When you first consider Dry July, does your mind shout, “31 days?! What! No bars? What about pizza night? OMG, what about my feelings?” All valid points by the way. Now, consider what if skipping the sangria for a month didn’t just change you, it changed lives. (And that does include your life, too.)
Because Dry July is so much more than just a personal reset. It’s a movement. It’s become a campaign that encourages you to go alcohol-free in July to raise funds for people affected by cancer.
www.dryjuly.com
So suddenly saying no to that beer after work isn’t a sacrifice, it’s like a superhero move. By day, you’re Bruce Wayne, and by night, you’re Batman. (Without the cape, unless you’re into that kind of stuff.)
Feel-Good Chemicals With Real Impact
And when you help others, you are also helping yourself. It’s like a ripple effect because when you donate or support a cause, like Dry July’s charity campaign, your brain releases that feel-good chemical dopamine into your system. And that feel-good high has depth because you’re not just not drinking. You’re helping to fund cancer support organizations that deliver practical, tangible support services for people affected by cancer. Making a difficult time a little easier for people affected by cancer. Which means that every time you skip a drink, you’re essentially texting your brain: “We’re not just saving money, we’re saving lives.” Cue the dopamine!
Your Body and Mind Transform
While you are busy being a charitable hero, something else starts to happen: you start changing, too.
You Get Better Sleep: your sleep cycle as well as the actual quality of your sleep improves.
Your Weight Stabilizes: you stop filling your body with the empty calories contained in alcohol.
You Save Money: which is, of course, another bonus.
You Look Better: did you know that alcohol damages DNA! Leading to a breakdown of collagen fibers as well as inflammation and hyperpigmentation. Which can make your face look dull and emphasize the bags under your eyes.
Your Energy and Focus Return: a rest from alcohol positively impacts your concentration levels and overall mood.
Transformation That Lasts Beyond July
When Dry July draws to a close, your transformation will be well, it’s just getting started because maybe you will realize that you can have fun and socialize without a beer in your hand, and that you are more resilient than you initially thought you were.
Maybe you’ll also realize that the small choices that you’ve made create big waves for others as well as yourself, and that actually you are part of something bigger. A community of people rewriting their stories while helping others rewrite theirs, too.
So, this July, you’re not just giving up alcohol. You are giving yourself and others a chance to thrive. And I think you’ll agree that’s way cooler than a Gin & Tonic.