Why trying Dry January is my smartest decision of 2021 so far

Dry January

When Lizzie Fletcher decided to quit booze for January, she had no idea how many benefits it would bring

By Lizzie Fletcher

Every January, people across the UK sign up to take part in Alcohol Change UK’s Dry January challenge. The premise is relatively simple: for the first month of the year, participants do not consume any alcohol.

    ...for many it’s an opportunity to feel healthier, save money and, perhaps most importantly, reset their relationship with alcohol.  

In 2019, an estimated 4.2 million people took part in the challenge, and this will no doubt have increased this year. People’s reasons for trying Dry January differ, but for many it’s an opportunity to feel healthier, save money and, perhaps most importantly, reset their relationship with alcohol.

Last year, I decided to give it a go. I wanted to try to be healthier generally, and what better way to kick-start the process than quitting the booze for 31 days straight?

The first few days were easy enough. I had a fairly indulgent Christmas and New Year period, so a respite from alcohol was welcome.

Dry January - Just RecruitmentLike many people, I felt pretty sluggish coming into the New Year. Drinking has a heavy impact on your sleep cycle, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic the morning after. Within just a few days of giving up, I noticed I was sleeping much better and waking up feeling energetic and motivated.

Along with a boost in my mood, an additional benefit has been the effect abstaining from alcohol has had on my bank balance. It sounds silly, but I hadn’t ever thought about how much I spend on booze. This is the first January I have ever managed to save money. It’s made me think about the things I could put my cash towards in the future if I were to continue cutting out the drinking.

I am really glad to have taken on Dry January. A large part of the process is evaluating your own relationship with alcohol. I’ve come to recognise that staying sober is sometimes the better option.

I would be lying if I said I’m never going to drink again. But I’m saving money, sleeping better and have been far more productive in both my work and personal life over the past few weeks.

I’ll raise a glass (of sparkling water) to that.

Three non-alcoholic drinks to bring some sparkle to Dry January

Brewdog Punk AF Alcohol Free IPA: I’m a fan of the original Brewdog Punk IPA, so was excited to try this alcohol-free offering. It has a great balanced taste, and it was easy to forget I was drinking a low-alcohol version. If beer is your preferred tipple, a plethora of alcohol-free and low-alcohol options are available. Check out Just Recruitment’s tasting notes to find one that suits your tastes.

Seedlip Spice 94: At £26 a bottle, this product isn’t cheap. But it’s innovative and worth a try simply because there’s not much like it on the market. It’s a spirit alternative made with botanicals, and is a great option if you’re missing your Friday night G&T. Serve over ice with a nice tonic and you’ll soon be, erm, ‘ginning’ from ear to ear.

Thomson & Scott Noughty Sparkling Wine: I have a penchant for prosecco, and found it hard to find a decent alcohol-free alternative. This offering from Thomson & Scott changed that. It comes in a traditional bottle with a cork to pop, which is a nice touch. Again, it isn’t the cheapest option, but I’ve come to realise that with alcohol-free drinks, it can be worth paying a little extra for good quality.

 

© Copyright 2021 Just Recruitment Group Ltd

Published: 11 January 2021

If you enjoyed this article, you may like: Six ways to keep your New Year’s resolutions alive

You may also enjoy: Why alcohol-free beer may be the perfect summer tipple

Jobs currently available

New job
HR Advisor
Sector: Recruitment and HR
Salary: Discussed on application
Location: Tiverton, Devon
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913357
About the role

Just Recruitment is seeking an experienced HR advisor to provide high-quality, locally focused HR advice and service as well as work on group-based projects – for a company based in Tiverton, Devon.

Hours of work:

Monday to Friday – 30-35 hours per week, to be worked over 5 days.

The company will consider candidates looking for school working hours (min 5.5 hours daily) and can offer flexibility on working hours, however, daily support is required to meet operational objectives.

