January is a wonderful time of the year to start afresh and take a break from alcohol. After the chaos of Christmas, it’s the perfect time to regroup and get ready to smash 2018.
The dry Jan movement was a stroke of genius on the part of the charity, Alcohol Concern. Dry Jan now helps millions take a break from alcohol and raises a huge amount of awareness and money for charities. I love it – BUT in amongst all these amazing benefits grows a myth – a myth that needs busting.
“I’ve done a month off the booze so I’m okay”
If we cut to the chase – there are many who reluctantly take a month off the booze only to justify 11 months worth of overindulgence. We see this all the time. We all know people who lock themselves away for January in a vain attempt to kid themselves that they have control over their drinking. This provides the green light for another year’s boozing – no questions asked.
This mindset also opens the floodgates to go crazy during the silly season of December because its okay – ‘we’re going to take a month off in Jan’. On waking hungover on New Year’s Day it’s time to cancel all social occasions – batten down the hatches, mope around and dream of Feb 1st.
The ‘missing out’ mindset misses the point
We can’t state this enough – any break from alcohol is amazing – but come on – you can’t kid a kidder and there are many people who parade the ‘I’ve had a month off’’ medal and use it as leverage for 11 months of access. But this ‘missing out’ mindset misses the point.
Keystone habit
The whole idea of taking a break from alcohol is to experience the life-changing benefits this brings. It is the first-hand experience of the many alcohol-free advantages that transforms peoples relationship with alcohol and, very often, their life in the process. Because it turns out that taking a break from alcohol is a keystone habit, which unlocks your full well-being potential.
Just a few of the benefits, such as extra energy, motivation, vitality, productivity, money and time pave the way to the life you always dreamed of. Relationships blossom, whilst tempers are less frayed and business often booms when armed with the full suite of advantages. Whilst morning-after anxiety disappears, replaced by inner calm. Exercise routines are no longer cancelled due to hangovers, which leads to healthy lean bodies. Diet’s improve as you finally notice how food affects productivity once the fog of alcohol has lifted. It is this upward spiral of alcohol-free thriving that provides the leverage to go after your dreams and goals.
How to unlock your keystone habit during dry Jan
Our book – ‘The 28-day alcohol-free challenge.’ is the perfect guide to dry Jan. The book is designed to help you create the mindset shift from ‘giving something up’ to ‘gaining a massive, alcohol-free, advantage’ in all areas of life.
A study into the effects of a month’s break from alcohol
In 2015 professor Kevin Moore of the London Royal Free Hospital co-authored one of the largest ever studies into the effects of a four-week break from alcohol. The participants where average drinkers who were taking part in the Dry January campaign and the results were staggering:
Participants lost 40% of their liver fat, lost 3kg in weight, had reduced cholesterol and lower glucose levels.
Moore was so impressed with the findings that he suggested that if there were a pill that produced similar results, everyone would want it.
Our book ‘The 28-day alcohol-free challenge’ is that pill!
Two ways to do a dry Jan
The first is where you lock yourself away, dream of Feb 1st and use this break as an excuse to overindulge for the next 11 months.
The second is to embrace the challenge and make the effort to experience all the great things that going alcohol-free has to offer.
Which one will you choose?
Here are three quick ways to take on dry Jan and win:
- Grab a copy of our book ‘The 28-day alcohol-free challenge.’
- Sign up to the wonderful ‘Dry Jan’ campaign
- Join us at oneyearnobeer.com and sign up for a 28-day alcohol-free challenge to get daily support, a community of like-minded people just like you, daily videos, daily accountability with myself and so much more.
Support Our Campaign
We rely on the generosity of the public to fund our work and so far together we have achieved great things! Please do continue to support us so we can provide future generations in Ireland with the resources to recognise and talk about their emotions, and equip them to navigate the ever-changing world around them as they grow
