What exactly is Dry January?
Dry January began in 2013 as a public health campaign in the United Kingdom to promote less alcohol consumption. Beginning January 1, individuals participating in this sober movement refrain from consuming alcohol for 31 days. Sober curiosity has become huge amongst Millenials and Gen Z to have a greater focus and eternal presence.
What are the benefits of participating in Dry January?
Abstaining from drinking alcohol for a month has short-term and long-term benefits. Hopefully, from not drinking for 31 days, you change your overall relationship with Alcohol, and if you choose to consume alcohol again in the future, you practice mindful drinking.
Short-Term Benefits of Dry January
1. Overall health may improve:
Heavy drinking and binge drinking can elevate blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Drinking too much also weakens your immune system making you more susceptible to contracting diseases.
2. Booze-Free Body:
Alcohol impacts energy levels, digestive systems, hydration, and mental health. Without Alcohol, your body should be functioning a lot better, so you’ll feel better. You won’t be waking up dehydrated due to happy hour the night before. When you’re struggling with stress or other issues in your life, Alcohol consumption might numb those feelings for a while. Still, Alcohol is also a depressant, increasing depression, anxiety, and aggression. Since Alcohol is a diuretic, your skin will benefit from food’s hydration and vitamin absorption.
3. Better Sleep:
Many people often associate a glass of wine with relaxation and sleepiness; however, Alcohol might help put you to sleep, but it is not helping you receive quality sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, “Drinking Alcohol before bed can add to the suppression of REM sleep during the first two cycles. Since Alcohol is a sedative, sleep onset is often shorter for drinkers, and some fall into a deep sleep rather quickly. As the night progresses, this can imbalance slow-wave and REM sleep, resulting in less of the latter and more of the former. This decreases overall sleep quality, resulting in shorter sleep duration and more sleep disruptions”. Removing Alcohol for the month can leave you sleeping better and feeling replenished. By sleeping greater, the focus is limitless.
4. Weight- Loss:
Alcohol puts on excess pounds, so if losing weight is one of your New Year’s Resolution goals, giving up Alcohol for the month will help you achieve it. Alcohol has a lot of calories, so if you are not drinking, you are naturally creating a calorie deficit without dieting. By stopping drinking, you will see results quickly.
5. Savings:
If you’re not drinking alcohol, you’re not buying Alcohol, which results in increased savings. Many people participate in Dry January as part of another movement known as No Spend January. Individuals refrain from spending money to recoup some of the excess spendings from the Holidays. In a 2019 survey, 86% of individuals participating in the sober curious movement said they saw increased savings.
Long-Term Benefits of Dry January
One of the most significant benefits of Dry January is mindful drinking. Dry January causes you to evaluate your relationship with Alcohol. Typically most people wouldn’t think twice about having a glass of wine with dinner, mimosa at brunch, or beer watching a football game. But during Dry January, since you have chosen to abstain from Alcohol, it highlights that you can attend these functions and still have fun in the absence of Alcohol. Try an alcohol-free beverage instead and be among the sober curious that is blissful.
In other stressful situations where Alcohol was used as a method of coping, you are forced to alleviate the stress through an alternative method that makes you self-aware that you’ve been using alcohol as a coping mechanism. Dry January also shows you how much you’ve been drinking since, over time, it becomes part of the routine that you may not be aware of just how many drinks you’ve been having in a week. Many individuals that abuse alcohol is not even aware of it. Your recycling can is not as full weekly, which is an excellent physical way to see the dent you’ve been making.
By taking this pledge of abstinence for January and evaluating your relationship with alcohol, you may have discovered you are suffering from an alcohol use disorder. While Alcohol Use Disorders are treatable, they can be challenging to handle on your own. At Avatar Residential Detox Center, we offer a medically supervised alcohol detox to help you safely and comfortably deal with the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Our inpatient residential treatment facility monitors your body and helps lower the risk of severe complications. Beginning your recovery from alcohol use disorder with an alcohol detox is the first step in the process. However, after detox, it is essential to receive inpatient addiction treatment and counseling to understand why you’ve turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Our alcohol detox program, medically supervised 24 hours a day, can address the potentially hazardous side effects of alcohol withdrawal and minimize possible complications while helping a person become physically capable and ready to enter a thorough alcohol addiction treatment program directly following departure. Detox is a vital first step to long-term recovery. Still, to prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery, it should be followed by a complete addiction treatment program that includes behavioral therapies, specialty therapies, counseling, support group participation, medications, and complementary therapies.
Get the Help You Need-Today!
Avatar Residential Detox Center offers several addiction treatment programs. Contact our 24-hour helpline at (877)-209-1600 and talk with one of our addiction specialists to learn more about detox and our addiction treatments, mental health options, residential rehab facilities, alcohol addiction center New Jersey, and how to afford addiction treatment. Discover your path to recovery today.
