Ex-drinkers that endured past dry-January, how did you do it?
Posted by Calm_Highlight_9320@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 105 comments
This is not about alcoholism - that is best left for more professional environments for sure.
But I reckon I am like many other Brits, probably do not have the healthiest relationship with booze...
And in the midst of another Xmas season where you go from saying "I wont drink much this year" to embarrassingly hauling out a dozen empty wines bottle into the over-flowing recycling bin in front of the neighbourhood. You want to make a change. Again. Promise. This year will be different!
So, for those of about to white-knuckle dry-January - for anyone who did the whole teetotal thing for the long haul - what are your guiding tips and tricks?
I would say though - being of an age where saying you wanted to not drink was akin to relinquishing your manhood - or declaring insanity - the current shift in culture is much welcomed! So many people seem to be making the move away. And there is so much choice these days for non-alcoholic beverages beyond soda and lime.
Happy days!
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DeeBingers@reddit
"This is not about alcoholism"
I honestly think it is about alcoholism.
"I reckon I am like many other Brits, probably do not have the healthiest relationship with booze..."
Yes, I honestly think we have an epidemic or alcohol dependency in this country and it goes unmentioned.
For the record, I have been a drinker for 40 years and I know I have a problem with it. I don't pretend I don't. I've been to the doctor about it and he agreed I am alcohol dependent. I've been to groups like AA and Smart. I've talked to lots and lots of alcoholics, some much worse than me, some not as bad. I found it interesting but not for me.
It's my genuine opinion that anyone who has ever said "I need a drink" on the way home from work, or after a busy day or as soon as the kids are in bed or whatever, is in some way alcohol dependent. Why do you need a drink? Why not a salad? Because your brain craves the chemicals in the booze.
That doesn't mean you're going to end up living on a park bench drinking out of a paper bag. It just means you have a dependency, in the same way people need a cup of coffee in the morning or a cigarette on the way to work. Nobody would deny that those things are dependencies so why do we pretend otherwise with alcohol?
The fact is alcohol is an addictive drug and if you regularly consume it you will become dependent. Nobody would hoover up a few lines of cocaine three or four times a week and expect not to become addicted, so why do we think it's any different with wine and pints?
Anyway, back to your question. I think the answer is to just talk about it more. Take the stigma away from it.
If you went to the local pub right now, somehow got everyone to agree to a chat tomorrow when they're all sober, and asked them in confidence have you ever thought you have a problem with alcohol dependency? I guarantee over 50% of them would say yes. But they never mention it to each other while they're stood at the bar.
We just need to talk more.
Max_Power_332@reddit
Really well said, mate. I often think if I went around saying ‘good for me, I made it to Wednesday without doing a line or shooting up’, I would rightly be given the side eye. But people regularly moan they need a drink after a hard day at work and it’s deemed okay - it’s not.
DecayAnimation@reddit
youre a cocaine addict? damn
Norman_debris@reddit
Great that you admitted your alcohol problem. But I often see a tendency from people who have alcohol problems to overdiagnose perfectly normal drinking habits.
We know it's not healthy, but that isn't the basis for drinking. You don't say that people who have dessert most days have a chocolate misuse disorder.
It's not always a sign of a harmful addiction to enjoy alcohol.
faroffland@reddit
Agreed. ‘I need a drink after a long crap day’ = alcoholism apparently… well swap that with what I always do, which is ‘I need a chocolate bar’ or ‘I need some ice cream’. A treat after a shitty day is an addiction?? A very reddit take haha.
donalmacc@reddit
I do agree with your post but;
Having an occasional urge for something doesn’t mean you’re dependent on it. My wife said to me yesterday “I just want to eat some vegetables” (after a week at home with family where we’ve been eating take away around the chrismas meal). That doesn’t mean she’s literally starved from a lack of nutrition, in the same way that saying “I need a drink” is more of a normalisation of alcohol being a common way to unwind. I don’t love that, but the claim that saying “I need a drink” is indicative of a problem is going way too fsr
Ill-Afternoon2257@reddit
“Anyway, back to your question”
Good to see you get off your podium to actually answer.
