Well, that’s a wrap! I made it through 28 days of Dry Feb, which means I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol during the entire month of February. To some people that may not seem like such a big deal but for me it was a small accomplishment that I never thought I would try.

Okay… I’ll admit, before Dry Feb my partner and I would drink almost every day. Not an excessive amount, but we would each have a few drinks every evening and it became a routine that we fell into. I was a bit skeptical about whether I would see any significant changes during Dry Feb, but I was incredibly surprised what 28 days without alcohol did for me, and I want to share it with you.

I FELT WAY MORE FOCUSED

I’ll admit the beginning was rough. The first few days I felt down, exhausted all day, and moody. Luckily, that passed after about four days and then I began to feel more energized and focused – more than I can ever remember. At about day 5 I felt like I wanted to be more active and was motivated to get things done around the house. It was this first week I discovered my new hobby of refinishing old furniture and I spent most of my free time over the month dedicating myself to it.

MY SLEEP PATTERN CHANGED  

This one shocked me a bit. It’s like my body was trying to make up for lost time with alcohol cleansed from my system. Before Dry Feb, my partner and I would wake up multiple times a night as we both tossed and turned a lot. I would also take melatonin to help me fall asleep. Now, I sleep without melatonin and sleep like a log! I have been having very deep sleeps and barely wake up during the night. The best part? I have been energized enough to get up earlier every day than I think I ever have in my life. I am now getting up 1-2 hours earlier daily than I was before Dry Feb. It’s so nice having the entire day ahead of me!

I LOST WEIGHT… MORE THAN I EXPECTED 

Keeping in mind all the calories that I would drink every day and after completely cutting it off, I lost 9 pounds during Dry Feb. I have to say this was the easiest weight I have ever lost. It has been nice fitting into some old clothes! Others say they notice too ;).

I SAVED A LOT OF MONEY

So, this one was one of the best perks of Dry Feb. On average before Dry Feb we spent about $250-300 a month on alcohol… yes, I know. That’s $3,600 a year. That’s $10,800 in 3 years, man! On top of that, we also saved money by not going out to eat because let’s face it, when you go to a pub for dinner, you’re going to want to have a cold beer with it. Including alcohol, we could easily spend 150$ between the two of us on a single dinner outing! It’s like this odd domino effect of positive perks that came our way during Dry Feb.

All in all, I can truly say that Dry Feb was a lifechanging experience. I think one of the most surprising things was that I actually did not miss it or crave it as much as I expected to. The month was truly a lot easier than I anticipated it to be. After seeing the benefits on our mental health, physical health and wallets, we have already decided that because of this past month, we are going to change our drinking habits significantly moving forward. I started drinking tea before bed for the first time in my life, and I now look forward to it!

If you have been considering going dry for a month, I highly recommend it. I would at least try it once in your life. I think now I’m going to do it every year. Get refreshed; a reset if you will. By the end of this, I can happily say I have successfully accomplished Dry Feb and I’m so proud of my partner and I.

Let me know if you’ve ever went dry for a month in the comments below! Tell me your story!