{"id":8029,"date":"2019-12-04T10:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T16:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=8029"},"modified":"2021-12-08T10:16:45","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T16:16:45","slug":"put-down-that-drink-and-give-dry-january-a-try","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/put-down-that-drink-and-give-dry-january-a-try\/","title":{"rendered":"Put down that drink and give \u2018Dry January\u2019 a try"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking a break from alcohol may be a New Year\u2019s resolution some people plan to make.<\/p>\n

After all, abstaining\u00a0 from alcohol certainly has its health benefits and likely is why efforts like \u201cDry January\u201d\u2014 starting the New Year with a month-long break from drinking alcohol \u2013 have become so popular.<\/p>\n

According to the Nielsen Corporation, a global provider of market research and analysis into consumer behaviors, the \u201csober curious\u201d movement, that includes efforts like Dry January and Sober October, got its start among millennials.<\/p>\n

How it began<\/h2>\n
\"Dry<\/a>

Download the calendar to join us for this #OSFChallenge<\/strong>!
Download<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Dry January was started in 2013 by the nonprofit charity, Alcohol Change U.K.<\/a> It began to catch on in the U.S. a couple years ago.<\/p>\n

The rules are pretty simple, you simply commit to parting ways with wine, beer and spirits for all 31 days of January.\u00a0The logic behind the pledge is all about detoxing after holiday indulgences and making a resolution towards better health.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Dry January<\/h2>\n

But does a short-term breakup with alcohol really have any measurable health benefits?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never a bad idea to cut down on alcohol,\u201d said Jennifer Wenger, LCSW, Substance Use Services program manager of OSF Behavioral Health<\/a>. \u201cWhile Dry January may sound a bit gimmicky, if it propels people to evaluate their relationship with alcohol, then that\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

But before someone pledges to participate in Dry January, Jennifer said they should be mindful about the habit<\/a> they are wanting to change.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the first things to ask yourself is, \u2018why?\u2019 What is it about your current relationship with alcohol that would make you want to do this?\u201d she said. \u201cYou need to take an honest assessment of how much you\u2019re drinking now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have a contingency plan<\/h2>\n

While it is beneficial for your health<\/a> and well-being to take a break from alcohol, Jennifer warns about the need to have a contingency plan if a few days or a week into the month you fail to follow through.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you setting yourself up to fail?\u201d she said. \u201cOr what would be worst \u2013 the following month. What\u2019s February going to look like? Do you revert back to drinking, maybe even more?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding alternatives to drinking alcohol<\/h2>\n

\"\"It\u2019s important, Jennifer said, to find alternative things to do during the month to keep from going out for drinks or having a couple beers watching the game on TV.<\/p>\n

Those things can be simple, like taking a brisk walk, building a snowman with your kids, taking up a new hobby or just spending quality time \u2013 an extra hour or so a day \u2013 with your spouse and kids. Here at OSF HealthCare, we came up with a list of 31 things you can do<\/a> \u2013 one each day \u2013 instead of drinking.<\/p>\n

When the month is over<\/h2>\n

Jennifer said after participating in Dry January for the first week or so, you may see you are sleeping better, have more energy and are even losing weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the month, re-evaluate how abstaining from alcohol has impacted how you\u2019re feeling \u2013 that may be motivation enough to continue on the path,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

If you think, however, you have a problem, you should reach out to your primary care provider and they can get you connected to a behavioral health navigator<\/a> at OSF HealthCare who can help you locate assistance in your area and see what your insurance covers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Give “Dry January” a try and start the New Year with a month-long break from drinking wine, beer and spirits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":8047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[734],"tags":[742,324],"coauthors":[688],"class_list":["post-8029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-health","tag-alcohol","tag-holidays"],"yoast_head":"\nPut down that drink and give \u2018Dry January\u2019 a try | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Give "Dry January" a try and start the New Year with a month-long break from drinking wine, beer and spirits.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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