SirPooleyX@reddit
Here's what I did. I'm not saying it's a perfect answer because it took me quite a few goes.
I set myself a goal of 50 days. I figured that a life is quite long and if I can't force myself to do or not do something for just 50 days then there's really no hope for me.
Each day I would write a diary entry about my day. It started off being about how I'd been determined not to grab some beers on the way home from work etc. Each day I kept that 'It's just 50 days' mantra in my head.
At the start of 2024 I did it - I got past the 50 day mark. Then things changed. Rather than thinking I had to get to 50 I thought 'I've done 50 now. It would be stupid and pointless for that all to be for nothing.'
I had a little app widget on my phone that did nothing more than display the number of days I'd gone without a drink. That gave me something to look at, and I'd say to myself how I'd now done, say, 67 days so let's get to 70 because that's 10 full weeks.
It kind of went on like that until I was chasing the year marker. I got to the year and then I really didn't want to make it all for nothing.
You know how a lot of services and boring things now try to 'gamify' themselves? It's basically just that. If you can create something that makes you want to compete against yourself and get new records, it makes it a little bit easier, and the dopamine hit from achieving it makes you want to do it again.
By the end of next month - January 2026 - I will have been teetotal for two full years. I now feels normal. I love knowing that I'll never have hangovers again. I've also saved a lot of money and lost loads of weight so it's wins all round.
OldManChino@reddit
What was the name of the widget for the phone home screen, sounds like a neat idea
ActSad9188@reddit
I'm using the Try Dry app, it's really good with lots of badges and goals you can set, plus record how much you drank if you did. Overall helping me so far, some days easier than others.
hotdamn_1988@reddit
I want to know too
SirPooleyX@reddit
It's called Countdown.
ElectricNewspaper@reddit
If you truly can't do a month alcohol free then you are alcohol dependent by definition. There aren't any "tips" for you - seek professional help, not Reddit.
banxy85@reddit
I would honestly say don't bother with dry January
You're gonna make yourself suffer for a month just to go back to your old ways after that?
What's the point 🤷
Either carry on habitually drinking, which feels comfortable in the short term. Or make meaningful long term change to your drinking habits, which actually is comfortable in the long run
talligan@reddit
This is a bit silly isn't it? There's no point taking a break unless you're quitting entirely.
I would disagree completely. It's a good thing to do every once in a while to re-evaluate our relationship with alcohol.
MisterIndecisive@reddit
Nah you're the one talking nonsense. People that do Dry January are the same as those who do start Gym and give it it up by February or those who do Venganuary. It's all just based on guilt from overindulgence.
If you truly want to create better habits just doing it for a month in January ans reverting back to type does nothing
graceofspadeso@reddit
I am thinking of doing it, because my tolerance has built up over time, so drinking a whole bottle of wine only gets me tipsy, and I started needing a bottle and a half to get to the same level. If I dont take a break i will need 2 bottles next. I dont really want to quit entirely right now, but its important I reset my tolerance as a bare minimum unless I want to run into trouble. Also there is a chance I may not take drinking back up in the same way or at all later, but I won't know how i feel until I get there
banxy85@reddit
Sound like you're in trouble already
graceofspadeso@reddit
Well I quit weed, hard drugs and smoking, so from my perspective "just" drinking alot doesn't seem that bad, but yes, I am sure it does qualify as a problem and I am to work on that too
banxy85@reddit
Congrats 👍
It's still bad tho. Try not to get stuck for too long on 'heavy drinking isn't so bad'
graceofspadeso@reddit
Thanks, dont worry its just starting to move up my to list now, hence why I am taking a crack a dry January at least and seeing how it goes
banxy85@reddit
Good idea
Really good progress and going in the right direction 👍
graceofspadeso@reddit
Thanks for that, appreciate it!
talligan@reddit
Best of luck with dry January!
graceofspadeso@reddit
Thank you so much!
