From the Editor
The holiday season is finally behind us, taking the overabundance of food and alcoholic beverages with it. Holiday celebrations seem to be intertwined with overindulgence, and for many of us, the six-week marathon of eating and drinking has left us, well…not feeling our best.
January is a beautiful opportunity to hit the reset button. This year I am giving “dry January” a shot. The Dry January movement first gained popularity in the UK in 2012. Ten years later, Dry January has become a routine invitation to put down the wine, set aside the beer, and go sober for a few weeks. It is a call to give our livers a break, reset our health, and perhaps more importantly, an invitation to assess our relationship with alcohol.
This year I got curious about Dry January and began to look at my drinking habits. I have always loved to unwind in the evening with an innocent glass of wine. However, in recent years, I’ve noticed that one glass has turned into two and sometimes three. As my habits began to change, I noticed that one glass just wasn’t enough anymore. I became aware that I was associating relaxation with alcohol consumption, almost needing it to decompress. Not only that, my frequent drinking was beginning to impact how I looked and felt. Calories were adding up, my clothes felt tighter, and I felt perpetually dehydrated.
These small changes in my behavior piqued my self-awareness and inspired me to give sober living a chance. I started my journey the day after Christmas, unwilling to wait for the new year. I was ready to make the change. As I write this, I am three weeks in, and I will be the first to admit, it was far from easy in the beginning.
I started with small “brain tricks,” if you will. I began drinking flavored seltzers in a wine glass, giving my mind the illusion that I was having my favorite drink, less the alcohol. About ten days in, I started getting comfortable with this new way of living. At 14 days, I faced my first bar scene where I discovered Heineken Zero, which gives the taste and feels of beer without alcohol. I found myself more at ease and comfortable with my choice than I had expected. Virgin Pina Coladas and club soda with lime have become favorites of mine as well.
In three short weeks, I lost five pounds without making any additional changes. I’m already sleeping better and feel all-around healthier. Though this is just the beginning of my journey, I am enjoying my newfound sense of freedom and look forward to what’s to come. “Forever” is a big word that I don’t like to use, but for the foreseeable future, I don’t have any real desire or plans to begin drinking again. I recognize that not everyone’s experience is straightforward and sober living takes a great deal of commitment at varying degrees. This is simply my experience that I wanted to share with the world.
If you are participating in Dry January, let us know about your experience. Because the movement has become so popular, many bars and restaurants have added mocktails to their drink menus.
Thank you for picking up this issue of Shore Local. It means so much to us!
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy January!
Peace & Love,
Cindy
