by Kate Lewis for fluxo
Look, it almost makes sense. The holidays are over, you’re back at work, it’s cold, everyone’s tired. But as a society, we’ve gone overboard with classifying January as the worst month imaginable. It’s ingrained in our culture as the time when we’re supposed to be depressed and moody.
So, I’m calling for a rebrand! Let’s start by moving “Dry January” over to a different month. Remind me why we as a society picked January for that? I’m sure it has to do with the fact that people drink a lot over the holidays, but we’re already feeling sad and antisocial following New Year’s Eve, so why make it worse by taking away a huge catalyst for socializing?
I’m not saying you have to drink alcohol in order to hang out with your friends, but bars are an extremely ideal meeting place for people, especially in cities like New York where the average apartment is a little too small to be constantly hosting a group of friends.
Also, bars in NYC really struggle during January. Even if you don’t want to drink alcohol, perhaps consider meeting some friends at your neighborhood bar for a Diet Coke or a mocktail to help support them through the month.
Or, how about “Dry July” instead? Why don’t we choose a month that’s not already known for its reclusiveness?
The larger point I’m trying to make is not that I have a problem with January’s “dryness” per se, but that I think we as a society, a culture, a collective unit of individuals, need to work on getting out more, socializing more (and alcohol is, whether you like it or not, a heavy hitter in that department). Especially the younger generations.
Go out with friends! Go to that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try since you moved into the neighborhood! Go to the party that you didn’t feel like leaving your apartment for! Who knows who you could meet, where the night could take you. Sure, the night could take you right back to your couch, but that’s where you wanted to be in the first place—the risk is not that high.
At the risk of sounding preachy, perhaps we need to change our mindsets around the month of January. Let’s remind ourselves that it’s not an inherently depressing time or slog to get through, but rather the opportunity to begin again. Isn’t that why we celebrate the new year? Isn’t that why we make resolutions?
People don’t want to be sad. People don’t want to feel like they’re alone. For some reason, we’ve become okay with making that the whole point of January, when really it should be an exciting time of new beginnings. And if you don’t like new beginnings, fine, let’s just have a neutral outlook on the month—it’ll always be better than being negative.
