Dry July

It’s hard to believe that we are already almost 7 months into the New Year. Not only this, but we are also firmly in the middle of winter with the Winter Solstice just taking place. The Winter Solstice is the longest night and shortest day and is a special time of self-reflection as we move from the darkness into the light. This is a perfect time for transformation whether this be emotionally or physically. For many, transformation begins with taking control of your health. A great starting point for this, may be participating in Dry July. Giving up a habit for just a month to reset your health.

Dry July

Dry July started as a fundraiser to raise funds for people affected by Cancer by simply giving up alcohol for one month. Dry July challenges social drinkers to change their habits for just one month. You can read more about this amazing initiative on the official Dry July website.

https://www.dryjuly.com/about/why-take-part

Benefits of giving up alcohol for a month

Raising money for charity is an excellent incentive for giving up alcohol but there are many other benefits which include but are not limited to:

Improved sleep
Weight loss
An increase in energy
Save money
Better hydration
Clearer thinking
Healthier, clearer skin
Reduced blood pressure

Why we struggle to give up alcohol

There are many reasons as to why people may fail to give up alcohol. The first being, that drinking is a social activity and people may feel like they struggle without their social lubricant or like they are missing out on the fun. People also use alcohol as a stress relief. A glass of wine after a difficult day can feel very soothing. Other’s may even use alcohol to help them sleep better. Alcohol may help you to initially fall asleep, but it will most likely lead to disrupted sleep due to liver disruption.

We wanted to address some of these issues and how to work through them in a natural beneficial way that make your Dry July an enjoyable experience.

Socializing alcohol free

Enjoying a night out without any alcohol is not as bad as it seems. You will wake up with a clear head and conscience. You will also be able to be more present in conversations and really enjoy the company you are with. We understand that alcohol is a (temporary) mood enhancer so if you are out and feel like you need a little booster; we strongly recommend our Nature’s Relief Sceletium drops. The Sceletium herb is not know as ‘Bushman’s ecstasy’ for nothing! This completely natural product is an excellent broad-spectrum mood enhancing and emotion-mediating herb. It calms obsessive thinking, is emotionally grounding and supports freer expression of thought, feeling and speech.

Stress Relief

We understand the urge to reach for a drink after a stressful day. As stated, alcohol is a sedative so it can temporarily take your mind off your problems. However, alcohol is also a downer so while you may temporarily forget about your stress while you are drinking, the stress itself does not go away.
There are healthier coping mechanisms to deal with stress such as exercise or healthy supplements like CBD. Nature’s Relief has developed a CBD blend to specifically help with stress. Nature’s Relief CBD Calm has also been found to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter which controls mood and behaviour. Serotonin has at least 14 different receptors, but CBD specifically binds to 5-HT1A which is thought to have the strongest role in anxiety disorders. Using CBD to treat stress is a safe and effective way of managing anxiety around stressful situations.

Sleep assistance

We may to turn to alcohol to help slow down our racing thoughts and sleep better. As a sedative, this will initially work but the liver disruption will lead to disrupted sleep. We recommend Nature’s Relief Sleep CBD to help you get a restful night’s sleep. CBD can assist with sleep issues due to it’s anti-anxiety properties and ability to promote relaxation. Our blend of CBD and lavender terpenes will help you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Our CBD promotes restoration and healing through rest and you should wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day.