Sinead Linsley, 27, works in the marketing team at Newcastle contact centre, Inspired Outsourcing. Sinead took part in Dry January this year with a group of colleagues and enjoyed pressing the reset button on her relationship with alcohol.
She said: “I don’t think anybody thought I would do Dry January, but I was keen to prove them wrong! I had some strange dreams the first week, but they soon stopped and I slept much better and felt more alert.
“I’m still feeling really good and it definitely reset my relationship with alcohol. When I had a week of social events recently, it really hit me how unhealthy I’d been before. I still enjoy a glass of wine, but I’ve definitely cut back and I’m not drinking in the house now unless I have the day off the next day. Cutting down on drinking is aiding my weight loss too and I’m enjoying finding healthier alternatives to alcohol. It’s great not to have hangovers, and my approach going forward is that it’s all about balance.
“It was also nice to do something together as a team. Inspired Outsourcing is taking part in the ‘Better Health at Work’ scheme and working towards our gold award. Because alcohol plays a role in the lives of many of our staff, as a responsible company, we think it’s important to highlight the health harms of alcohol and do so in an engaging way. For example, we share quizzes around the team and make sure that we have information up around the office. A healthier team means more positive and motivated staff.”
