8 tips to Survive Dry July (and actually thrive!)
Untoxers in action at recent events. You can still have fun sans booze.
Lots of Aussies opt to take a month off booze by doing Dry July - and for a good cause to boot. Doesn't mean it's necessarily easy though! I tried Febfast three times and didn't manage it, but I've been sober for 3yrs 8 months now so it IS possible!
I asked the Untox community for their thoughts and together we have put together some fabulous tips on how to survive and thrive during Dry July (and maybe even beyond - you just never know!).
1. Keep busy & focused – and have fun too!
You have the goal of staying booze-free for the month but need to have a plan of how you’ll fill in those areas where you would normally have been drinking. Change up your routine. Get out for a walk or for a kick about at mealtimes if that’s a time you’d usually drink.
Spend more time playing with or reading to the kids. Take the dog out for extra walks. Start that painting or drawing or blog article you’ve been wanting to do.
On the weekends if you’d usually sit home and have a few wines in front of the telly, get out to the movies or a show. Or change up your location and watch TV in bed. Buy yourself some nice drinks, kombuchas or T2 teas, and have some snacky treats on hand.
Get into cooking up a storm or baking. Have a long bath. Read (or listen to) a book. Hang out with other mates doing a Dry July.
Fi said “I did lots of silly video challenges during the month for extra dollars donated!! I are weird shit, sang little ditties and on the last day, jumped in an in an unheated outdoor pool in Melbourne, in winter!! Yep, I’m an idiot!! ”
Or as Cindy said: “Keep the ritual change the ingredients!” and she’s dead right. So if you enjoy a wine while you are cooking dinner, maybe get yourself a nice bottle of alcohol free wine instead.
Adam had some great ideas:
- sign up for a run
- reignite old friendships
- try the 30 day minimalism challenge, too.
- talk to your GP or psych and be honest about your struggles with people you know and trust (if you’re struggling that is)
- opening up to strangers can be refreshing also
- find your routine that works for you
- aim for 7-8 hrs sleep and the same bed time daily
- try new recipes
- start a movie night with pals.
Donna suggesting writing a list of things you’ve always wanted to do and get out and do them – and it’s normal to be a bit of a sugar monster when you remove booze from the equation.
2. Use it is an opportunity to try out a period of sober time and see how you feel
Some people choose to do Dry July because they want to see how they feel in mind, body and soul without the grog for the month – and then they are back on it in August (hey, no judgement here, a break is great too).
Then others use it to kickstart sobriety.
Whatever your goals are, it’s a great opportunity to really be mindful about how you feel. Has your sleep improved? Do you feel better in your body, healthier? Your mental health? How about socially? Does it make things more awkward for you? Does parenting seem much harder? Or work and managing stress? The aim is not to have judgement about anything of these things but to notice and then see how you feel about that and whether it fits with how you want your life to be.
3. Gives you an easy answer to why you are not drinking
One of the things people who want to cut back or quit drinking find hard, pretty much without fail, is the pressure from others around them and responding to questions about why they are not drinking. When you can whip out Dry July as your answer – well, no one is going to argue with that. Plus it gives you practice saying no!
4. Know you’re doing a good thing for others
You’re raising money for charity, you legend you. Even better it’s for cancer, which we know is linked to alcohol consumption. Knowing you are doing a good deed for others can help keep you motivated.
Hilarious and effective tip: One Untoxer, Fi, raised over $6,000 for the month but told her mates for every extra $500 raised she’d go an extra month sober. She says: I knew that I was never wanting to drink again, so this made it easier again with the persistent questions about why I’m not drinking!! People then thought it would be hilarious to keep me adding months to my sobriety so they donated up a storm!! In the end I was up to 12 months sober time!! Which I did!!!!”
She’s now 2 years sober!
5. Self talk
There are lots of phrases in the recovery community that are bandied about, and that’s because they really do help. If you’re having a hard day, use one or two of these to help get your mindset right:
One Day At A Time
Just for Today
Do the Next Right Thing
I got this! I can do this!
Nothing worth having comes easy.
Most of all, be kind to yourself! Changing habits is hard particularly in the beginning.
6. Reframe your thoughts
Take the challenge as a ‘gift to yourself’ rather than you ‘missing out on something’. You are gifting yourself a brand new fresh day, every day of July. Changing your mindset is the baseline for changing how you approach it! said KJ.
Mez said: Enjoy the freedom of not having to make a decision whether or not to drink. It’s already made.
Think of how proud you will be of yourself when you smash the 30 days, oh yeah! :)
7. Use what is out there to stay motivated
Get onto You Tube and Google away for ober motivation or sober videos (like the Alcohol Experiment) - you get the drift. Yes, you’re doing a challenge and it’s 30 days but, honestly, the principles remain the same.
Download an app (day counter like Clean Time Counter or I am Sober) or listen to sober podcasts (there are bazillions). We have recommended three Aussies ones three in this newsletter: How I Quit Alcohol, Sober Awkward and Teetotally Wild.
There is A LOT of stuff around that can help you at your finger tips.
8. Finally, some encouragement from the crew:
“Do it!! It’s worth it!! And so are all of you!!”
“Dry July in 2017 was one of my first ever attempts. I didn’t last the whole month, unfortunately. It was my longest stretch though at 25 days and it helped me set a goal at least”, said Sam (who has now been sober for years).
Fi says, “I decided I was quitting booze near the end of my Dry July, and admitted it. I was overwhelmed by the support I received”.
YOU CAN DO IT! WE ARE ALL CHEERING YOU ON!!
Our Untoxicated FB closed support group is an awesome supportive safe space to help with accountability, check it out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/untoxicatedaus
Or you can sign up and join our new private community - Untox AF Club - that offers support, information, tools and resources - https://untoxicated.com.au/untoxaf-club