To Dry January or Not to Dry January
It happens every year without fail; January First you start seeing the DRY JANUARY hash tags, and all I ever think is good for them; but not for me. This subject is somewhat polarizing though. There’s Group A that’s all “I always do Dry January, it’s a nice reset.” then Group B that’s all “I’d never do Dry January, it’s so stupid.” Then there’s also the ‘dry curious’ that I think I might fit into; I always wonder how far I could get into the month without a drink. I tried to do a Sober October once and made it all of two days. I may have a drink or two every night of the week, but never in an out of control kind of way. It might be wine, it might be whiskey, it might be cocktails; but I almost always enjoy sipping something every night. I think the keyword here is “enjoy”. When it becomes un-fun or problematic it’s probably time to start cutting back. So here are my thoughts on whether or not to Dry January.
Pro Dry January Thoughts:
1. It fits into your resolution: If your New Year resolution includes better health, less calories, and diet overhaul kind of things, Dry January might be helpful with this. A reasonable pour of bourbon is only around 80 calories, but calories are calories when you’re counting. It’s an easy thing to cut out that doesn’t affect your overall nutrition intake.
2. You feel like you’re out of control: It’s easy to subject ourselves to binge drinking over the holiday season. Between holiday parties, dealing with your family, and just having more time off; we tend to drink more in the last weeks of December. If you feel like it’s gotten out of control, or you’re just not feeling good, or regularly waking up regretting how much you’ve drank the night before; it’s probably a good time to take a break.
3. Reset your palate: I think most bourbon drinkers pride themselves on their palate. We truly enjoy picking out unique flavors out of every whiskey we try. Taking a Dry January is a great way to give your palate a break. Maybe focus on nosing spices, or other sensory training, and give your mouth (and liver) a break. When you come back in February you may be pleasantly surprised at the new flavors you can pick out of old favorites.
Anti Dry January Thoughts:
1. You break all your resolutions anyway: We’re only human. We start every year with the best of intentions, but those intentions are usually a major lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes don’t magically happen overnight on December 31st. They take time and effort. Even though we have good intentions, we don’t have good commitment to whatever change we decided to make.
2. You actually enjoy a beverage: There are so many things in life these days that are absolutely not enjoyable. Why deprive yourself of something you actually do enjoy? If you’re like me, I can’t wait to get off work and have a cocktail or a pour of something I love and that’s completely fine! I’m not going to deprive myself of something I actually enjoy for a whole month. Especially when that month is dark, grey and cold where I live.
3. It’s trendy and gimmicky: Are you doing Dry January because you honestly want to do Dry January? Or are you doing it because “everyone else is” and you feel like you’re supposed to? So many just want to participate in the hash tag and ‘the look at me” culture. They’re going to do what’s on trend (or at least post about anything that’s trendy) and I don’t feel like that should guilt you into something you don’t honestly want to do. Life is short. Don’t deprive yourself of enjoyment just because others are and you feel obligated to just to fit in.
Disclaimer: These are solely my own opinions on Dry January. I am in no way a health or mental health professional. Do what feels right for you, and if you’re struggling with alcohol or other substances please seek professional help.
