Why Dry January should be your New Year’s resolution, from a sober Exeter student

Happy New Year! Perfect time to lay off the booze right? Thousands plunge into sobriety every January: Feared by some, welcomed by those who have had a recent motivation to get healthy, and a reset regardless of however you walk into the month.

Every year you hear the same old “New Year, new me” mantra and see the Sports Park gym being somehow busier than it has been for all of term one.

The new year is always a time for resolutions and rebranding yourself. Personally, I’ll be heading to the Vic and getting a soft drink over January, like many others in Exeter.

So, with that being said, here is what I have learnt from being sober for the last academic year. This is to help those who are wanting to begin Dry January or fancy a break from drinking. Take what you will from my experience.

I got better at socialising

For the last year, not a single drop of alcohol (or maybe a few if I was celebrating) fell onto my tongue. Over that time, I can say that my socialising skills improved massively. I could talk to my mate (who is five pints deep) about how good Henry Slade is and could talk to the sober-as-a-judge friend about meaningful stuff.

Although I may have felt as the odd one out, it was superb training at being sociable and being able to talk to anyone at anytime essentially. As many rely on alcohol to give them that extroverted buzz, I had the opposite effect and found I was MORE sociable without it. 

Most Read

The real-life event that inspired main character Gi-hun’s entire story in Squid Game

Does this insane theory prove Player 149 is actually the mastermind behind Squid Game?

This wild theory about Player 001 in Squid Game has completely blown my mind

When I started drinking again in August, I found myself falling into the trap of only socialising when I had a drink, which made me less confident than what I was used to. So, a main factor I learnt from sobriety was actually gaining confidence in myself, rather than depending on alcohol for that inner confidence.

I first felt uncomfortable at the pub (and that’s normal)

I love a trip to the pub. This is what I was told third year was all about, and I don’t blame them for telling me it was so good. Even then, I would walk into The Vic, surrounded by people buoyed by liquid courage and I was intimidated. Not because I wouldn’t enjoy myself, but because it takes effort to talk to someone who’s drunk when you’re sober.

I’m lucky that I know what works for me – I figure out who’s chatty, watch the game on the telly, see who else is watching, and say hello to the happy Arsenal fan leading PSG 1-0 10 minutes later. My best wishes go out to those who haven’t had that experience yet and I’m not too scared to admit that the pub was intimidating for the first few months I was sober.

Being the odd one out is the fear and even if more than ever students are going sober, in my case if you’re a lad who’s into your sport and knows people in sports clubs that’s a hard anxiety to shift.

Anyone who is in a sports club and goes to socials sober, my respect to you. Good thing this January however is that the chances you are the odd one out are slim, and there’s countless people in the same position. So be honest and admit it!

If I had reached out to friends (like I probably should have) who also are going sober, it makes that first trip to the local less intimidating.

You’ll figure out what the good non-alcoholic drinks are

As Dry January is well underway, this is the common question many new sober-curious people have, “what non-alcoholic alcohol tastes good?”. Surprisingly, more than you’d expect. Guinness Zero remains my favourite for me.

Now that we are becoming a more sober generation and many more people are willing to give up the booze, it’s never been easier to go sober. That in itself is a great thing, there are more options available at nearly every pub and there’s a huge range of zero alcohol in supermarkets. However, the only thing I did miss was the poured pint. To this day, I’ve only had one pint poured, a Lucky Saint back home at the cricket. Boy, did it taste sweet.

Your relationship with alcohol will change

More people than ever are sober. This is a result of young people rejecting the ideas of drinking that our parents and their parents grew up with. Our generation is more focussed on health, wellness and mental health – which is a nice change to see.

I understand that everyone has their reasons for drinking alcohol but sometimes it can do more harm than good and that it is quite beneficial to take a break now and then. When I chose to go sober, I built a better relationship with alcohol and understood that it is my choice if I drink or not.

Also, less people are accepting of the idea of excessive drinking, which shows that you’re in the majority if you want to change your relationship with alcohol. On that note, as someone who loves sports and have worked with many sports clubs in Exeter, I would never join a sports team due to its drinking cultures. Reason being that I’d never be comfortable with the alcohol aspect and going out on Wednesday evenings.

So, for this Dry January, I would advise all to take this time to build a better relationship with drinking and have a break. Even if you start drinking at the start of February, you’ll be better for it.