Abstaining from alcohol can provide you with a clearer mindset and better health for the future. One of the many popular New Year’s resolutions is to have a dry month, abstaining from alcohol throughout the month of January. Cutting out alcohol for a whole month can provide many benefits for your health, relationships, mood, and more. If you are ready to prioritize your health in the new year, here are some ways that no alcohol can boost your overall health. 

1- Liver Recovery

Drinking large amounts of alcohol will cause damage to your liver. The liver breaks down alcohol but can become damaged by the substance. If your liver has been damaged from excessive drinking, taking a break will give the organ the time to regenerate cells and heal. Since it is self-healing, the liver could recover in just a few days without alcohol, however, more severe cases could take a few months. 

2- Better Hydration

Alcohol can dehydrate you quickly because it is a diuretic. Even just a few sips of alcohol can have you running to empty your bladder. If you are not diligent about replenishing your body with water while drinking alcohol, you could experience dehydration or more intense hangover symptoms. Reducing alcohol consumption will help your organs, skin, and digestive system get the water they desperately need.

3- Decrease Diabetes Risk

Reducing alcohol will reduce insulin resistance and lower your blood pressure. Both of these instances will contribute to diabetes. Those who participated in dry January reported a 25% decrease in insulin resistance. Diabetes puts your body at risk of other things, especially when alcohol is involved. Blood sugar spikes are common when consuming alcohol. 

4- Higher Quality Sleep

Alcohol can disrupt your body’s normal rhythm and process, including your sleep. Alcohol interrupts your REM sleep, which could lead you to feel groggy even after getting 8+ hours of sleep. Even if a glass of wine can make you sleepy, most alcohol has been linked to lower-quality sleep and less efficiency, because it causes framented sleep. Drinking alcohol can affect your deep sleep by reducing cortisol production. Heavy drinking can cause you to wake up frequently throughout the night because of the lack of hormones.

5- More Energy

When your sleep is balanced, you will have more energy throughout the day. Participants who have completed Dry January reported being more energetic and improved focus. Limiting your alcohol consumption can improve concentration, work productivity, and chore completion. 

6- Balanced Mood

Most people feel that alcohol can lift their spirits, but only for a short period. Alcohol is a mood depressant which could lead to higher anxiety and depression. Cutting back can help avoid emotional slumps and mood swings. While you may think that your mood is fairly stable, changing your alcohol consumption could elevate your energy and make you less irritable. You can avoid the slump that comes after a night out and improve your overall well-being when you attempt dry January.

7- Weight Loss

Puffy faces and bloated stomachs can come after a night of drinking. Lowering your alcohol consumption will reduce inflammation in the body and aid in the digestion of food. While you may not drop tons of weight at first, limiting extra alcohol will lower the calories you consume and inflammation in multiple parts of your body. Inflammation can lead to bloating and criticism of your body when it may not fit into certain clothes.

8- Clear Skin

Long-term consumption of alcohol can cause multiple skin issues like acne, hyperpigmentation, rashes, dryness, and more. Getting flushed during drinking is normal, but long-term drinking can lead to dehydration and flare-ups of certain skin conditions. For those who have existing skin conditions like psoriasis or rosacea, alcohol can worsen symptoms or make your skin itchy and dry. 

9- Increased Focus

Drugs and alcohol can slow down your brain and fine motor skills. Another health benefit of limiting alcohol consumption is the ability to improve focus at work and school. Focusing on tasks like homework, writing, phone calls, and driving can all be impaired by alcoholic beverages. 

10- Immune System Improvements

All of the chemicals in alcohol can damage your immune system. Those who are consistent alcohol users could experience more severe colds, nausea, infections, and more. Our immune systems need to fight environmental pollutants every day, so having a quality immune system will keep you from spending days in bed or in the hospital. Boosting your immune system by limiting alcohol and taking vitamins can keep you healthy throughout the year. 

Participating In Dry January

If you want to take better control of your health and participate in dry January, Red Willow is here to support you! Check out our resources or schedule an appointment with us to help you have professional support throughout the upcoming year. We know that addiction can be a scary thing, so let our compassionate team help you live a higher quality life. You’ve got this!

During the holiday season, it is expected to attend multiple family gatherings and associate with difficult family members. We all can think of at least one family member who questions our choices, has their nose in our business, or is just plain rude. Navigating these hurtful situations during the holidays can dull the magic. Here are some tips to help you have a better holiday and keep arguments with family at bay. 

Set Boundaries

The first step when dealing with family or friends is to set boundaries. Boundaries help you to stay calm and also know when to remove yourself from a toxic situation. Communicating your boundaries to family members in a clear and safe way will yield better results. Try saying “I do not want to talk about X with you. Can we talk about X instead?” or “I came to see grandma today. Please don’t hug/talk/pester me today.” “I am not drinking today, please stop pressuring me.”

Trying a less is more approach with this family member can also be a healthy boundary. You don’t have to be rude, but you also don’t have to give in to their antics. Avoid conversations with them and be pleasant when they are around. 

Manage Your Expectations

Expectations can be a trap set by yourself when you are ultimately faced with reality, especially when it comes to dealing with difficult family during major holidays. We often try to change others and manage others’ feelings or actions and this doesn’t often end well. If you have a difficult family situation, consider the best, worst, and average case scenario to help ground yourself. Often, the worst-case scenario will not occur while at your holiday gatherings. Anything better than the worst outcome you can come up with will be a win.

Find Common Ground

Many of us have more in common than we think. Those family members who seem to want to argue about everything, try to find something that you both love or are passionate about. This topic can be a safe conversation for holidays going forward and help you avoid talking about other sensitive topics. Try talking about your favorite holiday movie or a sport you like watching. Be open to listening and put out the vibe that you want to receive. 

Avoid Triggering Topics

Topics like weight, politics, pregnancy, pronouns, war, and finances can be sensitive topics that are often discussed during the holidays. While you may not be able to stop others from talking about these things, you can control how you react and what you say about your personal life. Three P’s not to talk about, the Past, Personal life, and Politics. 

Focus on the fourth P – the present – talk about the food, ask others right there how they’re doing, in general, and keep the focus on others by asking a lot of questions. 

When difficult family situations arise, remember that a short answer is still a pleasant response. Avoid bringing up difficult topics or mentioning names that could trigger arguments. 

Have A Signal

If you have a partner or are attending a holiday party with a friend, have a code word or a signal that you need their help. Having a code can help bring you emotional support or give you an excuse to leave the function. Your signal could be playing with your hair or adjusting your glasses, or you could have a code word that you text to let your safe person know you are ready to leave. 

Remove Yourself When Possible

While it may feel like a requirement to go to every holiday party, dinner, and gift exchange, that isn’t true. Feeling guilt around missing family events can be a complex thing to navigate, but your mental health is always more important than others’ feelings. Difficult family dynamics can make it difficult to attend events, so when possible remove yourself from a potentially awkward situation. 

If you can not avoid the event altogether, remove yourself from rooms where the conversation is not safe or avoid talking to specific members. Even if you have to walk away in the middle of a conversation, it will protect your peace.

Services From Red Willow Counseling & Recovery

If you are feeling the stress of the holidays, seeking professional help could give you new coping skills and take the weight off your shoulders. Red Willow offers couples counseling, individual counseling, trauma therapy, and more. No matter your struggles, seeking professional help should be seen as a strength. When you better yourself, you are better equipped to handle future challenges. Reach out to any of our 3 locations to set up your appointment today!