30 day no alcohol challenge.
DRiNKLiNK aims to raise awareness of alcohol-related problems and educate people about the benefits of abstaining from alcohol. Awareness is the key to understanding, and this month represents an ideal time to be a part of that education.
Scottish charity, DRiNKLiNK, was set up in 2012, to link those affected by someone else’s drinking to information services and others in similar situations. Alcohol Focus Scotland estimates that 50% of the population are indeed affected by another’s drinking in some way. DRiNKLiNK’s annual No Alcohol April is all about asking people to challenge their drinking and to recognise the stumbling blocks experienced by those who have a problem with alcohol.
Katherine Denholm, Marketing Executive at No Alcohol April said: “Heavy drinking is seen as normal, it is common and it is totally accepted in our society. Recognising that your life is being negatively affected by alcohol and subsequently making the choice to stop drinking is often a very difficult thing to do. But the good news is that there are a lot of people doing exactly that, and if you seek those people out then being a non-drinker gets a whole lot easier. No Alcohol April aims to raise awareness and challenges the social norms and cultural attitudes around drinking. For some, going a month without alcohol is no challenge – in fact normal. For others it isn’t so easy. Everyone’s experience is different.”
In this challenge, DRiNKLiNK ask participants to feedback on the challenges they face when cutting alcohol out of their routine and track their drink diary through Drink Aware. Through this tool participants can keep a diary for a month and logging your drinking behavior, as well as how your alcohol consumption makes you feel.
Katherine shares her tips: “Be brutally honest. At the end of the 30 days, weigh up whether there are any problem areas and if this represents a blip or a trend. How many negative effects have there been as a direct result of drinking?
“Why not try something new? The time that you would have spent drinking and recovering the following day, can now be an opportunity to do something different. Whether it is football, running, writing, reading, knitting, yoga, doing activities with your children, re-engaging with old friends, or hiking with the dog – there’s so much you could be doing with your time.
“Save the money you would have spent on alcohol and reward yourself with a weekend away, or a new pair of shoes, or a surprise treat for the family – whatever your fancy, make sure you enjoy the financial benefits of not drinking.”