MisterIndecisive@reddit
Then do it for longer than a month or you will be back to square one
graceofspadeso@reddit
Doing it for a month will be very hard as it is, I doubt i am going to be able to quit forever right off the bat like that. You are saying I need to just do it, like its as easy as picking up a hobby or something. I tried before and I couldn't manage two weeks, I have been drinking almost every weekend for the last 20 years, if I manage to do a whole month it will be the first time ever I have managed that, and I will consider it a really great achievement. And you say being back to square one like its a bad thing, the whole point it to do a reset, square one would be great! Currently I am at like square -25 or whatever. Perhaps one day I will quit for good, or get myself into a better mind set where I just have a couple of drinks on major events, but just trying to make any kind of realistic start is going to be a better option than doing nothing and letting myself slide further in.
banxy85@reddit
Exactly
In fact it's worse than doing nothing because you ruin January for yourself 😂
banxy85@reddit
It's not
If you read what I said again
Almost everyone I've known to do dry January just grits their teeth and has an absolutely shit month then goes back to their own habits
Which has no health benefit to anyone
talligan@reddit
I still don't think I'd agree. Is there much of a difference versus giving something up for lent?
I don't do either, but those I've known who do dry January do it to reset their drinking habits after the holiday season which I think is fair.
banxy85@reddit
No there's not much difference vs giving something up for lent
Fyi I think that's dumb too 👍
talligan@reddit
I think it's a bit silly myself but I know folks who find meaning in it, both as a personal challenge and religious/spiritual connections.
banxy85@reddit
Fair play to them. I would argue if you have to do something every year then it's not really doing much for you lol 🤷
talligan@reddit
Im just glad I'm not Muslim. I'd be absolutely miserable every Ramadan
Morazma@reddit
OP, honestly, it sounds like you have a problem. There's enjoying a drink and then there's a dozen bottles of wine in a week (or 2?).
Plus the fact that you have to ask for tips on how to stop drinking...
Calm_Highlight_9320@reddit (OP)
Friendly piece of advice. Be careful with assumptions. Or voicing uninvited opinions. They are rarely well received in the real world - let alone on an online forum.
Best bet is for you to take what you see on here at face-value. As you are absent any other proper insights.
Morazma@reddit
Voicing uninvited opinions? Jesus christ, you're asking for advice on a public area of the internet.
Friendly piece of advice: admit you have a drinking problem, accept advice for others and sort yourself out.
How embarrassing.
Calm_Highlight_9320@reddit (OP)
I see you opted for anger and defensiveness yourself whilst attempt to reverse it in truly troll like internet shenanigans. The preluding 'friendly' did not seem to sit well with you as one may have hoped.
Allow me to clarify some more to help you.
In regard to 'uninvited' options - to be specific - the question (to which everyone bar you successfully attempted to answer) was to paraphrase 'what tips and tricks have experienced non-drinkers have to be successful for dry January - and beyond.'
You have taken then - the scant info I have provided about myself (mostly humorous it should be noted) and declared I have a drinking problem and need to 'sort myself out'.
This is a very brave assertion to make, based on the fact you know next to nothing about me. Some may say foolish. But I have tried to give you the benefit of the doubt.
And although you are unduly confident in your strident - and unqualified - diagnosis. It remains 'uninvited'. This should be a fairly easy concept for you to understand. Or so I had hoped.
Lets get even more simplistic. You would do well to a) stick to the literal question being asked b) save any unqualified statements/judgements/diagnosis to yourself c) try to be helpful and not a cliched internet troll.
Clear enough? Or should we break out the crayons?
Morazma@reddit
So many words yet zero substance. Try harder, loser.
