With Christmas coming, many love the excuse to eat and drinks lots with friends and families.
If you enjoy drinking alcohol, then chances are, though, that you may end up taking too much alcohol with your friends this December.
Therefore, what many people choose to do after Christmas is to take a temporary break from alcohol.
This is called Dry January.
So will you consider a Dry January in 2021?
In this article, we’ll give you tips that can help make you remain sober all through the month of January.
What is Dry January?
The idea of Dry January refers to staying away from alcohol throughout the month.
So there will be no beer, wine, or drinks for the whole month of January.
According to MedicalNewsToday, giving up alcohol just for one month has lasting benefits.
It helps boost your health by increasing your energy level and improving concentration.
It’s also good for losing weight.
Staying away from alcohol is not something that’s easy for everyone, especially if you’ve become addicted to it.
You may want to consider visiting a drug rehab and alcohol abuse treatment center to help you out.
Some of these top alcohol treatment centers offer a sober living St. Charles MO facility, so you will be under watch to ensure that you complete your sober journey.
Identify Your Personal Triggers & Recognize Relapse Warning Signs
A common reason why some people relapse during their sober period is that they fail to identify their personal triggers.
Thus, before you embark on a Dry January in 2021, you should make sure that you identify internal and external triggers that boost your desire to take alcohol.
Once you know these triggers, you can then create a plan to avoid them.
Besides identifying your triggers, you need to recognize relapse warning signals.
According to VeryWellMind, relapse starts long before someone actually picks up an alcoholic drink.
There are three phases involved in relapse: mental relapse, emotional relapse, and physical relapse.
If you’re returning to addictive thinking patterns or seeking out situations that involve drinking, then you may be on the verge of relapse.
Develop a Structured Schedule and Build Healthy Relationships
Having a structured routine is one way to help our mind leave an old habit and pick up a new one.
Thus, during your sober period, you should make sure that you develop a structured schedule that will keep your mind busy from thinking about alcohol.
It’s also essential that you build healthy relationships with the right people so that they can assist and encourage you while you are doing Dry January in 2021.
You want to do all your best to avoid friends that can contribute to your relapse, and you should also avoid old routines that can make it easy for you to slip back into drinking.
Pick Up a New Skill
A great way to distract yourself from the temptation of alcohol in January is to pick up a new skill or hobby.
As well as learning something new, you’ll have the opportunity to change your usual routine.
If you used to meet friends for a drink after work, for example, you could use this time to hit the gym, learn to code or even to play video games.
No matter what your interests are, there are plenty of options out there to explore.
Filling your time with fun and exciting activities will help you to take your mind off what you’re giving up and focus on what you’re gaining instead.
Similarly, setting yourself weekly goals can be an effective way to ensure you stay motivated throughout the month.
With any luck, you’ll find that your newfound interest or hobby continues long after Dry January ends.
Set Up a Support Network
People can find Dry January hard for all sorts of reasons.
Whether you’re more dependent on alcohol than you realize or you simply enjoy the social aspect of going to a bar with friends, you might find that Dry January has more of an impact on you than you expected.
That’s why it’s important to form a support network ahead of time.
Knowing you can reach out to family members, close friends or a trusted therapist will ensure you can access help if you need to.
Furthermore, if you’re feeling tempted to give up on Dry January, your support network can give you an extra boost of encouragement.
If you know other people who are planning to have a Dry January, they could be a great source of support and vice versa.
From having dry social events to offering a few words of motivation, having supportive people around you can make it easier to reach your goals.
Identify Your Motivation
There are plenty of benefits associated with Dry January, or giving up alcohol altogether, but it’s important to identify your own personal motivations for taking part.
Perhaps you want to limit the impact alcohol has on your health?
Maybe you want to lose weight in the New Year and avoid the calories that come with alcohol? Alternatively, you may want to focus more on work, school, or relationships.
Whatever your motivations are, be sure to spend time thinking about why you want to take part in Dry January.
When you can identify your personal reasons for giving up alcohol, it will strengthen your resolve and make you more committed to succeed.
Furthermore, focusing on the positive benefits and rewards that Dry January offers can help spur you on.
Reframing, ‘I don’t want a hangover’, into, ‘I want to feel refreshed in the mornings’, helps to reinforce the positives that come with not drinking, for example.
Similarly, turning, ‘I want to cut calories’, into, ‘I want to lose weight and feel healthier’, reemphasizes the benefits that Dry January can bring.
Summary
Throughout this article, we’ve given you some useful tips that can help make it easy for you to do a white January in 2021.
Since staying away from alcohol, even if it is for a month, is beneficial, you should try as much as possible to avoid falling into relapse.
If you think you’re addicted to alcohol, don’t hesitate to get assistance.