turkey as with the alcohol. Well done everyone for completing the first day.