Da5ren@reddit
I didn’t drink that much anyway so it wasn’t like a thing I had to constantly fight with. When i did have to socialise with people in a bar, i would just say i’m not drinking. My circle was cool with that and didn’t care. My family were a bit less supportive but I only really socialise with them 2/3 times a year so I jut deal with it.
Studiocs@reddit
Stopped hanging around with the people who the only thing I had in common with them was going for a pint/getting leathered with. Always been a social drinker, think it's down to me having social anxiety and anxiety in general in public places. I used drink as a coping mechanism.. I have a great group of friends now who I just board game and vibe with in our houses. Didn't touch the booze at all last year, bar some Xmas prosecco.
Calm_Highlight_9320@reddit (OP)
This is very much myself as well.
I also need to find someone to play boardgames with!
Sea_Corgi_7284@reddit
2 years ago about a week before new year I just said to myself I’m going to stop drinking for a full year, just for a laugh. No other reason. And this is coming from someone who probably drank every single day for months (if not years) beforehand. Not getting steaming but absolutely have 6 or 7 cans a night every night. Just decided nope that’s it now, and it wasn’t even remotely difficult. If you absolutely 100% WANT to stop, you’ll just do it and it won’t even bother you. After a while someone could offer you a drink at some boring party and you’ll just say nah not bothered.
I find it infinitely more difficult to drink just randomly once, and not carry on the next day and the next. I can’t just drink on a Friday night then not drink Saturday. It has to be all or nothing for me sadly. Coming to terms with the fact I’ve got an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and I seriously struggle to do it in moderation is the hard part for me.
Currently hungover btw.
robster9090@reddit
I stopped 5 years ago and never did anything different other than not buying it. I honestly think some people create their own obstacles for this some times and make it bigger than it needs to be.
If you don’t have a genuine issue and want to stop then it’s that simple really
snakefanclub@reddit
Two things that really helped me back when I kicked my drinking habit were 1) keeping a list of reasons why I wanted to cut down that I could refer to whenever the urge struck, and 2) using a sober tracking app that gave me a visual indicator of how many days I’d drank in a given month. Yeah, it did legitimately suck for the first month or two, but it was a very proud day when I realized that I really had no reason to keep the app on my phone anymore since I hadn’t touched booze in a solid year.
FuckAbout-FindOut@reddit
I've only seen it mentioned once that I can see in the comments but r/stopdrinking is a great resource.
8 years for me this year. Good luck
Fit-Bedroom-7645@reddit
Not sure what the key is, but one year I extended dry January to 100 days and I honestly felt amazing. I somehow fell arse over tit back into old habits, and maybe even ramped it up a bit. I did sober October this year and started feeling good again. I think I'll try for another 100 days this January to march, no excuses not to really, just need to figure out some sort of distraction.
RANDM8@reddit
I'll give it a go with you
CLO303@reddit
I might give it a go with you. Maybe try the end of feb.
Fluffy_Source_255@reddit
San Pelligrino Limonata is my go to.
But this is reddit mate, if you have a few drinks over Christmas or a beer after work on a Friday, you're in the pits of alcohol addiction hell.
Don't be too hard on yourself
Footbe4rd@reddit
Stocked the fridge with decent AF beers and interesting soft drinks. Makes it feel less like deprivation
Legitimate_Impact@reddit
I wish I could find some decent alcohol-free beers! 😆
bearfanhiya@reddit
Guineas zero is fantastic
ZekkPacus@reddit
There are loads. I do dry January every year, and every year it gets easier.
Guinness Zero is indistinguishable from actual Guinness. Peroni Zero and Corona Cero are both very close. Lucky Saint is a very decent bespoke low alcohol. Erdinger Alkoholfrei is delicious and also isotonic, so you can genuinely have it after exercise and it's helpful.
There are even craft breweries doing exclusively alcohol free beers, big drop has some decent stuff.
