Dry January 2020: What I've Learned

I know that a lot of people participate in dry January. At least that’s what people tell me. But to be completely honest, I felt relatively solo in my quest for sobriety this January. Not that going at it alone was a negative thing, it forced me to really commit actually. My point here is that I did it! 30 days with not a drop of the juice. Here are a few things I’ve learned.

I’d Like to Continue This Relationship

The relationship I’m referring to is the one with alcohol. Everyone has one, be it good or bad or somewhere in the middle. Mine was becoming… a little dark. Think Penny Dreadful but fewer vampires and angrier drunks. My relationship with alcohol was on the rocks (pun intended) and it needed a change. After a months-long break, I feel that we can be acquaintances. Will we be spending long nights together exchanging stories? No. But perhaps I’ll invite it out for dinner sometime. What I know for sure is that I was becoming a passive participant in the relationship and I am a lady that likes to be in control. Alcohol was starting to be that friend that just showed up uninvited and talked a little too loud and stood a little too close. I feel like now she’s (oo she’s a she. Who knew.) like that friend that I can chill with sometimes but really she’s like a friend of a friend and sometimes I’m like - I have to go to yoga in the morning and I know that if I have even one of you I’ll be a slow poke - girl slows me down.

Alcohol Wreaks Havoc on Sleep Quality

This has been the most obvious change. My experience with alcohol and sleep has gone one of two ways. The first and most common is simply a shallow, roll-around-y, not-really-sleeping sleep. I wake up feeling like I haven’t slept at all and sometimes end up sleeping another 7 hours the next day. V productive.

The second and ickier version of alcohol affecting my sleep patterns is when I can feel my mind racing multiple days after imbibing. Because I am not a scientist or a sleep expert, I did the googly and found out that AHA! There actually is a correlation between alcohol consumption and lack of sleep or decreased sleep quality. The consumption of just 2 drinks consistently can have a negative effect on our bodies’ circadian rhythm - which actually goes further than just a lack of zzz’s. It can result in slowed metabolism, gut problems, and even depression. Nope. No thanks. Also, I can feel it.

Societal Norms are Not-So Normal

Everywhere I turn I see some form of alcohol. Whether it’s on Vanderpump Rules the best show ever, or literally outside my front door. Our society is swimming in the idea that having a drink is completely normal. And guess who is responsible for spreading alcoholism like peanut butter on toast? Well. Frankly, we are.

I think back to my college days and I did absolutely nothing to even question why everyone was taking shot after shot and chugging beer from a funnel. It seemed like that’s what the world wanted to do and who was I to argue? Because not many questioned this level of consumption, it became pretty normalized.

Obviously 30 days off the sauce wasn’t what opened my eyes to this. I always knew that as a society we needed to stop and think about our attitudes around drinking, but being the one to pull away and be like yo maybe not, isn’t that easy. And plus, drinking was fun. It still is sometimes. But if you find yourself tipping one back just because you feel like you “should”. I encourage you to be the one who says no.

I continue to learn more and more about myself as I get closer to death (too morbid?) and 2020 has proven to be very educational already. Now I am on to tick off the next thing! 29 is coming up quickly so I gotta go. Bye!