I imagine the term ‘Dry January’ has been one you’ve heard plenty of times over the past month and let’s just preface this by saying it really doesn’t matter whether you’ve done Dry January or not, whether you tried it and didn’t finish it or whether you’ve been sober for years and it started with a Dry January, this post is all about finding the thing that works for you. I’ve actually never been a huge drinker, always have drinks on a night out but never been one to have a glass of wine at home watching the TV and have often gone a few months without drinking anyway so Dry January hasn’t really ever caused me much of a problem. However, after a small health problem I made the decision to completely stop drinking until we worked out the route of the cause and this is where my Dry January became a half Dry December and most likely a Dry February. So here I am to share the top tips that have allowed me to enjoy my social life and not let not drinking mean I become anti-social.

Just because you don’t drink doesn’t mean you can’t go on a night out.

Not being able to drink over Christmas quite quickly meant I was surrounded by a lot of drunk people whilst being the only sober one. Quite honestly there were times where I was telling myself ‘how about I just stay in tonight’ to avoid the ‘why aren’t you drinking’ comments. Firstly, you don’t have to explain yourself. Secondly, it’s perfectly acceptable to not want to have a drink and probably more normal than you think. Just because you’re not drinking don’t let that put you off going out. I find drinking diet coke or water out of a cocktail glass is actually quite a fun experience. You’ve just got to make the most of it and treat it like a normal night.

Take up the opportunity to add in a Saturday/Sunday morning class

It’s most likely that you’re going to save a lot of money by not drinking and you probably won’t even realise how much you were spending. The sensible option would be to put this into a savings account (or a premium bond if you’re hoping to maybe make a bit of extra cash) or put this in maybe a travel pot or a gift pot. However, if you’ve made it through the month and that was a challenge for you then treat yourself. You deserve it. Buy yourself that candle you’ve wanted, buy yourself the pair of shoes that have been on your list forever. Positive rewards are literally proven to build motivation and this will help you to carry on.

Treat yourself with the money you save

It’s most likely that you’re going to save a lot of money by not drinking and you probably won’t even realise how much you were spending. The sensible option would be to put this into a savings account (or a premium bond if you’re hoping to maybe make a bit of extra cash) or put this in maybe a travel pot or a gift pot. However, if you’ve made it through the month and that was a challenge for you then treat yourself. You deserve it. Buy yourself that candle you’ve wanted, buy yourself the pair of shoes that have been on your list forever. Positive rewards are literally proven to build motivation and this will help you to carry on.

Track your progress

You might be someone that doesn’t think that alcohol doesn’t really affect your life and therefore not drinking doesn’t change much. Tracking your moods, your health or even just your general energy is a good way to see if alcohol does have an effect on the way your body moves and works on a day to day basis. I found that I had a lot more energy which actually allowed me to do so much more. As I say though this really doesn’t have the same effect for everyone, so if you don’t see a change carry on doing what makes you happy.

Celebrate your wins

The minute you let yourself think you’ve failed is the moment you lose your motivation. Whether you’re doing this for health reasons or just because you feel like it, make sure you’re proud of what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if you give in at half a month, or ten days or even three days, the fact you tried to begin with is the biggest step you have to take and you know that you’re already capable of doing it. You’re your biggest cheerleader.