Giving Dry February a try

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/02/2021 (1746 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a little late for New Year’s resolutions but it’s never too late to challenge ourselves to try new things. This year I decided to do the Dry Feb Challenge for the first time.

This annual fundraiser challenges participants to go alcohol-free in February, while raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society.

It’s not as easy as you might think. For those of us who appreciate sipping wine to unwind at the end of the day, an entire month without that relaxant was at first a somewhat scary prospect. Lately, I had definitely been relying too much on alcohol to help get me through …well, just about everything, especially during the pandemic, which continues to take a toll on each of us in different ways. Alcohol is such a prevalent part of our society. Whether you’re celebrating a joyful event, grieving a loss or just relaxing at the end of a hard day, alcohol can all too easily become our most often used and favourite crutch.

I had been thinking that it was time to do a thorough cleanse when I came upon the Dry Feb notice on social media the night before it started. I immediately registered and committed myself to doing it.

I’m halfway there as I write this and it’s already been a powerful experience. I’ve learned that I don’t need alcohol, and that in itself is a powerful revelation. I’ve replaced the wine with more water and lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juices and my energy levels have definitely increased. The first week resulted in some insomnia but I’m sleeping much better now. My mind is much clearer and I feel healthier in every way. Valentine’s Day dinner was different this year. Carbonated water with lemon replaced the usual favourite chardonnay but it was just as lovely.

Like most of you reading this, I’ve lost too many loved ones to cancer, so given the link between alcohol and risk of cancer, any opportunity to contribute to building awareness about this disease and raising money for research in this area is a welcome one.

Over 30,000 Canadians are doing the Dry Feb Challenge this year. Last I checked over $3 million had been raised with this year’s campaign.

Money raised from Dry Feb will support the Canadian Cancer Society and will help fund ground-breaking research and provide a national support system for people affected by cancer. I’m halfway to reaching my fundraising goal, have a newfound sense of achievement and plan to do better next year. For more information, visit www.cancer.ca

Janine LeGal is a community correspondent for St. Boniface.