Health Hub
Having a Dry July has great health benefits. We've brought together a collection of articles that could help you with your Dry July.
How To Get A Good Night Sleep
By Melissa Ingram on
Every single one of us needs to simply stop and recharge – regularly! Most of us have experience times where stress is high, deadlines are tight and yet we still seem to be able to move mountains. On the flip side, I can guarantee that all of us have also experienced periods of the same pressure yet feel we are not firing on all cylinders – resulting in lower quality of work being produced or it taking longer to complete.
Allow your body enough time each night to recharge. Start with attempting to get 7 – 8 hours of quality sleep every night. We are all different with regards to the amount of sleep we require to operate optimally, however the average 7 – 8 hours is a great place to start. While we sleep we unplug from our lives and environment, allowing our brain to rest, process information gathered throughout the day and to store this information as memory. Our ability to function and be alert is directly related to the amount of restful sleep we have. Try the following 5 tips to get a good night sleep:
1 - Have a regular sleep pattern
Establish a regular bedtime and rising time routine. Through repetition you will train your body and your brain into this pattern.
2 - Keep your bedroom dark
Ensure your bedroom is sufficiently darkened as this will promote uninterrupted sleep.
3 - Neutralise noise
Sleep in a quiet environment. Our brain focuses on the noise around us just in case it proves to be dangerous.
4 - Wind down
Create a routine before going to bed that promotes relaxation. This could include a warm bath, reading a book or drinking warm milk. The amino acid tryptophan in milk helps produce serotonin (happy hormone) and melatonin (sleep hormone).
5 - Switch off
Turn computers and phones off at least an hour before bed. The screens promote wakefulness, so don’t get into the habit of using these devices in bed.
When was the last time you took a holiday, one where you didn’t take your laptop, reports to read, answer work calls, but simply switched everything off? When did you sit down to read a book or watch a movie, enjoy the sunshine in your garden or simply catch up with friends? All of these things recharge our batteries. Select some that connect with you and add then to your life regularly. In no time you will be back moving mountains and firing on all cylinders.
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What Happens To Your Body When You Give Up Alcohol For One Month
By Chloe Mcleod on
We all love to indulge in alcohol every now and then, but a night out with friends brings social pressures in regards to frequent drinking. It can feel impossible to dodge having a drink when you want to be part of the group vibe - and before you know it, you’re waking up with a dry mouth and a nasty hangover again.
Dry July is a great way to reassess your relationship with alcohol consumption and see the health benefits of taking a month off. If you’re signing up to raise money, you’ll also be helping people with cancer.
Here are a few ways the human body can benefit from abstaining from alcohol for a whole month.
#1 Improvements to mental health
Alcohol may seem like a mood elevator when you’re dancing and having a great time...
Why are young people drinking less than their parents’ generation did?
By Sarah J MacLean, Amy Pennay, Gabriel Calluzi, John Holmes and Jukka Törrönen on
As we head towards the end of the year, office get-togethers, Christmas lunches and New Year’s parties are upon us. It seems like a prime opportunity for young people to be drinking the night away.
But something unexpected has happened since the start of this century. Young people in Australia, the UK, Nordic countries and North America have, on average, been drinking significantly less alcohol than their parents’ generation did when they were a similar age.
During COVID lockdowns, some surveys indicate this fell even further.
Our research suggests this is unlikely to be due simply to government efforts to cut youth drinking. Wider social, cultural, technological and economic changes seem to be key to these declines.
Researchers...
Navigating drinking culture in the workplace when you're sober
By ABC Everyday / By Flip Prior on
This year, I've had plenty of time to reflect on what influenced my past drinking habits since quitting on January 1 — and colleagues have emerged as a strong theme.
Look, I'm not about to try to blame Bob in accounts for my own after-work boozing, but given how much time most of us spend at work (and how stressful that environment can be) it's not surprising workmates loom large in shaping drinking behaviour.
Hanging out with colleagues in social situations often brings a not-so-subtle pressure to drink — it's ubiquitous, especially in the media industry, and opting out can feel uncomfortably weird.
And like lots of situations in which drinking is involved, habits can be ingrained after many years until they eventually feel normalised...