Let's Talk About It: Dry January

True fact - Dry January was the brainstorm idea from Emily Robinson, a British woman who, in 2011, had signed up for her first half marathon and decided to avoid alcohol for a month.  The results were far greater than what she expected.  Emily noticed weight loss, improved sleep and higher energy levels.  

I am not surprised.  What I do appreciate is that there is attention on the benefits and while it is often adults that are taking the pledge to abstain from alcohol during the month, teens are also starting to take the pledge to stay away from partaking in drinking as well.  

Taking a break from drinking alcohol has another great benefit: it’s good for your overall mental health. The impact of alcohol on one’s mood and emotional regulation develops gradually, and it often alters your brain chemistry long before you identify that what you may be feeling is anxiety or depression.  Here are some ways that alcohol may affect your mental health:

• it can increase anxiety 
• it can disrupt sleep
• it can make you feel down
• it can make stress harder to navigate
• it can mask early mental health symptoms

For more details on these symptoms, visit this link. 

While January seems to be the month to limit alcohol use, it got me wondering how we could use this template to reflect on other unhealthy or unwanted habits in our everyday life. What if there is another habit that you would like to change or remove?  Could I apply the same logic to making the necessary changes? 

January is often the month of resolutions and if you are like me, I have made plenty of resolutions that I rarely follow through with after a few weeks.  A few years back I shared a blog on making and breaking resolutions and even shared information about Quitter’s Day.   What I appreciate about the template of Dry January is that you are looking at a short period of time, making the goal more obtainable and ultimately feeling more positive about it.  This results in a positive outcome, rather than a negative one.  

I like to think that the positive outcomes from Dry January far outweigh the negative ones and that moving forward, those positive outcomes will remain important enough to last not just one month but the entire year.  In addition, making changes to any unhealthy or unwanted habit not only benefits the person making the change, but the entire family.  This is such a great opportunity to show our children that change can happen.  Our children are watching us and they learn from us.  Modeling change is a gift that benefits not just you, but those that love and care about you.

May the New Year bring good health, positive vibes and an opportunity to make change if you so choose!

Colleen O’Neil, LADC
Mounds View Chemical Health Prevention Specialist
651-829-4708
colleen.o’neil@moundsviewschools.org

Julia Geigle, MSW, LICSW
Mounds View Mental Health Specialist
612-790-4928
julia.geigle@moundsviewschools.org

Chad Jayasekera, MA, LICSW
Mounds View Mental Health Specialist 
651-212-5291
chad.jayasekera@moundsviewschools.org