A whole lot of guilty gluttons try to atone for their holiday debauchery by swearing off drinking for the entire month of January. But that’s easier said than done. Here’s how Post Grad Problems editor Will deFries recommends you do it:
- Find something to binge. The month of January is 744 hours long. The entire series of Game of Thrones is only 63.5 hours long. Harry Potter movies will only last you 21 hours and 52 minutes. Even 121 hours of Friends will leave you with too much time on your hands. So, uh, yeah, you’ve got some time to fill.
- Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” all weekend. The human race’s worst enemy is the Friday afternoon “what’re we getting into tonight?” iMessage or gchat. If there was a moratorium on texting between the hours of 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, we’d all be healthier and skinnier people.
- Get a group text going with others in the same boat. Misery loves company. Fire up a group text with the two other couples you know who’ve decided to torture themselves for the 31 days this month. When you’re feeling restless, shoot off a “What’re you guys up to?” and get some motivation back in response. Just pray they don’t fall off the wagon.
- Pick up a hobby. People will tell you that the most difficult part of Sober January is not drinking. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The most difficult part is fighting the boredom and figuring out how to fill your time that’s otherwise spent 1) drinking, 2) passed out or 3) doing mindless tasks while brutally hungover