NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With the new year comes new year resolutions. Do you have any? A lot of people are trying to cut back on alcohol consumption after the holidays.
It's one of the fastest-growing resolutions called Dry January, where people start the new year off by not consuming alcohol for one month. The reason why is many people want to start taking care of their health, and this trend has shown benefits including losing weight, better sleep and just an improved mood to start the year. However, it is not always easy.
Watch Tony explain in the player above.
Alcohol use and abuse rose sharply during the pandemic, but a survey from the American Psychiatric Association found about 34% of Americans say they're drinking less over the past three years.
Dr. Jeremy Kidd with the American Psychiatric Association said many people find it tough to go the whole month without drinking. Still, there are some things you can do to succeed like setting goals and taking on the challenge in smaller increments.
"Setting short-term achievable goals, so sometimes taking that week by week, rather than an entire month,” said Dr. Kidd.
He also suggests using the buddy system and talking to a therapist if you need extra support.
"Everything is great in moderation, but with alcohol in specific, if you stop it for a little, it will make a big difference in your life,” said Dr. Kidd.
A small step could lead to some big life changes like better heart health, blood pressure and liver function.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has some helpful resources online at their website Rethinking Drinking.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