You will be based in Tiverton, working independently and will be responsible for providing vital generalist day-to-day operational support, including but not limited to delivery of the HR goals as well as objectives, absence management, employee relations matters and support for Line Managers.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Providing support to colleagues and managers working within the company’s policies and procedures to achieve positive outcomes.
  • Undertaking exit interviews for leavers and administrating the leaver’s process.
  • Auditing and reviewing HR policies, procedures, and documentation on a regular basis in line with legal obligations or business requirements.
  • Overseeing and assisting with investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes to endeavour to resolve at an informal level wherever possible. Escalating all processes to the HR Manager for initial input.
  • Preparing template letters, documentation and forms necessary for the HR Admin team to complete for employees (eg invitations to hearings, flexible working requests, letters of correspondence etc).
  • Supporting the company and the HR Manager with improving attendance for all employees including long-term sick leave.
  • Assisting the HR Manager with the upkeep of company policies and procedures and implementation of new/amended procedures.
  • General HR-related tasks/project work as directed by and with the consultation of the HR Manager.

Key skills/experience required:

  • Experience from a generalist background is essential to apply HR practices throughout the cycle of employment.
  • Competent in dealing with employee relations matters, grievances, performance and disciplinary.
  • Managing absence both short and long-term with knowledge of occupational health.
  • Compiling and updating company procedures and applications in practice.
  • Adaptable, self-motivated, team worker with a can-do attitude.
  • Minimum CIPD Level 3 in Human Resources Practice or similar or substantial professional experience.
  • Excellent communicator both written and verbal.
  • Administration experience and preparation of contractual documentation.
  • Use of Microsoft Office suite including Teams, hosting meetings online.
  • Organising in-house events, training events for example.

The role offers excellent benefits – discussed on application.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
New job
Service Desk Controller
Sector: Customer Service
Salary: £25,000 - £27,000 per annum
Location: Witham
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913358
About the role

Just Recruitment is seeking a Service Desk Controller for a company based in Witham.

This is an incredibly important role within the company as you will be the primary point of contact for the customers and will be responsible for scheduling the engineers' diaries. This is a fast-paced role, therefore you must be able to work well under pressure and display ownership of tasks from start to finish.

Duties include:

  • Providing product and technical information, together with advice tailored to customer requirements.
  • Handling customer enquiries via telephone or email and ensuring customer communication is a priority.
  • Identifying customer product requirements and where necessary liaising with suppliers with the purchasing department.
  • Allocating jobs to engineers.
  • Communicating efficiently with all internal departments to ensure the correct product is allocated against each job card.
  • Coordinating resources to reduce customer waiting time.
  • Ordering products from suppliers and liaising with the purchasing department.

Role requirements:

  • Ability to communicate efficiently, verbally expressing your ideas clearly and confidently at all levels, via email and the telephone.
  • Skills to systematically establish facts and principles for problem-solving to resolve customer enquiries.
  • Ability to understand and produce customer or internal reports.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.00pm.

Free parking is available on-site.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
New job
Technical Sales Manager
Sector: Sales
Salary: Discussed on application
Location: West Midlands
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913354
About the role

Just Recruitment is seeking a Technical Sales Manager for a manufacturer to establish new distribution networks and relationships within the Worcester/Gloucester/Birmingham areas – maintaining excellent customer relations with full account and budget responsibilities.

This is a home-based role but you will be required to travel to group sites as well as make customer visits, as and when required.

International travel is also a requirement.

Business-to-business direct sales experience in the electrical / tools / PPE sector would be ideal.

The role will involve:

  • Taking responsibility for managing and effectively establishing customer accounts within the region/customer base.
  • Generating customer business in line with discount and rebate structures.
  • Being accountable for the achievement of sales targets set for set region.
  • Keeping management informed of sales activity against target achievement by the submission of weekly and monthly reports and via Sales Force.
  • Taking responsibility for following up leads, answering sales calls and responding to enquiries through to order placement.
  • Effectively handling customer complaints by investigating problems and developing solutions with the Product Management team and factories as appropriate.
  • Following up on all sales leads and customer quotations.
  • Monitoring competition by gathering current marketplace information on pricing, products, new products, and merchandising techniques.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
New job
Production Operative
Sector: Warehouse
Salary: £11.44 per annum
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Role: Full Time
Contract: Temporary
Job ref: JT-PO-04-24
About the role

Just Temps is seeking temporary Production Operatives for a company based near Ipswich.

No experience is required for this role.

Working hours:

  • Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm.

Duties to include:

  • Working on a production line - carrying out fast packing

  • Handling finished goods

  • Heavy lifting duties

  • Labelling

 

Just Temps acts as an Employment Business for the supply of Temporary Staff.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. 
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more