Leroy-Leo@reddit
Guinness zero is pretty good, has the same texture as a standard Guinness. For me it’s also close enough to the standard drink on taste that I don’t really miss the original
KidA82@reddit
I do all the driving in my family so it’s taken me ages to find a non shit AF beer. Guinness 00% is ace, but this is my go to for parties. Shit tastes insane for alcohol free.
https://store.claptoncraft.co.uk/products/mash-gang-chug-alcohol-free-pale-ale
ThisCharmingMan89@reddit
Brooklyn Breweries 'Special Effects' is top-notch
SmugDruggler95@reddit
Lidls perlenbacher 0.0 are decent and they're like £3 for 6 bottles
Apprehensive-Mix7192@reddit
I like the St. Etiene alcohol free larger and it comes in a decent sized bottle rather than a tiny one xx
fair_isle@reddit
So far I've found Asahi the nicest/closest to lager, and Leffe the most interesting flavour. Beavertown Lazer Crush is pretty nice too.
Almanis46@reddit
Lucky Saint AF larger is very good, the closest I've found bybsome margin
schwillton@reddit
I’m happy the beers were decent as fuck but I think that disqualifies you from answering
bearfanhiya@reddit
See choosing alcohol as a door. Close it. Only you can open that door. You have a choice to make. Also behind that door is shit hangovers, the fear, regret, and a desire to actively poison your body. Only you can choose to open the door. If the door stays shut, the world still turns, problems still happen but you give yourself the mental clarity to take on whatever comes your way. Your door, your choice.
LemmysCodPiece@reddit
I gave up drinking in 2012. My daughter saw me drunk after a night out and it just didn't sit well with me. So I never drank again. I don't miss it.
boringlynormaal@reddit
I went sober Dec 2022 and this is what worked for me, although it is not flawless...
1) find someone you admire who is a/f as an inspiration (for me this is Orla Chennaoui
2) do Dry Jan
3) turn not drinking into a weird competition where if you drink you've lost the game therefore not drinking is winning
4) tell everyone you are not drinking which helps with accountability
5) find an a/f drink you'll enjoy when socialising so you dont feel like the "lemonade loser" in the corner
Again, I realise not all of the above is healthy, but it has got me 3 years dry, so horses for courses I guess.
Skate_beard@reddit
I've done dry January a couple times and kept it going for 3 or so months without much trouble, I always enjoyed alcohol (grew up in the drink centric culture of the early 00s) but have been able to take it or leave it, and non of my social life is based around it, so was very easy to shelve drinking as a whole.
I finally quit drinking altogether last April, and I don't miss it. First Christmas just gone with no alcohol at all, and a couple packs of 0% beer did the job for me.
I think the ease of giving it up hinges on your level of alcohol dependency in the first place, if you're someone who was never a huge drinker in the first place it's easier to stop than if you're someone who can't get through the week without cracking a few beers or a couple bottles of wine.
This country definitely has a socially acceptable alcohol problem IMO.
My ex wife was an abusive alcoholic and that's what finally turned me off booze for good. I have such strong negative associations with it now that I stopped enjoying drinking, and seeing what it does to someone close to you is a pretty good way to not want anything to do with it.
I think finding and having other outlets helps. I'm 40 and heavily into skateboarding and climbing, both of which I do several times a week. Alcohol just isn't compatible with this sort of lifestyle at my age in a sustainable way, I have to be more conscious of what I'm putting in my body to be able to enjoy the physical activities I do, and I want to be able to keep doing them as long as possible. Between this and my experience with my ex, I have an active negative association with alcohol that makes not drinking it very easy to do.
Is_there@reddit
Due to a suspected stomach ulcer I've had to go dry for the last 3 months. Annoyingly I also can't eat chocolate or have caffeine. As a result I've had my first Christmas with no alcohol or chocolate.
