All about: me and Dry July

Last month I decided to do what is called "Dry July" (in short, not drinking for July to raise money for cancer treatment).

I first heard about the initiative when I wrote about it for Grazia Australia last year, and lamented the fact that we didn’t have a New Zealand-based equivalent. Well be careful what you wish for because… come 2012 we do – and I’ve committed!

I didn’t drink while I was pregnant with my son Wolf and definitely don’t go out and get hammered (for want of a better word) of a weekend, but I’ve been aware of the amount I do drink more than ever lately and decided that it just had to stop. I tried cutting down after my doctor lectured me on the danger of sinking a few two many reds over dinner every night, but failed miserably as – I guess – no one was ‘counting’ on me and I simply didn’t have to willpower to do it for myself. This time there is, and the amazing sponsors I have thus far clearly have enough faith in me to put money on it!

For those of you who don’t know much about it, Dry July is a non-profit organisation determined to improve the lives of adults living with cancer through an online social community giving up booze for the month of July. Whether joining as a part of a team or as an individual, DJ's (Dry.July.er [dee-jay] noun: a person or team actively sponsored to participate in Dry July) take on the 31 days of July to raise funds and directly help adults living with cancer and their families to improve their quality of life.

Dry July is also a chance to raise awareness of individual drinking habits, the value of a balanced healthy lifestyle, a personal challenge, encourage positive change and an awareness of a healthy attitude to alcohol consumption. I see too many women in particular taking on the lads when it comes to drinking, and in New Zealand the attitude to “girls getting pissed” is such that it’s the only way to truly have a good night out. I know women who set DVDs up for their kids the morning after they’ve been hitting the turps with their friends so they can lie in bed a few extra hours, on at least a weekly basis. And don’t get me wrong - I’m all about having a wine or two (or maybe three or four!), but the advertising catchphrase “it’s not the drinking, it’s how we’re drinking,” seems to be happening around me on a more than regular basis.

I also want to be a good role model for my son and not raise him thinking that a glass of wine clutched in the hand is the only way to cope with what the day throws at me, but that raising one is all about celebration and everything that comes with it.

Anyway, that’s my rant over. I just bought a stellar bottle of KAH tequila and have some Veuve Clicquot and Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir at the ready to congratulate myself come August, because I know I can do this. If you want to follow my progress or – thanking you in advance – sponsor me, the link to my Dry July profile is:

https://nz.dryjuly.com/profile/heleneravlich

Thanks for listening x