I did dry January.

After a December filled with cocktails, wine, cider and goodness knows what else my body was practically begging for a break. I hadn't planned on doing dry January but here we are at the beginning of February and I haven't drank any alcohol this year, so far. 

Dry January is a social movement that encourages people to voluntarily give up alcohol for the first month of the year. While some may view it as a temporary challenge or detox, others see it as an opportunity to reassess their relationship with alcohol, develop healthier habits and kickstart a year of positive change.

I don't think I drink a lot. I maybe have a glass of cider or Baileys on a Friday evening and sometimes not even that and a few glasses of wine on a Saturday evening. If we go out for a meal I might have a glass of wine or a pint of cider but I certainly drink a lot less than I used to a few years ago.

I still have wine, some fruity cider and some Baileys left over from Christmas and drinking it hasn't interested me. What I did struggle with over January was finding something else to drink on a Friday and Saturday evening. I think of alcohol as a treat and something special to have at the end of a week. My normal juice that I drink everyday seemed a bit boring and I didn't fancy to drink Coca cola or lemonade. I wanted something special so I turned to Ginger Beer and Dandelion & Burdock which I don't normally drink. I also discovered some tasty J20 mocktails. The peach & mango daiquiri mocktail is my favourite.

Even when I drink alcohol, I don't get drunk but I still wake up on a Sunday morning feeling tired and a little fuzzy headed but I haven't over the past month. I have been waking up early on a Sunday morning feeling as fresh as a daisy and it feels like I have had an extra day in the week although when we don't have anything planned can be a bit frustrating as by midday I was finding myself feeling bored. I have just found other things to do which I normally wouldn't on a Sunday like jobs around the house. It has meant that during the week I have had less chores to do around the house, it has certainly made my life a bit more enjoyable with a bit of free time at the start of the week.

Stu hasn't been drinking either which means we have saved a bit of money. With a bottle of wine and a pack of lager it comes to about £15 at the least which means we have saved around £60 which seems crazy, to us that is a lot of money. I am starting to think drinking alcohol is just stupid, even just once a week!

January showed me that moderation is the key and sometimes a break from the norm can be good. Going forward I am thinking about just drinking alcohol maybe on the last weekend of the month. It will be a nice treat but I will also be saving some money and I am sure I will feel better for it. I am saying this now but we will see what happens in the summer when the sun is shining and the beer garden is open at pub. hehehe

Did you do dry January?