Dry January

During the last week of December most of us are coming down from our Christmas highs and setting our sights on the New Year; for many of us, this includes setting a New Year's resolution. According to YouGovAmerica, one in four Americans will set resolutions in 2023 with the most popular focusing on self-improvement. These include:

- Living Healthier

-Losing Weight

-Exercising More

-Stop Smoking

-Reduce Drinking

It is no surprise that after the indulgence of the Holiday season these resolutions top the list. However, statistics show that 68% of Americans quit working towards their resolutions after one month, a percentage that rises to 88% after six months. Why?

Resolution success and following through is all about commitment, behavior changes, and preparedness; but it also about being realistic with yourself, identifying WHY you want to achieve the goal, and making an actionable plan to get there. One of the biggest keys of success is to identify the obstacles that might trip you up along the way and make a plan to overcome them; unfortunately, most people choose to simply avoid situations that might tempt them all together.

While this strategy can be effective (and sometimes altogether necessary), it doesn't change the behavior in the long run. What's worse is that by removing ourselves from a situation that might cause our willpower to falter, we miss out on life, memories and experiences. This is especially devastating when you miss out on your close friend's 30th birthday party because you didn't want to fall of the bandwagon.

Social drinking is a huge part of our culture and is generally expected when getting together with friends, especially for a celebration. Most people will have a drink even if they aren't planning on it just to not feel left out or excluded. You can avoid this pressure, and stay committed to your goals, by planning ahead. Thankfully, the emerging trend of craft "mocktails" can help you do this.

The past few years have seen an increase in people becoming more mindful of their alcohol consumption and more people choosing to participate in Dry January; because of this most restaurants and bars offer creative mocktails (that taste amazing) and some of the biggest household names in the alcohol industry are offering "zero proof" versions of their best sellers. If you are attending a house party bring your own beverage or offer to bring a batch for everyone. Real talk though, if your choice to quit drinking isn't supported, it's probably not a bad idea to skip the party....and find some new friends who don't suck.

You can go to our recipe page for some suggestions or find inspiration to create your own. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions on keeping your resolutions OR if you have a delicious mocktail recipe to share.

Cheers Friends and Happy New Year!

xx- Tera

Click this link to go to our recipe page and find some creative mocktails to set your Dry January up for success!