I’m almost at the halfway point of Dry January and today felt good.
I think when you’re 21 and in college there is a huge culture around drinking and going out and from my perspective it’s “a part” of the whole college experience. Every single one of my friends goes out and I don’t really have any friends that steer clear from going out and drinking so when I mentioned I was doing dry January to them they were honestly just surprised but obviously supportive and aren’t the type to pressure anything. However I asked a couple if they wanted to join in the dry month with me and all I got was hard NOs!
Saying no to something that is so normalized in my demographic seemed a bit awkward at first but I found you get over that initial hump and once everyone in your close circle is aware it feels good.( I have yet to try actually going out and staying sober but once I reach that point I’ll fill you in.)
I realized today just how much money I’m saving as well. It’s a great feeling to not have to wake up and check my bank account to see the damage. I don’t think I realized just how much I was spending on going out. All the little things can add up fast, the Uber/taxi, cover, drinks, and of course you cannot forget the after bar pizza.
Since there is such a huge culture and presence of going out in my life I’m definitely hitting some FOMO here and then but I totally expected that going into this so it’s no surprise to me.
If you’re also doing dry January and having a hard time handling the FOMO I have a couple of tips for you.
- Plan your weekends before they hit. Instead of just letting the weekend roll in, come up with some plans so that when Friday night comes you’re not just sitting alone at home left not enjoying your weekend, just because you aren’t drinking doesn’t mean there isn’t nothing to do.
- Go see a movie. I feel like I never see movies anymore, it’s also not a drinking thing so you won’t feel awkward and have to say no to any drinks.
- Plan something in your mornings. I’m finding that when I wake up with something planned for my morning I feel happy I’m doing the thing not hungover.
- Go do a workout and while you’re working out think of everyone laying in bed with a bad hangover – trust me, this is an ego booster.
Dry January is not the easiest task out there but honestly nearing the halfway point I can confidently say I’m not missing it that much at all.