Pass on the pint

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The reality is that the festive season is associated with alcohol consumption, and lots of it. In the lead up to December, company Christmas parties will boast large bar tabs, gifts of wine and whisky will be bought, and mulled wine will be consumed across the UK as the celebrated drink of the season.

It is on the back of this period that Alcohol Change UK rings in the New Year with its annual campaign, Dry January.

More on the movement

As the name suggests, Dry January encourages people to forgo alcoholic drinks for the first month of the year, to raise awareness for a few different things:

• How social lives and activities pivot around drinking
• The way, for many, success at work socially and competitively can include drinking
• The physical, financial and mental impacts of alcohol consumption.

“Whether it’s to give your fitness goals a boost, put a few pounds back in the bank account or to feel fresher as you boss that alcohol-free streak, the Dry January challenge is your chance to reset your relationship with alcohol at the start of the year and beyond,” says the organisation.

The premise is, also, that after a month without alcohol, and having felt the difference to your wellbeing, that you will continue on with better – or, healthier – drinking habits throughout the new year.

What’s the point?

A full month without alcohol is enough to see plenty of benefits, including, in week one:

• More energy
• Better concentration
• Better-quality sleep
• Waking feeling more refreshed.

Week two:

• ‘The fog lifting’ i.e., clearer thinking and more energy
• Reduction in acid reflux
• Better hydration.

Week three:

• Potential weight loss. An average pint or glass of wine can equate to 200 or more calories
• Improvements to short-term memory and ability to retain information for longer
• Better focus.

After one month:

• Lowered risk of developing certain cancers
• Better-appearing skin – reduction in redness and size of facial pores
• Potentially lower blood pressure.

The risk of type 2 diabetes is also reduced after a month with no alcohol, as well as lower cholesterol levels. This is also where people may start to see improvements in things like bloating, wind, diarrhoea or constipation, as the liver ‘stiffness’ is reduced.

Customers may also begin benefitting from a stronger immune system which is weakened by alcohol consumption; if contracted, illness and symptoms should be less severe and last for shorter.

“Some people will experience these benefits at different times, or not at all. This can be down to how much you were drinking before, or other lifestyle changes (if you’re ditching your nightcap for an espresso, you’re not likely to have better sleep) or just quirks of your particular body,” says Alcohol Change UK.

“That doesn’t mean a month off won’t do you any good, and it doesn’t mean you won’t feel better over the longer term – so don’t give up if you’re not experiencing these effects.”

The charity recommends that customers keep a diary noting how they feel throughout the month to keep track of potential changes.

Not without help

Alcohol Change UK wants people to ‘succeed’ in taking on the Dry January challenge and has committed multiple resources to helping them do so.

The first is daily motivational emails which also provide more information on the science behind how people may be feeling. Secondly, the Try Dry app is there to act as a companion throughout the month, helping people keep track of progress and goals, which also sends out notifications at times set by the individual of when they would usually be reaching for a drink to remind them why they are taking on the challenge.

Finally, there is a Facebook Community and Whatsapp channel customers can join for moral support and encourgement, plus an Official Guide to a Month off Booze, links to all of which can be found on the Alcohol Change UK website: alcoholchange.org.uk.