Laura Van Antwerp tried Dry Jannulary 11 years ago. Like many people who participate in the drinks challenge for the past month, I realized the effects that she could quickly get. I was able to sleep well, the frequency of going to the gym increased, and I was able to save money.
However, as February approached, Van Antwerp was excited to drink again and admitted that he might have been too excited. She was planning to travel to Southeast Asia for six weeks, imagining that she would drink a cup of wine in Bangkok when she got off the plane.
“I couldn't even wait for that long,” said Van Antwerp, 40. “After all, I drunk at the airport, left the gate and got drunk immediately.”
People like Van Antwerp tend to make plans to prohibit drinking for one month (and to do their best), but whatever from their experience, they are all off -lamps and their experience. I do not consider whether I want to learn. “This is one of the most important parts of this month, and many people don't think so much,” said Gillian Teets, a moderator of the podcast “SOBER POWERED.”
However, studies have shown that those who participate in dryjaaniies tend to be more worried about drinking habits for the remaining period of the year than those who do not participate. Therefore, we talked about how to relax the pace of the moon and incorporate mindful drunks in the future, with addiction experts and some cool influencers.
Look back on your experience.
Associate professor Joseph Shahat, an associate professor at the Colorado University School of Medicine, who studies alcohol and addictive disorders, said that the core of Dry Jannual is to gather information about the relationship with alcohol. 。
“I always encourage people to actually check their bodies after abandoning or reducing the amount of alcohol for a certain period of time,” said Dr. Shahat. “Will you improve your body if you don't do this?” If so, it's a very important signal to listen. “
Van Antwerp, who runs the social media account “Your Sobert”, also tuned to the recommendation. Currently, seven years have passed since drinking, but I realize that refusal to alcohol for the first time more than 10 years ago was a foothold on the way to a new relationship with alcohol.
“I think I should have written about how I feel, what I am thinking, how I felt, and how I got over a specific situation without alcohol,” she said. “I think I should have written more about why I reached out to the drink to understand myself more.”
Experts clarify that Dry Jannuals are not alternative to the treatment of alcoholic disorders. However, there is evidence that most participants can provide physical and mental resets to participants, and most participants want to change their drinking habits over 30 days. The 2016 study revealed that the period during which the subject continued to drink for six months after the challenge was shorter than before.
Even if you are a drinker or only occasionally drink, “Did you spend that month as you envisioned?” You may ask yourself such a question. Noah Emery, an assistant professor at Colorado State University, specializing in drug use, suggested. Also, “What did I learn about myself in the process?”
Dr. Emery said, even if he failed, look back on his achievements. Studies have shown that Dry Jannule participants tend to be confident in their intentional choice of drinking in the future, regardless of whether they have been abandoned.
Please shake things.
Dr. Emery said that alcohol was deeply built into our social structure and daily life, and could be “reflectively”.
“Dried January is a chance to get out of automatic pilot,” he added.
Teauts, who stopped drinking in 2019, said that they would like to think about the situation that tends to be associated with drinking and how to change the situation.
If you often pour wine into a glass as soon as your work is over, why not reach out to non -alcoholic beverages instead or find another relaxing habit? Dry January. Add it to the subsequent plans and stock up non -alcoholic products in advance.
If you always meet dinner or happy hour with your friends, you should go to a movie or a coffee date instead. (Bonus: Changing how to get along is also helpful to get close to them.)
Dr. Emery warned that it may be better to re -evaluate the amount of alcohol because of the possibility that the tolerance may have been reduced after the dry janiality. “If you drink the same amount as usual, you will probably have a different drunkenness profile,” he says.
Therefore, if you start drinking again in February, think in advance how to change drinking habits. Dr. Emery said to drink a bite of water between drinks, check his physical condition, and to see if there was a specified driver.
Set a specific goal about drinking.
Planning is an important part of drinking more consciously. Ask yourself, “What do I want to do during the rest of this year?” Dr. Shahat said. He added that if the goal is to reduce the amount of alcohol, it is important to name the goal and track the amount of alcohol to take responsibility.
Teauts recommended that he could consider abandoning for 30 or 60 days. “No one wants to hear that!” She added with a laugh. But her experience, however, can take more time to experience changes associated with abstinence.
When he stopped drinking for 60 days, he said, “I felt like I woke up from a dream.” “When I was able to think again clearly, it was very noticeable. At that time, I really understood what drinking alcohol was brought in my life.”
