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Dry January Is Over, Now What? 5 Ways To Maintain A Good Relationship With Alcohol

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‘Dry January’ is a month-long sobriety challenge that many decide to take on during the month of January.

The 31-day alcohol-free challenge started in the UK, but has increasingly grown in popularity all over the world, including in Malta. 

”Alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people,” the World Health Organisation claims.

Moreover, alcohol can heighten symptoms of issues such as anxiety and depression. Learning to control your alcohol consumption can feel demanding, but it’s more than possible to re-establish a more healthy relationship with alcohol going forward.

Cutting down is not only good for your health, but can additionally benefit your bank account.

Whether you succeeded in your participation in the ‘Dry January’ challenge or not, here are five ways to reset and maintain a good relationship with alcohol for the rest of the year:

1. Find ways you can de-stress without drinking

Many start drinking as soon as they start feeling a bit overwhelmed with their workload and busy lives. Alcohol is classified as a depressant, which means it slows down your brain, consequently stopping you from overthinking, and making you feel more relaxed.

However, the repercussions of drinking might not be worth the momentary high. Try finding other ways to relax – find a quite place to meditate, watch a movie whilst snacking on popcorn, or go for a run.

2. Plan sober social events with friends

Many times, people tend to plan events which revolve around drinking. Try encouraging your friends to have movie nights in, instead of going out to Paceville.

This is also a great way to find out which friends you actually enjoy being around, even when you’re not three shots of vodka in.

3. Drink lots of water

The rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water with each alcoholic drink you consume.

Alcohol dehydrates your body because it causes you to urinate more often, which means that if you aren’t hydrating yourself, you will end up extremely dehydrated, and will also experience more exaggerated hangover symptoms the next day.

4. Understand why you want to reduce your alcohol consumption

Be sober curious – understand how alcohol affects you personally, both mentally and physically.

Why are you doing this? Being sober curious, and not fully sober, is for those who want to stop drinking for health reasons, to see how they’d feel without the full commitment of being completely abstinent.

5. Mindful drinking

Generally we tend to order a gin and tonic out of habit, or just because everyone else is. However, when you start being mindful of what you’re drinking, you may notice that you might not need alcohol to enjoy a particular night out because the vibe is great as it is.

Another way to be mindful whilst drink is by trying out new drinks – this is a fun way to drink alcohol and enjoy the taste, instead of drinking just to get wasted.

Don’t beat yourself up – you only live once, and having an occasional drink can be healthy as long as its not interfering in other areas of your life.

Which of these tips will you be trying?

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Kira is an open-minded person who loves anything creative and anything… words. A theatre kid at heart, with a passion for film, activism, and literature. Contact her on Instagram via @kira_markss or email her on [email protected]

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