Happy New Year, y’all!
According to our Instagram poll, 71% of you plan to participate in Dry January this year. Dry January, if you’re not familiar, is a 31 day challenge to abstain from alcohol. A lot people choose to participate after indulging around the holidays or just want a healthy start to the new year. Today, as we kick off Dry January, we are highlighting some of the benefits of this 31 day challenge.
- Better Mood! – some people may rely on alcohol to cope with stressors from the day. According to Ashley Jones, APRN-CNP, a certified family nurse practitioner at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Alcohol tends to make these symptoms worse, so you may find that your mood is actually more stable when not consuming alcohol.”
- Sleep More Soundly – “Alcohol degrades sleep quality; drinking moderate or high amounts of alcohol decreases “restorative” REM sleep, according to a review in the journal Alcoholism Clinical & Experimental Research. Giving up drinking for a month may help you get sounder sleep, and better rest means more energy to devote to the things that matter in the start of the year” according to Good Housekeeping.
- Immune Booster – According to George F. Koob, Ph.D., “being intoxicated can acutely suppress immune function, making you more vulnerable to pathogens, while chronic drinking can lead to inflammatory reactions throughout the body. While there isn’t data to suggest that ditching booze can protect you from the flu, it’s reasonable to assume that drinking less, sleeping more, and exercising more can all have a positive influence on your immune system,” as stated in Self Magazine.
- Drink Less Afterwards! – Thanks to a Men’s Health article, “taking a month off may help you drink less throughout 2021. In fact, a 2016 study of adults who participated in Dry January found that up to six months later, they were drinking on fewer occasions and drank less when they did imbibe.”
I hope this new year is a chance to start fresh and gives you a good reset. Would love to hear from you on how your Dry January is going!
Take care and be well,
Emree