It’s easy to see Dry January – a time when people abstain from alcohol for a month – as something that can make no real difference to your well-being.
After all, it’s only a month. How much can change?
Quite a lot, it turns out. Going abstaining from alcohol for a month will pay off well for your well-being, even if you don’t plan on staying sober after the month is over.
In fact, you can already see the benefits a week after the challenge (which you can follow with a handy app).
You do that well by sticking to Dry January every week.
Week One: Improved sleep, better hydration and more energy
Dr. Niall Campbell, addiction expert at Priory Group, explains that your sleep improves within a week of quitting alcohol.
Because being drunk usually means falling right into a deep sleep and skipping the all-important REM (rapid eye movement) phase, giving you 1-2 REM sleep cycles instead of the recommended 6-7 cycles per night.
It’s worth noting that the first week of dry January can be harder to fall asleep to, but while you’ll get fewer hours of rest, they’re likely to be of higher quality.
Alcohol consumption affects sleep patterns and it may take some time to get used to a normal, non-alcohol-induced sleep cycle. In addition, withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and restless legs can keep you awake at night.
It is important to try to get through the first week without addiction to alcohol or other sleep aids so that you can address the problem of insomnia rather than mask it and then enjoy the benefits of improved sleep that come with sobriety .
Along with better sleep, your body will become more hydrated during the first week of fasting.
Dr. Campbell says, “When you drink alcohol, you lose about four times as much fluid as you actually drank.
“Quitting alcohol can help you stay hydrated, which benefits your brain. Your mood and focus will become more stable, and headaches will likely subside.
“You will also not suffer from the effects of dehydration, such as B. Lack of motivation and increased fatigue, which will give you more energy throughout the day.”
Second week: Better digestion and less irritation
Within two weeks of Dry January, you may notice a reduction in abdominal pain, nausea, and digestive issues, along with better sleep and increased hydration.
Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, so it gives your body time to get rid of it to heal.
Dr. Campbell also says you’ll start losing weight in week two because you’re giving up the empty calories from alcohol.
She says, “If you had stopped drinking six 6-ounce glasses of wine a week, you would have saved 1,920 calories by now, and 2,160 if you had stopped drinking about six pints of lager.”
Week three: Decreased blood pressure
After three alcohol-free weeks, your blood pressure begins to drop.
That’s quite a problem, because high blood pressure — also called hypertension — is a leading cause of stroke and heart attack.
Heavy drinking has been linked to high blood pressure in all genders, so reducing it or stopping it altogether can do a world of good.
Week 4: Better skin, improved liver function and weight loss
If you make it to the end of Dry January (although that doesn’t have to be the end of your sobriety), you’ll really notice some differences in how you look and feel.
Dr. Campbell explains, “Your increased hydration will have a positive impact on your skin. Because more water is absorbed than wasted, you’re likely to have more moisture and less dandruff and eczema.
“Cutting alcohol out of your diet for four weeks can also help improve your liver function as your liver begins to break down excess fat. If your liver function is not too badly affected by alcohol, it can recover within four to eight weeks.
“By the end of Dry January, you’ll likely have reduced your calorie intake by 3,840 calories per month if you used to drink six 6-ounce glasses of wine a week, or 4,320 calories per month if you used to drink six pints of lager.” a week.”
You’ve also saved quite a bit of money and your sex life may have improved.
And further
It’s really common sense. As you continue to avoid alcohol, you will see more benefits.
If you like dry January, there’s no reason to stop. A sober month doesn’t have to be the end of your journey.
And if you’re concerned about your relationship with alcohol, there’s no harm in extending your alcohol break. If you’re doing Dry January, you might be thinking about how much you’re drinking and why.
The reality is that while dry January can certainly make a difference, some of us may need to get sober.
Dr. Campbell says: “The dry January makes many people think about their drinking habits and where they drink the most – after work, at the office, at home. As a concept, it is based in part on the premise of social contagion. You will find more people who don’t drink in January than at other times. This herd mentality can be supportive.
“But if people have a serious drinking problem, being ‘sober’ for a month is not enough. Very often in January, when men and women struggle not to drink, they start drinking again with a vengeance. They do not pay attention to the impact on their work, their relationships.
“I’ve known compulsive drinkers who stopped in January several times in recent years, but were simply counting down the days until February. They drink enough to impact their lives and to notice those around them – a co-worker, a partner, a friend This is the exam.
“They think, ‘Because I quit, I can quit anytime.’ It’s rarely the case.
“At the Priory, we say that if you want to become a controlled drinker, you have to abstain from alcohol for three months. It takes a lot to first admit to yourself that you have a problem and then attend social events where other people drink and you don’t – it’s a big challenge.
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“You have to learn a new dialogue to explain why you don’t drink and feel comfortable with it.” That’s a bit of learning, more than a month.
“The vast majority of people who struggle with alcohol don’t necessarily look like they have a problem. People often come up to me and claim that ‘no one at work knew about my drinking problem’, but once they got through treatment it turns out that alcohol has often caused them significant work problems for many years.
“Recently I saw a patient at his desk drinking large amounts of wine from a plastic sports bottle.
“So if you think your drinking is such a problem that you’re considering quitting in January, should you consider quitting altogether or seeking professional advice?”
“You have to ask yourself, ‘Is it really possible that I’m a moderate drinker?’ Everyone wants to be a moderate, social drinker. The truth is, some people can’t be.”
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Source: Metro.co
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I am a highly experienced and well-connected journalist, with a focus on healthcare news. I have worked for several major news outlets, and currently work as an author at 24 news recorder. My work has been featured in many prestigious publications, and I have a wide network of contacts in the healthcare industry. I am highly passionate about my work, and strive to provide accurate and timely information to my readers.
