Blog: Dry January – Ray Hughes

Over the coming weeks, we’re issuing people’s views and experiences about their Dry January 2016 challenge.

Today, Ray Hughes, active travel and road safety officer:-  

Day 4 and it’s going well – no relapses yet.

My main reasons for taking part are health and well-being related. I want to feel more awake and energised in the mornings, and by not drinking I know I’ll feel less fuzzy and reduce the chance of feeling down. Although I was up earlier than normal this morning with it being my first day back, I felt really good on my cycle to work. I want to prove to myself I’m not dependent on drink and can break the habit. I plan to reduce my intake after January.

I also have a teenage son and I’m conscious of how my drinking habits and behaviour could be influencing him. There will be enough peer pressure on him to drink and I want to be a reasonable role model for drinking moderately. (He’s already managed a fizzy drink-free month in November, so if he can do it, so can I).

Only trouble so far is on the eve of my return to work I had rather too much Christmas cake, so I need to make sure I don’t substitute a drink for comfort eating.

I have a neighbour’s birthday party to attend at the weekend, so that will be perhaps my first real test.

Ray Hughes