31 Things to Do Instead of Drink in January
It’s Dry January! Or Whole 30 Month! Or “I Drank So Much That I Scared Myself so I’m Taking a Break” Time!
I’m there too. I’m in all of those places. I’m doing both a dry January and a version of the Whole 30, which is like a Whole 30 but it doesn’t yell at me when I purposefully continue to use chipotles in adobo that have a little bit of sugar in them.
During the first weekend, I actually kind of panicked. Since we’re in a pandemic and still sheltering-in-place as much as possible, seeing people is not looking like a possibility any time soon. I was, and still am, slightly afraid that I will go absolutely mental in solitary confinement without alcohol to keep me company.
I know that feels sad, but what can I say? It is sad. Very sad.
Then I realized that maybe, just maybe, alcohol isn’t the best company after all? And maybe there’s a reason for requiring alcohol to get through the cold, lonely winter nights? And maybe I should actually get to the bottom of that instead of worrying about all the champagne bottles sitting lonely in the store?
Nah. Instead, I’ll find distractions! So here’s a list of 31 days worth of things to do that are FUN, if you’re me or someone like me. Alcohol, after all, isn’t necessarily fun… it just distracts us from the fact that we’re not having fun and temporarily lifts our spirits (although ultimately it drags us down.) LOL, so cute.
Noticeably missing from this list: baths. I think baths are WEIRD.
Binge-watch a show that someone has recommended to you a dozen times but you never got around to watching it. (But don’t tell them and give them the satisfaction.)
Themed movie nights. Spend a week watching every Jane Austen adaptation, or all eight Harry Potter films. One time I had a Bill Pullman movie marathon. That’s right. I watched Spaceballs, While You Were Sleeping and Casper. We all do this around Christmas time, so why not take a similar approach during other times of the year?
Read. I read a lot regardless, but usually through audiobooks and before I go to bed. It’s kind of fun to actually read intentionally. Turn off the TV and play some Lo-Fi songs, too!
Make a playlist. I deleted everything off my Bring the Joy! playlist and re-built it from scratch. I’ve also made playlists around Thanksgiving and the solar eclipse of 2017. It’s stupid fun.
Work out. I do my jazzercise in the morning or else it throws off my whole routine. But every now and then, I’ll do a gentle yoga flow or an additional workout at night if I’m feeling spaced out.
Go for a walk. If you have a dog, try a new route. If you don’t, just put your headphones on and stroll. It magically clears your head. But, be safe. Because… true crime.
Make a ridiculous snack. I’m prone to a smoothie bowl with frozen mango/banana and some other kinds of toppings. But if you’re not Whole-ish 30’ing, you could make a full ice cream sundae rather than eating ice cream out of the tub. Or pop some corn the old-timey way on the stove and add like truffle oil and shit.
Call someone. Sometimes we drink to escape from the fact that we’re bored or lonely. Calling someone seems antiquated, but once you get over all the anxiety, you’ll feel connected and happy. Just schedule it first! Do not surprise someone with a phone call! Unless you’re a PSYCHOPATH.
Do an Instagram deep dive. Some call it “doom scrolling”, I call it “learning what the kids are into these days.”
Online window shop. God, I love putting stuff into carts all over the internet mall and not following through. Sometimes, you’ll get an email with a discount code! What a world.
Do things you’ve been putting off. Make doctor’s appointments, order medications, clean your fridge, organize your drawers, make payments, look for a new primary care physician… I don’t know, just spend a night DOING IT.
Zoom party. I know we’re over them, but scheduling one during a period where you’re not drinking could actually benefit your mental health.
Have yourself an at-home spa night. Sometimes I take my dog’s tennis balls and give my neck/shoulders a massage, or I use my foam roller. I’ll also put on a face mask, or give myself a pedicure. Diffuse some essential oils (if you’re not afraid of them like I am because of cats.)
Play a video game you used to love. I downloaded an app that lets me play Mario Kart and it is fantastic. I also play Scattegories with internet people. I’m fine, everything’s fine.