It's been hard particularly the socializing part. Guinness 0% has been handy as it looks and feels like a pint. I've also drank a lot of soda water and lime. I guess knowing that if I do drink I will spend days in agony has help with the motivation. The main thing I have noticed is how loud people get when drunk and how I want to go home before everyone else. But overall it's not been terrible. Also I've lost a fair bit of weight so that's also a bonus of sorts.
danieljamesgillen@reddit
I drink kava instead, similar effect (better in many ways), no hangover , removes all desire for alcohol (not immediately but over time)
Calm_Highlight_9320@reddit (OP)
Never heard of Kava before - but quick google - is it legal? When you say you drink it - is it something you can buy?
danieljamesgillen@reddit
It’s officially illegal but from my research no one has been prosecuted for it. I live outside uk in eu where it is legal. I know some uk people ship it from Ireland but probably best not too. I’m happy I found it though. Never drink now before I enjoyed my weekend drinks perhaps a bit too much.
MarthaFarcuss@reddit
I enjoyed being sober
CoatLast@reddit
I am an alcoholic. Sober since September 8th 2020. Prior to that I was up to 2 litres of vodka a day.
The key is I don't aim to be sober for ever. For ever is a scary long time. I am just aiming to be sober today. Hence, if you look at r/stopdrinking you will see we say "I will not drink with you today". The other thing is sugar. Alcoholics crave it when we get sober, give in to it, it will go away on its own.
HuntingTheWren@reddit
I will reach two years on NYD.
For me, I got lucky: decided to do Dry January; found out my wife was pregnant shortly thereafter and had an ally to not booze with.
That and the answer above about stocking up on great AF options (Drop Bear are brilliant) have meant that it hasn’t been a huge struggle.
Good luck!
AtLeastOneCat@reddit
I've never been a big drinker but now I have to be completely off it for health reasons. The number one thing I try to avoid is spending a lot of time around drunk people. I can handle a bit as, like I say, I was never a big drinker but sometimes you find yourself wanting to join in just to make them less irritating.
Alcohol free beers and ciders are good. Finding activities that don't involve drinking can also help. My friends are all into boardgames these days. Sometimes they drink, sometimes they don't but at least there's something occupying you other than the drinks in front of you.
tumblingnebulas@reddit
I haven't had a drink in a decade. I am an immovable object when it comes to the weird peer pressure gang 'oh go on, just one!'. No. There is no just one for me. There is one and then a slow inexorable slide into many. I can't have one anything. No smoking, no drinking, no drugs, I can't even eat too much without doing that again and again. People who get weird about that aren't friends. Get new ones if you have to.
Also, what everyone else said about other good drinks - fun soft drinks, make or buy mocktails, non alcoholic beers are much better than they used to be.
OutrageousRhubarb853@reddit
Bought the audiobook: Easyway to Control Alcohol
Listened and walked - came home one night and that was it. 6+ years ago and I have never missed it once. I was a creeper, only drink Friday and Saturday. Then Sunday if the football was on… then Champions League during the week. A life of mental turmoil was left behind the day.
mypostisbad@reddit
I did this before it became a thing.
I was a social drinker. My social life was always rather busy. I often decided to take January off after a heavy Christmas period.
It was never a problem. Why? Because it was a choice. If I wanted to break it I could and did. There was no pressure. Most of the time I kept to it. Sometimes I had the odd drink of an evening.
It's a choice.
If you find that choice very hard, in the nicest way, you might want to consider that you have a problem you want to address before it gets real bad.
CanIhazCooKIenOw@reddit
The fact you have to do dry anything should be enough indicator that you do have a problem.
Guiness alcohol free is pretty decent
DoItForTheTea@reddit
i started to like the person i was (sober) and spent my time with people who liked sober me, too. that's all
___CS4C___@reddit
This.
