A SouthCoast Dry January Comes With ‘Incredible’ Benefits

New Year. New Me.

That's the motto everyone lives for, right? The turning of the calendar means a chance to start over, form new habits, begin a new chapter.

It's nice but without the dedication, it's just hypocrisy. All it takes is one slip-up to ruin a good thing.

We've all heard of the term Dry January, the act of giving up alcohol for the entire 31 days of the month. It's a way to detoxify the body, lose weight and gain clarity, but for some, it's no walk in the park.

All across my social feeds, my SouthCoast friends are posting how long they've gone without drinking and it's highly inspirational. I'm not sure if the pandemic played a part in this or if people are just fed up with drinking, but it's refreshing to see a positive trend spreading. Even through the toughest of days, I've seen people persevere without having to reach for the bottle and I couldn't be prouder.

I'm practicing Dry January as well.

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I started my sober journey back on Dec. 19.

Today marks 31 days without a drop of alcohol and I can't even begin to tell you how good I feel. It's incredible how much difference a single month without booze can do for someone, especially if it's been a long time coming. At 35, I've come to terms with no longer being 21. For me, the whole drinking scene is getting pretty old.

As a night owl, I was putting myself in toxic environments. Even if I wasn't drinking, the bars and clubs were always crawling with intoxicated patrons making questionable life choices.

My weight has dropped significantly, my energy is through the roof, and I'm sleeping like a baby. I can't stress enough how effective giving up booze for a month can be. Again, I'm not here to tell you what to do with your life, I'm just spitting facts. It's sad to say, but these past 31 days have been the most I've gone without alcohol in years. Not that I was an alcoholic, but one beer or one drink breaks the cycle.

As January comes to a close, I plan to keep going. I've seen the health benefits. Every now and then I cracked open a non-alcoholic beer and I have to say, it sure does the trick.

Dry January' is one of the best decisions I've made since asking the love of my life to marry me.

If you or someone you know is having trouble getting off the wagon and could use a friend to talk to, I'm no therapist, but I'd be happy to listen and bend your ear with my recent success.

You can email me at Gazelle@Fun107.com and I'll be happy to chat.