Write a letter. Since you had that Jane Austen week, you’re probably feeling inspired. (Just me?) Alternatively, buy one of these books from Amazon and fill it out and send it to your friend. I did that as a Christmas gift for my bestie… so she knew why she was my bestie.
Journal. If I’m feeling a certain way (have you guessed that I’m prone to depression and anxiety?), I will look for prompts on the internet to help me get the feelings out on the paper and unblock my brain. You could write as if you’re writing a letter. You could just make a list of things you’re feeling or what you’re grateful for. Just get it out of your brain!
Fix stuff. I had a broken picture frame that I was going to trash and buy a new one, but I decided to figure out how to fix the broken one instead. It worked! There are YouTube tutorials for everything. Just don’t break things just to fix them. Unless that’ll feel therapeutic and nobody will get hurt… in which case, go ahead!
Make a complicated meal. I’m a huge fan of cooking and enjoy it as my nightly ritual, usually with a glass of wine. This month I’ve been making Thai dishes! They’re not extremely complicated, but they also don’t have ingredients I usually keep on hand so they’re new to me, and making more than one helps me use up the ingredients.
Recreate what you did as a kid for fun. I danced a lot with my neighbors, read, watched TV, drew, colored, played “House”, played with a lot of Barbies, and made weird videos that I thought were funny. Some of those activities may not be appropriate for an adult single woman, but some are replicable. I even found this Barbie workout tape and DID IT. It’s hil-ar-ious.
Plan a dream trip. I know we can’t technically travel right now, but plan a dream trip itinerary and find restaurants you want to go to or activities you want to do while there. I’m dying to go to this spa in Northern Ireland. All this preparation I’m putting into this Ireland trip will be worth it when I can actually book the tickets and go!
Zillow. Search for your dream house. I spend a lot of time on Zillow pretending I can afford a home and then going on Pinterest to decorate the rooms that I’ll never be able to have. So many fireplaces.
Go for a hike, or just go outside. This is for those weekends when you can’t watch another episode of anything and you need to escape. Look up local hikes or walking trails and just go for a walk. I am an inexperienced hiker with bad knees and a distracted dog, so I’m privy to The Fells and Breakheart. Also, love the Minuteman Trail because I’m a history nerd.
Send someone a gift just because. It makes me feel good to make other people feel good. One time, I sent my pregnant friend nipple tassels to go with the nipple cream on her registry. Because WHY NOT?
Take up a hobby, or learn something new. I’m trying to just create for the sake of creating, but I’ve also been doing some tap dance videos. Last year, I went through this Science of Well-Being course through Yale (for free.) I highly recommend it.
Redecorate. You know there are some areas of your home that could use a little refresh. Move your bed a half-inch to the right. You got this.
Cry. Shhh, it’s okay. I know, I want alcohol too.
Rewatch your favorite series from start to finish. 30 Rock, Cheers, and Arrested Development are all on my list.
Make mocktails. Since I’m not having sugar, this is off-limits for me unless I put a straw in a Lacroix and call it a day. However, maybe one of those cool, new alcohol-free spirits inspire you.
Clean the shit out of everything. I’m talking floorboards, behind the toilet, replace or wash the shower curtain, get IN BETWEEN APPLIANCES. Put on a podcast and a mask and GET TO WORK. It is gross and refreshing.
Research something. I am a huge nerd, but I love discovery. I’m the type that will watch a movie and research everything about the topic, or the actors, or the time period. Find something that you’re curious about and literally Google it. That’s it. That’s the tip.
Try something that scares you. To be honest, this should be number one but going alcohol-free is already hard enough. DO SOMETHING THAT SCARES YOU. For me, that used to be in-studio yoga classes. Once I went, I realized how NOT scary they actually are and now I go all the time. Or, well, I did when that was an option. It could be online dating, or just asking someone out. It could be asking for a loan to consolidate your debt. It could be anything… just do it. It will be awkward, uncomfortable and you might even get bad feedback. But I promise you will be better for it.