Why I’m stepping off the Dry July bandwagon

Forgoing alcohol for a calendar month – you can take your pick from Dry July, FebFast or Sober October – has emerged as a popular exercise for people seeking a reset to their relationship with alcohol and a shortcut to improved wellbeing.

I’m not going to argue that people shouldn’t drink less alcohol – but you won’t find me jumping on the booze-free bandwagon.

According to Australian guidelines, adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four per day.Credit: Shutterstock

According to Australian guidelines reviewed by the National Health and Medical Research Council, adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four per day. Dietitians Australia also recommends having at least two alcohol-free days per week.

If you drink more than the guidelines recommend, you should consider reducing your alcohol consumption. While it’s a worthy fundraising initiative, Dry July may be not be the answer you need.

Giving up booze for a month doesn’t magically wipe the slate clean. Partaking in Dry July won’t negate the effects of drinking more than you should the other 11 months of the year. A four-week fast won’t necessarily give you the tools you need to improve your relationship with alcohol when the calendar clicks over to the next month.

If your goal is real behaviour change – and not just virtuous or smug Instagram posts shared on Friday nights and Sunday mornings – implementing boundaries around alcohol consumption that are sustainable in the long term will be more helpful than hanging your hat on a hashtag for a booze-free few weeks.

Giving up booze for a month doesn’t magically wipe the slate clean.Credit: iStock

My husband, who is known to enjoy a red wine – or two – with dinner most nights, quit alcohol in February (no coincidence that it’s the shortest month). He did so against my best advice. I don’t see the point of denying yourself alcohol for an arbitrary period of time, only to resume drinking at the same level a week or two later. To be honest, I wasn’t up for listening to him moan about missing out as he suffered through 28 days without a beer.

Self-denial might be appealing in its show of inner strength and willpower, but it’s not the constructive mindset you need to sustain healthy choices as one month gives way to the next. Then there’s the guilt you feel if you break your self-imposed booze ban – negativity that will make you feel unnecessarily bad about yourself.

It doesn’t make a catchy slogan, but I prefer a more moderate approach to alcohol consumption. If I want a wine, I’ll have a wine – a glass, not a bottle. If moderation is a problem, it’s a sign that perhaps you should speak to your GP about the role alcohol plays in your life.

Instead of swapping one extreme for another – excess for abstinence – try setting healthy boundaries. There is nothing wrong with unwinding with a beer or catching up with friends over a cocktail, but if you want to drink less, find some simple rules that work for you.

Avoiding midweek drinks and ditching binge-drinking altogether – not just for one month, but forever – are good places to start.