Dry January in Review

Dry January has officially wrapped! I finished the 30 days with only having 4 alcoholic beverages, which is PRETTY good for me! Funny enough, I had a party to attend the night of February 1st, so it came just at the right time for me to reflect!

First and foremost, I am proud of having exercised self-restraint and really challenging myself to not turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism for my life/feelings. I know in many aspects of my life I have previously turned to alcohol, food, and other vices to avoid facing situations, so it was time to shake things up!

Outside of that, I noticed a fair amount during this 30 day journey:
1. I slept better. – This was likely due to many factors – but I am without a doubt that not going to bed drunk couldn’t have hurt ;).
2. I had more energy. – With the sleeping thing, it’s likely a lot of things that contributed to the energy, but not drinking was part of my old “evening routine” and now I had to find other more productive ways to spend my time!
3. My skin looked better. – I think because I was hydrated more frequently, this helped with my skin looking more dewy and fresh than before!
4. The whites of my eyes were brighter. – Such a strange thing to notice but I really do notice the difference. No longer blood shot, or yellow tinged, I just look healthier?
5. I didn’t eat as much junk food. – I used to love to drink AND snack while I did it, so that was good for the waistline, however I DID have increased cravings for sugar … ? Not the end of the world – but noticeable.
6. I saved money by not drinking at restaurants/bars! – In comparison to typical outings, I would say that I saved at least $10-$30 per outing.
7. I felt slightly more anti social – but I didn’t mind it. It was nice to get a bit of peace and quiet after the social/busy holiday season.

After drinking on the night of February 1st, I felt SO dehydrated, tired, fuzzy headed/headache-y, and generally unwell (I had 5 PBRs and a shot of whiskey). This was a stark and surprising difference to how I used to go around feeling on a day-to-day basis. It was a nice reminder that there’s a time and a place for alcohol in my life, but it’s no longer every night.

 

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