0hCrumbs@reddit
It really does just boil down to, “ you have to want too enough” tips would be, one day at a time, forget about tomorrow just get on with today, sweeties and ice cream 😅 no good if you’re on a health kick or diet, but if you’re drinking regularly then its certainly no worse
Keep busy, take up a hobby, redecorate a room, whatever, keep yourself occupied 👍
Max_Power_332@reddit
The secret is mate that alcohol just really isn’t that good. It makes you annoying, it makes other people annoying, it makes you feel like shit, it ruins your sleep and it ruins your health - even if it is just recreational.
If you can get over what other people think of you not drinking is the easy part.
Just think right if anything else made you act a twat, annoy everyone around you, consume needless and empty calories, have a shit night’s sleep, wake up with a stinking headache looking and feeling like shite for two days you’d go ‘Jesus, I ain’t doing that again’, and you wouldn’t.
BingeLurker@reddit
Book a run (runthrough is the main one I attend) that gives you a goal to achieve in the next few months.
It’s such a good excuse when you say you aren’t drinking because of an upcoming marathon etc. and stops all but the most annoying of drinkers in trying to persuade you to ‘just have one’.
Source: 5th year of dry Jan coming up and first marathon in April so will be extending my break until then.
Also, I’m a cider drinker but non-alcoholic cider just tastes like apple juice. I go for a fizzy drink instead. I’ve heard amazing things about Guinness 0% from mates - they say they can’t tell the difference.
kingceegee@reddit
Guinness zero is excellent. What I do hate is when I go to a pub and they crack a can and charge me £6. Definitely recommend finding the local on tap places.
I'm very similar to you in my approach. Come April though, I'm an absolute animal. Need to try and solve that one. Maybe I should book a boxing fight for something for June.
anabsentfriend@reddit
I had the worst hangover ever and was sick in my bed. I said 'never again'. This was ten years ago and I never did.
haikoup@reddit
Walking and weed helps.
Purple-Sound-4470@reddit
Haven't touched a drop in 10 years, just decided not to do it anymore.
Once you decide it's easy.
greenglossygalaxy@reddit
I’m soon to be joining the ex-drinkers lot & hopeful that it will stick. For me, I’m doing it based on my age, having a young child and just feeling exhausted overall from drinking. There have been a few people I know who have passed away or are very ill, whilst it’s not down solely to drinking it just reminds me I can’t keep this up forever & I also don’t want to anymore. I’m starting from New Year’s Eve - trying to leave this year in the way I want next year to go.
Organic-Violinist223@reddit
Good luck! I’m Very much in the same situation as you! I actually cant wait to attempt dry Jan, be more present for my kids and save money too!
greenglossygalaxy@reddit
Good luck to you also! I suggest you put the money that you’d usually spend aside and take your kids somewhere fun or chuck it in their savings to remind yourself it’s for them as much as you.
Feeling_Pen_8579@reddit
All in moderation, best just set the goals, now for me, it was make it to my birthday (mid-Feb) and celebrate with a few beers, because I will damned if I go through life not getting a few down me, but a break is good for all.
ThatNiceDrShipman@reddit
Dont let yourself get thirsty, that's when the cravings hit. Have plenty of soft drinks (esp. ginger tea) available.
Wretched_Colin@reddit
I bought an ice machine, same idea as this
I’m beating the water in non-stop. Having iced water makes it feel special.
It’s part of an overall 16:8 fasting routine. I feel great for it.
Organic-Violinist223@reddit
I’m very much in the same situation! I have a very unhealthy addiction to alcohol! At the start of December I was ill, and naturally didn’t drink, and it made me feel so good, I read books, started to learn new hobbies, saved a load of cash! I miss these feelings, it’s like another me! January 1st. I will start day 1 again, and make it to 30 days, I really want to finish my book - white teeth! I want to be more present and healthier! Good luck to all on day 1 and throughout January!
TobblyWobbly@reddit
I did it in 2020, and honestly didn't miss it - and that was after drinking most weekends. Then lockdown hit soon after, and we weren't going anywhere I might have been tempted. I'm 90% sure I haven't had a drink since.
