Tips for a Successful Dry January

Benefits of Quitting Drinking for Dry January
At the beginning of a new year, many of us will take a look introspectively at what we want to change for the upcoming new year. It is often a time where the desire to make life changes is high and the motivation to start these changes is strong. A new year feels like a time for a clean slate where the person you want to be is within your reach and many are ready to take the plunge and dedicate themselves to a “new year, new me” mentality. If you have been thinking that it is time to stop drinking alcohol, January is a time where thousands of other Americans are partaking in dry January.
This is a time where many will focus on cutting back on their alcohol consumption or quitting their alcohol use altogether. Starting the new year off with a sober, sound state of mind adds many benefits to a person’s life. It allows more time for positive social engagement that is fulfilling and rewarding. Many find that they are engaging in activities with their friends and family that are helping to further connect with one another. Often, individuals will turn to physical activity or enjoying each other’s company over dinner rather than going out to the bar. The more that you engage in these healthy activities with others, the more that you find yourself building a solid foundation of support and care that you can turn to in a time of need.
Participating in dry January has been shown to significantly increase your chances of cutting back or quitting alcohol altogether throughout the year. You are making a commitment to make a change and starting the year off on the right foot helps to set the tone for the upcoming year. Studies have shown that those who participate in dry January and are abstinent from alcohol are 65% more likely to remain abstinent throughout the rest of the year. Individuals have also found that their ability to decline offers for alcoholic beverages and engage in drinking increases after participating in dry January.
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Tips for Sticking to Your Goal of Quitting Drinking
Making a change requires dedication and there will be bumps along the way. Being prepared with tools that you can utilize when you have wavering motivation or encounter hardships will help to ensure that you are able to meet your goal of abstinence throughout the month of January. Here are some helpful tips that will keep you on track to have a sober January.
Remind yourself of your motivation for being sober
You have your own specific goals and hopes for having a sober January. It is important to remind yourself of those reasons at times where you are feeling triggered or unmotivated to follow through on the changes you want to make. It can be easy to lose sight of why you want to make this change the more time progresses, giving yourself little reminders of where you want to see yourself will help keep you on track and focused to achieve your goal of sobriety.
Being aware of the underlying reasons that you want to get sober also provides you with the confidence to let others know who may be attempting to have you drink with them or question the change you are making. By letting others know what your motivation for quitting drinking is, will help them get on board to support you in making this impactful change in your life.
Make a list of how this will improve your life
Documenting how this change will improve your life will help you to focus on the positives of this change and keep you on track to meet your goals. Throughout any change you make, there will be times where your motivation lessens and it can be easy to go down the path of thinking that you are missing out on the fun. Reminding yourself through the list you make of where you want to see your life and how this change will benefit you will assist you in refocusing your thinking and attitude back into a life of recovery.
Keep going
With any change that you make there may be times that you have a hard day and feel like throwing in the towel. It is at these times that it is most important to stay on track. Going through hardships and staying true to your goal will strengthen your confidence and motivation to keep going. When you reflect back on how you overcame significant challenges and temptations but still remained on track, it serves as a reminder of your strength and ability to withstand difficulties while remaining true to your goals.
For some, you may have slip-ups and that is okay. What is important is that you don’t dwell on the fact that you drank again but refocus and get yourself back on track for your goal. With change comes hurdles and it does not reflect poorly on who you are as a person, but rather, use it as a learning opportunity for what you could do differently next time and identify what supports you need to continue to be successful with your sobriety.
Keep it simple- One thing at a time!
At the start of the new year, many individuals are wanting to make changes in various aspects of their life whether it be to lose weight, save money, or start a new hobby. To make a lasting change, it is important to do things one step at a time. If you take on too many changes, it is easy to become overwhelmed and give up on all of your goals completely. Changing your lifestyle to a sober lifestyle is a big change. Allow yourself the time you need to adjust so that this change can be a positive, long-lasting one.
Plan Ahead- Set Goals for Yourself
The key to making a solid change is planning ahead so that you are prepared for the ups and downs that will follow. When you decide to quit drinking, you should be looking ahead to what your potential triggers maybe that could take you off course. Knowing these will help you choose what activities or places you should attend. There may be certain restaurants or places that hold memories of your time drinking or people that may not encourage your sobriety. Understanding the places and people who will accentuate your path to sobriety will help you keep on track with your overarching goals.
The Best Way to Quit Drinking
Depending on your history of alcohol use, quitting drinking on your own may prove to have challenges that can be difficult to overcome on your own. Alcohol addiction often has deep-rooted underlying causes that need to be addressed and processed with the support of an addiction specialist therapist. An alcohol rehab program provides patients with the opportunity to heal from addiction within a residential setting. During this time patients are able to attend individual and group therapy sessions where patients will get clarification and understanding of the root causes of their addiction. Understanding what the driving forces are behind your drinking will help you to understand any potential triggers either situational or interpersonal that may risk a chance of relapse upon returning home. Through evidence-based therapy methods, patients are able to gain the skills and knowledge about how to handle potential triggers and avoid any relapse behavior.
For those individuals who have been engaging in prolonged alcohol use or heavy drinking behavior, the first step before alcohol rehab would be alcohol detox. Withdrawals from alcohol have the potential to become life-threatening if not supervised by medical professionals who are specialized in supporting patients with a safe and comfortable detox process. An alcohol detox program provides patients with 24/7 access to doctors and nurses who can provide holistic detox therapies as well as medications, in some cases, to ease the severity of their symptoms and keep you on track to meet your recovery goals.
Alcohol Rehab at Resurgence Behavioral Health
Resurgence Behavioral Health offers patients an alcohol rehab program that is designed to meet each patient’s individual needs through customized programs that target your personal healing and recovery goals. Our compassionate team of men and women is dedicated to helping you find your passion for life again as you work to remove the binds of alcohol addiction from your life.
Addiction is a personal disease that affects each individual differently and addiction treatment should reflect the same. Through the various comprehensive approaches to treatment offered, patients will be able to understand the emotional, physical, and mental ties that they have to their addiction and work with our therapists to overcome these addictive patterns through effective life skills and tools for relapse prevention paired with individual and group therapy sessions.
Resurgence values the culture of acceptance and empowerment within our alcohol rehab programs. Each patient that comes through our doors is valued and important. We work hard to foster positive, social relationships within our patients to assist you in developing a lifelong system of support that you can rely on even after you complete your alcohol rehab program. The Resurgence difference is that when you enter our program, you are entering into a new life full of happiness, support, and sobriety.
Read our latest blog for some tips on how to have a successful “Dry January” #DryJanuary #resurgencehttps://t.co/3HXrL4uj7U
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