As usual after Christmas, a lot of people have taken on the Dry January challenge by committing to drinking no alcohol for the entire month. Even though we’re over halfway through the month, it’s not too late to take on the challenge and take a break from drinking for a while.
January can be a tricky month for a number of reasons; it’s cold, it gets dark early, and it feels like there’s still a long way to go until summer. It can therefore be a great time to implement new goals and structures to your life as many people see it as a great time to reset at the start of a new year.
Where do I start?
If the idea of taking a break from alcohol is appealing to you, but you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of resources and lots of support out there for you. Alcohol Change UK encourages you to use the month of January to change something about your relationship with alcohol, whether that be drinking a smaller amount, cutting down on the number of times you drink, even taking one day off or cutting alcohol out entirely.
It also gives you the opportunity to use this as a chance to fundraise to help Alcohol Change UK reduce the harm caused by alcohol consumption in the UK. Every day 20 people in the UK die as a result of their drinking, and the impact of alcohol doesn’t stop there – it affects families, communities, and in fact our whole society.
What’s in it for me?
Taking a break from alcohol can have some wonderful benefits on your health. Alcohol Change UK report that 70% of people sleep better after giving up alcohol, 86% of people save money and 65% report improved health overall. It can also cause a direct improvement to your health as it lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and reduces your risk of diabetes.
One thing that many people also forget is that alcoholic drinks can be packed full of sugar, which is not such great news for your teeth. Cutting down is a great opportunity to give your teeth a break too. Try to minimise the number of times you consume sugar in the day and make sure you really take care of your teeth with a good oral health routine – brushing your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day.
You can find more information about maintaining your oral health through January and beyond here: Oral Health Advice | 543 Dental Centre | Private/NHS dentistry in Hull