I did try various non-alcoholic wines, &c, at first. Then I was hospitalised, and was only supposed to drink water when I got out. So I got out of the habit of that too.
I do like a Guinness Zero if I'm out for dinner, though.
Boababoomboom@reddit
Its a tough time of year to stop, I stopped in around May 7 years ago, I'd have been classed as an alcoholic if I went for help, between friends and workmates etc I was drunk more of the week than not, sometimes needing a drink before starting work just to try and put off what were becoming awful hangovers.
Just decided I was tired of it, it came at a price though as there was no way I would stop drinking if I was still socialising with drinkers everyday of the week so my social life took a nose dive. I'll still have 1 or 2 at family events or at Xmas or New Year but I stick to that and don't budge. All in all I'd be lucky if I had 12 drinks all through the year.
Whatever your routine is for drinking I'd try changing that, if January does become too difficult to make it through without drinking then at least try to drink less often and a lesser amount when you do drink. If your ultimately looking to quit altogether you'll need to tell your friends & family, if you don't you'll find you hear "just have a drink, go on" 100s of times. Good luck to you
Mundane_Process_2986@reddit
I am going to try again this year, I failed every year bar 1 , and that year I just drank all the more in February, that puts me off a bit but I really want a month off.
basically I don’t drink midweek, then drink Friday Saturday and Sunday, then off again until the next Friday, the thing is midweek I don’t care, but a Friday afternoon I am climbing the bloody walls by 3pm. So I know my weakness, just do something else on a Friday!
No_Librarian_3985@reddit
I get the chocolate drink maker out and enjoy a wide array of hot chocolate drinks. Mood booster and quite good for ones health too in moderation. Lol. Like anything. Many professional jobs require a complete commitment which includes being healthy. It's sad but shows how expectations are now. People are healthier but mentally they are fudged.
anonoaw@reddit
I haven’t fully quit drinking but I no longer get drunk. I’ll have the odd glass of wine with dinner, and then a few drinks over Christmas and my birthday and that’s about it.
I never did dry January, but for me it was easy to massively cut down drinking because I had a solid reason why. The only bad arguments me and my husband ever had was when I’d been drinking. I didn’t like it, so I stopped. I now have two young kids so it’s easy to not drink much cos parenting with a hangover is awful.
If you’re just someone who wants to drink less (rather than having an addiction to alcoholism), have a good reason to stop. If it’s just cos you think you should, the you’ll likely fail.
Something that has made it easier is finding different soft drinks I like. I’ll also drink lemonade out of my fancy champagne glasses to feel fancy.
If you have a genuine addiction, it’ll be harder but the core is the same: you need to want to stop for a solid reason that’s personal to you.
RiverTadpolez@reddit
Definitely go to social things. Go to the parties, go to the pub. It will be a bit boring to begin with, but after a while you'll get more used to having fun in groups with booze. After a while you realise that you really don't have to drink to hang out with people.
Exercise/ go to the gym.
Make early morning plans.
BG3restart@reddit
I've done dry January a few times, usually to kick start a diet to get ready for summer. I didn't do it last year because I was on holiday at the start of January, but I may do it this year. I haven't decided yet. I seem to go from drinking lots to drinking nothing quite easily. It's drinking moderately I have a problem with.
Chrolan1988@reddit
I just got busier / stay busier with other things.
Some people try to; Exercise more, improve diet, stop drinking and change their entire daily routines in January…
A month to usually has; bitter weather, dark nights and mornings and a month where most usually have less money and pay day feels like a dream in the distance.
Give yourself at least a fighting chance and see if you can stop for a month in the Spring/Summer first.
Serious-Fail-5486@reddit
Honestly, filled my time with more interesting things
Between going to the gym 3-5 days a week, seeing friends, and at least two social outings a week (largely including food) - I find myself sufficiently entertained to the extent that drinking really only happens when it’s a decent arranged outing, rather than just a booty call to the pub because I’ve got nothing better to do
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