In addition to getting in better shape or quitting smoking, one of the most popular trends at the start of the new year is to quit alcohol during the first month of the year.
There is even a catchy name: ‘dry January’.
Timing of cutting out alcohol for 31 days is probably not a coincidence, as many people are more indulgent and relaxed about their diets on vacation.
Read more:
Consider a New Years Resolution to Freeze Your Spending in January and Reset Your Financial Habits – Experts
Psychologist Dr. Brent Macdonald said that participating can help us become more aware of our habits.
“It really becomes a moment of concentration where we really pay attention to how much maybe we’re drinking,” Macdonald said.
With an increase in people seeking non-alcoholic options, craft breweries have caught on.
Tool Shed Brewing Company recently put a spin on their well-known People Skills cream beer, cleverly eliminating the alcohol and keeping the flavor of the original to create Zero People Skills.
“We now have a non-alcoholic beer that not only tastes great, but can also be tailored to your lifestyle,” said Tool Shed sales director Rob Duncan.
Duncan said his new product is also about helping people be socially responsible.
Read more:
Realistic Resolutions: ‘New Year, New You’ Setting Goals for 2022
“Maybe I’m driving … I still want the couple to have a drink, but I want to be sure.”
The idea of drinking without consuming alcohol was one of Jo-Anne Reynolds’s goals when she created a line of non-alcoholic spirits, Sexy AF Spirits.
Part of the inspiration came after a trip with her friends during which she was the only one who drank.
“My friends really felt left out, in my opinion,” Reynolds said. “They had no choice when it came to non-alcoholic options.”
Reynolds also feels that there is an ongoing change in the way people view alcohol use.
“The consumer is becoming more educated and aware of the consequences,” he said.
It is not just local businesses that are involved.
Read more:
Lifestyle Expert Taylor Kaye Talks About Keeping New Years Resolutions
The boring girls club – described on their website As “a community of sober women, trans and non-binary people having fun without alcohol and recreational drugs,” it is organizing a fundraiser that encourages people to quit alcohol or drugs, but not medications, during the month from January.
Part of the proceeds go to support the Center’s Outreach Addiction Association (DOAP) team, a group that helps vulnerable Calgarians.
“They are out every day, no matter the cold, no matter the heat, saving people’s lives,” said club president Kira Dunlop.
Macdonald said that while reducing or moderating alcohol consumption has many physical benefits, it can also increase the self-esteem and confidence associated with meeting a goal.
Reference-globalnews.ca