Dry January: Benefits of Taking a Break From Booze
As we enter the new year, you’ve probably heard friends and family discussing dry January, or posting about it on social media. Dry January is a resolution where for the entire month of January, you give up drinking alcohol. Doing dry January doesn’t necessarily mean you have a problem with alcohol, it started as a way for people to reset after drinking and eating poorly during the holiday season. It’s also a great way for you to reassess your relationship with alcohol; see how your day-to-day life, mental health, and relationships may or may not change when alcohol isn’t involved for a semi-extended period of time. Dry January or not, there are several benefits associated with taking a break from booze, and today we’ll be discussing a few of them.
1. You’ll sleep better
Alcohol is a sedative, and while you may think that it helps you sleep, the opposite is true. Drinking with frequency and or in abundance can lead to insomnia. While you might fall asleep quickly after a few drinks, you’re more likely to wake up a few hours later and have a hard time going back to bed. The sleep you do get after drinking is also going to feel significantly less restful than a full night's sleep sober. Lastly, alcohol affects the neurotransmitters in our brains that help us reach REM cycle sleep, the deepest sleep you can be in which is thought to be important for our mood, memories, and learning. Overall, drinking and a good night's sleep can’t go hand in hand.
2. You’ll be in a better mood
This might give some of us pause. Lots of people associate drinking with being able to loosen up and be more open or outgoing, and alcohol might be the root of some fun memories. But alcohol is a depressant. This means that while in the moment you might feel happy and good, the comedown from alcohol will be hard. Post-drinking stress, depression, and anxiety, also known as “hangxiety” (hangover-anxiety), are so common because of alcohol's depressive effects. People who drink with frequency and or in abundance are also more likely to develop lasting mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. For those of us on antidepressant medication, drinking alcohol can actually make your anxiety and depression worse. So, giving up drinking could significantly reduce the amount of days you spend not feeling your best.
3. You’ll save money
Drinking is expensive, like really expensive. Even if you only go out a few nights a month and spend $40 each time, that's still $120 spent on drinking in a single month. Multiply that by 12, you’re looking at almost $1,500 spent on drinking a year. That’s a lot of money! Instead, you could save that money up and buy yourself something nice, or use that money that would have been spent on drinks on activities with your friends and family and create memories you’ll actually remember. Even if you only give up drinking for a month, your wallet will thank you!
4. Your skin will get clearer
Alcohol is incredibly dehydrating. When you wake up thirsty after a night of drinking it’s not just your mouth that’s dry, it’s also your organs which include your internal organs, but also your skin. Drinking in excess can deprive your skin from getting the nutrients it needs which can make your skin look bloated, puffy, wrinkled, and dull. Taking a break from drinking means all the water you drink will actually go to hydrating your body! An increase in hydration helps prevent premature signs of aging, and increases cell turnover rate. This means a break from booze will likely result in skin that looks young and bright and feels softer.
5. No hangovers
You can’t get hungover if you’re not drinking. Taking a break from booze means no days where you feel terrible and can’t leave your house or open your blinds. This means you’ll have more days to do more things! Maybe there’s a Sunday brunch spot you’ve been wanting to try but are never in a state to go to, or a farmers market, or even just a lazy cleaning day at home. Taking a break from drinking means you’ll at least have a choice on how you want to spend every day.
For some of us dry January, or any sort of a break from drinking, can just be a period of time we go through to prove to ourselves we can do it. Afterwards we might go back to drinking the same way we were before. But for some of us, taking this break can be really revealing and show us that maybe we were a little more dependent on drinking than we may have initially thought. Maybe taking a month off of drinking leads to being sober, or maybe it just helps you be a little more mindful about when, why, and how much you’re drinking. Either way, there’s definitely no downside from taking a month off from drinking!
If you’re feeling concerned about your relationship to alcohol or other substances, it can help to speak with someone in confidence. Reach out for a free consultation with MINDplexcity, or contact the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration.