The Dry January Challenge 2021
Wow - 2020. What an incredibly rough year for our mental health. The pandemic has led to severe social isolation and crippling boredom. It’s no wonder that the number of people misusing alcohol has increased. In April 2020, alcohol sales were up over 55% compared to the previous year. Heavy drinking (as defined by more than four drinks per day) has increased by 41%. There seems to be an impact on gender as well - women are typically drinking more than men. On top of that, people who have a substance abuse disorder are 1.5 times more likely to contract COVID than those who do not. It seems that COVID and addiction are closely intertwined.
Despite this, people seem to have better insight into their drinking patterns than in prior years. In a recent survey on substance use during COVID, people were aware they were drinking more than usual. Most people say stress and boredom are to blame.
So after a year of bad vibes and bad habits, what comes next?? If you’re up for the challenge - Dry January!!
Dry January first began in the UK in 2013 and has grown in popularity over the years. This year there were an estimated 6.5 million participants signed up, compared to 3.9 million participants in 2020.
Our practice partnered with SK Wellness to participate in the Dry January Challenge. The concept is simple - no alcohol for 31 days. There were surprisingly easy stretches, difficult moments, and lessons learned. Here’s our takeaway:
Drinking culture is everywhere! It’s how we celebrate, mourn, distract, and socialize. It is so embedded in our lives that it’s sometimes easy to overlook how much we embrace drinking.
Other people often have a weird response when you say you’re not drinking. Some people may tease, others may become offended or react in disbelief. This is not your issue, it’s theirs!
Drinking has a lot of negative physical health effects! It can be responsible for heart rate dysregulation, poor skin, gastrointestinal discomfort, sleep issues, and low energy levels.
We all have stress triggers to drinking, we often just don’t know what they are. Dry January will make those triggers obvious and inspire new tools for distraction from stress.
Drinking also has many negative mental health effects! It can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability, and poor concentration.
Drinking is deceptive - the initial good feelings that come from a few drinks is brief and quickly replaced with the negative physical and mental health impact described above.
Using the Dry January challenge can be helpful to examine our drinking habits. Simply completing the challenge successfully is a huge win! And there is a warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment that comes with rising above alcohol.
The biggest challenge for most is existing in a social setting without alcohol. The best tip is to be prepared. Bring your own alcohol free drinks to a party, check out the mocktail menu at the restaurant online before you go, and have a response ready to go for when people ask why you’re not drinking.
And if you want to have a little fun with it, don’t tell anyone you’re not drinking! People won’t notice if that’s just a soda water in your glass when they’re drunk! Kick back and watch the disaster unfold. Just make sure you leave before the inevitable repetitive stories and sloppiness begins. You can enjoy your safe ride home and lack of hangover tomorrow :)
Dry January was an eye opening experience. We are so grateful to have been a part of this challenge and look forward to embracing a healthier lifestyle in 2021!!
