Is anyone still going after Dry January?
DiscussionI managed to finish Dry January and decided to keep going to see how far I can take it. My next milestone is 75 days.
My biggest takeaways so far. It actually takes time to get mental clarity, and meditation helped a lot.
It's hard to stay sober going out to a restaurant for dinner. I had to invent excuses all the time and actually felt shame ordering water or a soda. The waiters always looking at me like something was wrong with me didn't help either.
The toughest moments were in the evening after a hard day of work, tired and upset, when I just felt the urge to grab a beer.
Waking up actually rested and happy, and having a slow morning, is a blessing. And my productivity went through the roof. It was my most productive and focused month ever.
Who's still going? Do you have a milestone?
In two weeks I'll hit 6 months sober. Every month just gets better and easier, seriously. The first month or two is the hardest. I highly recommend going longer if you can.
Thank you, I'll try to do it.
What kind of benefits keep coming with time?
Yes, doing a dry first quarter. So far my skin is good and I've lost a chunk of weight. Surprisingly not many cravings, but my sleep is still tormenting me. I get the occasional good night, but getting to sleep is a nightmare.
The best thing is how much I get done in the evening. So productive, and I'm fitting in exercise every day too. Anyone got any sleep advice that isn't medication?
Good point on the productivity in the evening, I just realized that one. Before, I'd open a beer at 7 and nothing got done. Now I'm still doing some work at 10.
A nightly routine of a bedtime herbal tea followed by reading a book in bed helps me fall asleep a little faster. I also try not to eat dinner too late, which doesn't always work with my schedule. Neither is a perfect fix for my sleep, but I'll take any help I can get. I do know I don't jolt awake with anxiety in the middle of the night when I'm not drinking, so that's nice.
Still going. I love how I'm feeling, and I'm finally looking and feeling less bloated. My mom pooch is starting to flatten.
I feel you on the look of pity from wait staff. I was at a bar with friends last weekend, perfectly fine with my diet soda, and after two of them the bartender gave me this sad look and asked if there was anything else they could get me. Like, you poor soul, why are you here if you're not drinking. It honestly made me a little uncomfortable and annoyed.
Not sure what my goal is, but I just want to keep going. I haven't felt this great in a long time, and I haven't changed anything besides not drinking.
Yeah, those are the worst. How dare you come here and have fun sober instead of getting wasted.
Me. I've been sober curious for a long time. I'm trying to lose 30 pounds before I get married in the fall, and I figured letting go of the booze would help me get there a lot easier.
It definitely helps. I had a friend trying to lose weight. The gym was good, the eating was good, but there wasn't much to show for it. Her nutritionist told her to drop the alcohol, and she got good results within a month.
It started out as Dry January, again, in 2024. That time it sort of led into Dry February, and I'm still going over two years later.
Wow, that's a really good run. Congrats.
I'm still going, but I'm going on vacation at the end of February. Debating whether to drink on vacation or keep it going. Either way I'll probably stop again when I get home.
If you plan some really nice non alcoholic cocktails ahead, you might not need it. Going back and forth on whether to drink or not makes me crazy, but not once have I regretted not drinking.
I tried to do Dry January, but after 5 to 7 days I had to reset to day 0 again.
Still going. I feel better than I have in many, many years. Why stop now?
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