New Year’s Eve for someone in their 20s is as exciting as it can be tedious. Let’s face it, a big night out requires almost as much recovery time as minor surgery. With all the rich food and the never ending supply of drinks available throughout the Holidays, Dry January starts to seem like a no brainer. Not only is it a good challenge, it is good for you, and your liver, too!
The most obvious – and amazing – benefit of Dry January has to be the weight loss. We all know most alcohol is full of sugar and plenty of calories, so cutting it out for the month can only do good things for your waistline. We are all victims, self-inflicted or not, of that highly dreaded Holiday weight gain, so removing one of the biggest offenders is a massive victory. Every time you are crying over the bottle of wine you can’t drink on girls night, just remember you’ll probably be able to do your pants up at the end of the month.
Not only will those few pesky pounds hopefully melt away, you will probably notice your skin starts to glow again too. Alcohol is majorly dehydrating which definitely affects your skin. If you’ve noticed your skin looking dull and dry, you can probably blame the booze as much as the cold weather. Turn the wine into water and your skin will look better than ever. Who knows, in February maybe you’ll even get asked for your ID again.
Aside from looking good, you will feel even better. Who wants to wake up every Saturday and Sunday morning feeling like a zombie? Anyone over the age of 25 can attest to the fact that drinking takes a much bigger toll on you now than it did just five small years ago. The struggle is real. Too real. No more wasting your days on the precious weekend fighting a hangover, and promising yourself that you’ll never drink again. Sound familiar?
Your bank account will love you. Like really love you. Does it suck being the designated driver every weekend? Sure it does – but when you aren’t digging through the couch cushions at the end of the month searching for coffee money, you’ll be glad you did. There are very few things that add up more quickly than going out to the bar and dancing the night away with an over-priced drink in your hand. You’ll also be sober enough to watch your bank account win for once, even if it is just for a month. This comes in extra handy for the cash poor students of the world.
You’ll also start to dispel that nasty myth that you need alcohol to have fun or be fun. You’re pretty awesome the way you are, with or without the booze, and I guarantee your friends will still love you just as much. What’s even better than that? You’re going to remember your night out – all of it. No foggy memories wondering what you did or didn’t do, and no drunken texts or calls to be made. Plus, you’ll remember all the embarrassing things your friends did. Blackmail anyone?
The challenge of Dry January might be trickier for some to get through than others, but there’s a reason this trend is picking up! The way you’re going to feel will be amazing, the way you’ll look will be amazing, you’ll realize you ARE amazing, and your 2016 money situation will start out with a bang. You have nothing to lose, your liver could use it, and after all, it is only for 31 days. Cheers!
