For a lot of people it has been a tradition for many years to participate in “Dry January”. In January, right after a heavy period of parties, the intention is not to drink alcohol for a month and in this way purify your body from alcohol after the holidays. But not only in January you can try such an alcohol-free month. Some countries hold their national abstinence month in February, and the popularity of Dry July and Sober October is increasing every year. So if you participate in every challenge, you swear off alcohol for at least four months a year, but most people choose one month to reset their bodies. But how do you get started?
10 alcohol-free tips
It is clear that such an alcohol-free month offers some benefits. Especially after a period of partying it is sometimes necessary to build in some sort of detox. The biggest problem, however, is that a few habits will have to be changed, which is not always easy. Leaving that one beer in front of TV in the evening, no more glass of wine with the fish on Friday and not having the well-deserved aperitif after a busy working week are often not evident. Yet this is all very easily achievable, especially if you follow the tips below.
1. Look for AF alternatives
If you do not drink alcohol for a month, you soon fall back on drinking water or some light soft drinks. It’s possible, but often difficult to sustain. That is why it is not unwise to look for an alternative to your favorite drink. There are a lot of non-alcoholic alternatives available nowadays. On this site we try to discuss as many as possible and we try to inform you as much as possible about the AF alternatives. Take a look at your local supermarket which you can find, or order them online. We are sure you can find a good alternative for every occasion. They may also remain a fixed value in your refrigerator after the month of detox. Feel free to surf around on this site, you can find lots of alternatives here.
2. Try some good mocktail recipes
Friday evening, after a busy working week, you sometimes want a good aperitif before dinner. It helps you to forget the busy week and sets you up for the weekend. When you take the time to make an alcohol-free recipe, you will see that such a mocktail can perfectly take over the task of the alcoholic variant. The big advantage is that you can start the weekend extremely fresh and without the least hangover. By getting to know these recipes they also may become a drink on your menu when you invite people. Here you will find a few recipes.
3. Consider the calories
If you renounce alcohol and replace it with water or sugar-free soft drinks, you will consume a lot less calories than if you occasionally drink a glass of alcohol. Chances are, however, that it will be a bit boring. Did you know that most non-alcoholic alternatives only contain a fraction of the calories of their alcoholic brother? Drinking an alcohol-free beer will therefore save you on the intake of calories and it will be much easier to maintain a whole month.
4. Experiment
You may know perfectly which beer or wine is your absolute favorite to enjoy in the evening during your favorite series. Since you probably have less experience with non-alcoholic alternatives, you may not know which non-alcoholic beverage you prefer. Therefore, try to purchase a small amount of a number of drinks. Chances are that after a few days you have found your favorites that will take you through the rest of the month without any problems. Since non-alcoholic distillates are a bit more expensive and you will not immediately buy a few bottles, you may be able to arrange with friends to all buy a bottle from another brand and compare them. Could be a great evening.
5. Tell your friends about the challenge
If you let your family, colleagues and friends know that you are doing an alcohol-free month, you are more likely to continue. If everyone in your circle of acquaintances knows that you will not drink alcohol that month, chances are that they will respect this and you will be less likely to be offered alcohol when you visit them or go out for some drinks together. Possibly some of them will join the challenge.
6. Let the world know
It can help to announce on social media that you are in an alcohol-free month. For some it can be comfortable to share their experience with the alcohol-free month on social media every day. If you consistently make a daily post with what you have drunk, you may, if after a while you feel like a glass of wine or beer, perhaps not drink it because your daily social media routine is then disrupted.
On instagram, thousands of people share their experience with the alcohol-free month. Some by posting a drink or recipe every day, others simply by posting ‘xx days alcohol-free’, others post their experiences, the weight they have already lost or a daily photo to see if they look different throughout their total abstinence. By following some of these people you may find that extra bit of motivation to get through a difficult day. Every non-alcoholic challenge has its own hashtag, by following people who use this hashtag you will find a lot of like-minded souls. We already regularly share tips and reviews on instagram via www.instagram.com/soberitocom and on facebook on www.facebook.com/soberitocom
7. Find partners in crime
Search for as many people as possible the weeks or days before you start your challenge who also participate in the challenge. When some friends, family members or colleagues also do an alcohol-free month, you may be able to exchange some tips about nice drinks and recipes with them. It only makes it more fun. On a difficult day, they may also give you the motivation to continue.
8. Bring your own booze
There is a good chance that during your month without alcohol you will be invited to some party. You cannot always expect your host to take the wishlist of every guest into account. If you want to be sure that you can drink a nice non-alcoholic drink at the party you really don’t want to miss, it’s a good idea to bring a few bottles of your favorite non-alcoholic drink yourself. It is not bad to let the host know in advance that you will bring your own non-alcoholic beverage.
9. Keep a diary
If you participate in an alcohol-free month to try to lose a few pounds, you can stand on the scales daily to see how much you have lost and write it in the diary. But that is by no means the only thing that you can keep in such a diary. Also write down which drinks you like or don’t like, what the biggest pitfalls are, in which cafe or restaurant you could find a nice non-alcoholic drink and where not at all. This “mandatory” daily update will give you a little extra motivation, but will also contain a lot of information for the next non-alcoholic challenge, which will make that one easier.
10. Remember the reason why.
Almost everyone who inserts an alcohol-free month has its own reasons for this. Some think they drink too much and want to know if a month without alcohol will succeed. Others want to detox their bodies, others want to lose a few pounds, but everyone has their own reasons. Think carefully why you participate in the alcohol-free month and remember very good why you want to do this. It must become your motto for life this month and you must always be able to fall back on it when there is the temptation to have a drink.
Completely ready for the challenge
When you try to use the tips that are suitable for you, it becomes a breeze to live a month without alcohol. Do not expect miracles from one alcohol-free month though. The chance that you lose 20 kilos or that your physical condition will improve so fast that you are suddenly ready for a marathon is non-existent. However, there is a good chance that you will notice some advantages of your month of total abstinence, so that after the month, you will use alcohol a little more consciously. The latter is a nice bonus.
