Tips to stick to Dry January
It seemed to me the longest thirty days ever, without a glass of treats and without a splash of alcohol. Which I found a bit sad at the same time. Maybe that's why I participated in sobertober, which at least sounds more fun than a dry January. Only now I'm accidentally doing that too, because a month dranquilo, as our government calls it (who comes up with this?), turns out to be quite nice.
This is the best tactic to get through Dry January.
1. Keep it fun
Just because you're not drinking alcohol for a while doesn't mean you have to skip everything. Just organize a dinner where you spend the whole day in the kitchen and make treats for the Saturday afternoon drinks. Pour what you drink with your food and snacks by the way always in a nice glass, that helps.
2. Find a tasty substitute
That brings me immediately to point two: make sure you have a tasty substitute. With a glass of Gimber you'll enjoy the drinks much more. I dare say you won't miss the alcohol and you'll still remember the end of the evening the next day. Oh and another plus: you won't fall asleep halfway through.
3. Cross it off
I promise you that it gets easier day by day, week by week and ultimately month by month to not drink alcohol, but seeing how far you've come does help. Not to count down, but as a pat on the back for the achievement so far.
4. Spread the word
It's silly if you have to decline a poured glass (although people can also ask what you'd like to drink of course). Let your guests know in advance that you're skipping the wine this month. There's a good chance they'll even join in with drinking little to nothing, that's my experience. I even helped ruin the drinking pace on my girls' night with my alcohol-free sobertober. Which could also say something about the influence I normally have on the average when I do drink wine.
5. Find a companion
Ask your father or mother, brother or sister, friend or girlfriend, husband or wife. It's easier if you don't drink together. That way you have a partner in crime if the rest of the group gets tipsy.
6. If something isn't fun without it, then it's not fun
A nice mantra I picked up from the Irish Times: “If it’s no good without alcohol, then it’s no good.” It's worth pondering, right? If you need alcohol for something, then I would think twice about whether you really want to do it.
7. Make sure you have something to do
Something you enjoy, if possible. At the beginning of my sobertober, I immediately set goals: learning the basics of Greek, starting to meditate, to pulling something different out of my closet every day. It helps.
And remember: you really don't have to become a teetotaler, but you also don't want to fall into the habit of always having to drink.
And remember II: you can also just do Dry January in another month.
