Dry January – Week 2 Recap

Read about my Dry January 2020 here. Side note, I find it annoying to keep reading/typing “Dry January” so henceforth it is abbreviated to DJ. Week 1 Recap can be found here.

Having rounded the halfway point (almost) and it’s honestly a little hard for me to believe that I have made it a full 14+ days with no booze. Ok, I might have kissed someone who just had a sip of beer, but that’s it, promise! So, here’s how I am feeling/doing after the close of week 2!:

1. Sleep – This is still a noticeable and much improved area. Honestly, the quality of my sleep and ability to wake feeling refreshed is probably one of my favorite parts of this so far, because it helps so many OTHER areas of my life and makes my days feel easier to deal with. I don’t miss waking up with a headache, and I really can tell that my morning alarm doesn’t feel quite so awful.
2. Body – Feeling really good! While I am decreasing alcohol, I am also increasing my water intake (a gallon per day), which has left me feeling less bloated looking (mostly) – but more bloated feeling lol. It’s a trade off and I know it’s good for me, so I’m not worried about it. My skin seems to be a little confused though, as I’ve had quite a few breakouts on my face this month. I think it could be byproduct of increasing the water and “detoxing” my body, so my skin is just getting rid of some of the bad stuff.
3. Energy & Focus – I do very much feel I have better mental clarity and increased energy. Week 1 I was feeling like crawling out of my skin almost with boredom and unfocused energy, but in week 2, have been feeling less so. I have been well balanced with my hobbies/activities and such, and with the arrival of my new Peloton Tread+ (was delivered on this past Monday), I have been able to redirect some extra energy.

I had a couple of instances when I was really craving a drink, but those were associated (mostly) with a routine scenario (such as watching football) and/or food triggered, because I love to pair food and wine/beer. I have managed to beat those temptations and am feeling quite optimistic about my ability to finish this DJ 2021 at zero drinks.

An aside, but I have been engaged in some interesting dialogues with regard to the topic of DJ. Many, of course, are of the “why would I do that?” camp, and especially with 2020 having been such a shitshow. Others feel the need to project their own feelings at me and take it as some sort of judgement on them (which it certainly is not). I keep getting people who want to tell me every drink they are having, but framing it in a strange guilt laced tone/text…which is so odd, but I try my best to just respond with neutrality. Of course, there are those who are truly supportive and always encouraging, so that’s lovely.
I know that for myself, DJ is both a test of my willpower, and something I wanted to do for myself, my health and my body. I have some big plans for 2021 in the fitness and health departments, so I am looking forward to seeing the “gains” associated to a decrease in alcohol consumption.

Anyone else out there doing DJ? How’s it going? Tips, tricks or just want to share your experience?

**If you suffer from any sort of addiction, or just feel like you want to take better control of your interactions with any substance or experience, please contact your medical practitioner, clergy or any other trusted source. I, nor my blog, are advocates for or against the use of drugs, alcohol or any other behavior.

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