Surviving Dry January

More and more of us are turning away from alcohol with the proportion of adults who drink alcohol at the lowest level on record according to data from the Office for National Statistics. With a focus on health and well-being and initiatives such as Dry January, we’re much more aware of our nutrition and mindfulness when drinking and many of us are seeking better quality alcohol and paying a higher price for it.

If you want to cut down on your alcohol consumption the New Year is the perfect time to do it! Take part in Dry January with our top tips from Chris Hill, an addiction expert and best-selling author and you’ll be well on your way to keeping that ‘drink less’ resolution!

Don’t avoid parties

Avoiding scenarios where you drink alcohol won’t help, in fact it’ll lead you to feel more negative about giving up alcohol. Go to social events and you’ll feel strong and empowered when you realise you don’t need a glass of wine to have a good time.

Just have the tonic

Sometime other people make it hard for you to give up alcohol as they try to convince you to have a drink with them. If you don’t want to talk about it, simply order a tonic with ice and a slice to give the appearance of a G&T. Your friends won’t be any the wiser!

Talk to yourself

Tell yourself that you don’t want a drink. If you think ‘I fancy a glass of wine’ simply tell yourself that you’re not drinking anymore. Keep it up for 10 days and voila, you will no longer want to drink!

Need more convincing? Chris also has some great reasons on why you should do Dry January:

You’ll wake up refreshed

Alcohol reduces the amount of time your body spends in REM (deep sleep – the time our bodies spend getting truly refreshed.

You can maximise your workout

When you give up alcohol your body doesn’t have to work so hard to eliminate all the toxins you’ve just consumed which leaves energy for other things. You’ll feel more energetic and be able to push yourself further.

You’ll lose weight

Alcohol contains a lot of sugar. A glass of Rose wine averages a huge 7.5g per glass. That’s a quarter of your daily sugar intake!

You’ll change your mindset

Alcohol contains Ethanol which is a known depressant. Emotionally, alcohol is a suppressant which covers up anxieties and fears. Giving up alcohol will help you feel more positive and refreshed.

You’ll get that glow

Even the smallest amount of alcohol can impact your skin. It can result in dehydrated, flaky skin, puffiness and breakouts. When you give up alcohol you’ll notice a difference in your skin’s appearance and have a much healthier glow.

And better yet? There’s plenty of non-alcoholic drinks to help you. Take Seedlip – the world’s first non-alcoholic distilled spirit and its fans are spearheading a movement called ‘mindful drinking’.

Founder, Ben Branson believes it shouldn’t matter whether you drink or not – you should be able to have a great experience. Maybe that’s why hashtags celebrating a sober lifestyle are dominating Instagram – #sober throws up two million posts!