As the clock struck midnight on December 31st, more than a few of us resigned ourselves to the notion that the celebratory drink in our hands would be the last to pass our lips for quite some time, right?
'Dry January', a term coined to explain an individual's desire to abstain from alcohol for four weeks after the festive celebrations is something most of us hope to achieve, but often find ourselves falling off the wagon and reaching for a glass of wine after a particularly long week.
While you should never beat yourself up for indulging in the odd tipple, the benefits of 'Dry January' cannot be underestimated, so if you hope to really go for it this year, we have five fantastic reasons you should definitely see it through until the end!
1. Increases efficiency
While you may not endure a classic hangover every time you have a drink or two, that's not to say the intake of alcohol isn't having an effect on your body hours after you indulge.
According to experts in the field, you will notice a marked improvement in energy and efficiency levels after just 31 days going alcohol-free.
2. Improves sleep
If you've been struggling to drop off at night or suffer through a troubled night tossing and turning, your nightly glass of wine may responsible.
By abstaining from alcohol over the course of January, the alpha wave patterns in your brain will properly regulate meaning you'll sleep like a baby until February.
3. Aids weight lost
Alcohol is absolutely chock-full of empty calories, so it's no surprise that most of us drop a lb or two when we decide to say no to a glass or two at the weekend.
By abstaining from alcohol, you're also much less likely to snack on salty food which most of us crave after a night on the tiles.
4. Improves skin tone
As we all know, alcohol causes us to become dehydrated which can in turn leave our skin looking particularly dull and lacklustre.
If you manage to hit the 31 day mark without cracking, you''ll be astounded by the improvement in your complexion and the condition of your skin.
5. Improves liver function
While most us focus on the aesthetic benefits of a dry January, it's also important to remember how grateful our major organs will be for the break in alcohol consumption.
Consuming alcohol causes fat calls to build up in the liver, but by abstaining until February you will help to significantly reduce the level of fat stored in the liver.
