To Drink or Not To Drink...

By Amy Stewart, LMFT, CST

Many intentions for the new year at least touch on drinking, particularly after a month of gatherings made merrier with a spot of wine.  Cue Dry January, a way to reset and revisit drinking habits following what might have been a very wet winter. 

Started across the pond in 2013, Alcohol Change UK estimates close to 4,000,000 a year take part in the trend, which can have an impact on physical and mental health. Though it won’t undo years of heavy drinking, research shows even a one month pause can improve liver function, blood pressure and sleep, with folks reporting more energy and improved overall sense of well-being. Drinking less can lead to spending less and create blocks of time that drinking, or recovering from a night out, once filled. There is also evidence that a one month reset can cascade throughout the year, leading to healthier habits in the months that follow. 

All of those are lovely and one of the primary benefits we see is that folks end up re-evaluating their entire relationship to alcohol. Rather than thoughtlessly pregaming or ordering another round, there’s a monthlong opportunity to pause and consider the function of alcohol in any given situation. 

To get the most out of any chosen dry spell, do the work of asking yourself questions like:

• How much am I actually drinking? How often?

• What am I feeling before I typically drink? While drinking? After drinking? 

• What are healthier ways I can feel the way I would like to feel? 

And, when you throw drinking back into the mix, what will it be like to do so mindfully? Check in with yourself about the questions above throughout the year so that you keep your relationship to alcohol on a healthy path, know that the month of January is never required in order to take a step back and reassess as needed.