Brita Boost Challenge - Relaxation

I've reached day 27 of Dry January and I'm pleased to report it's going very well. I've managed to stick to my aim of avoiding alcohol and drinking a minimum of 1.2 litres of water a day. My skin is looking noticeably clearer and I'm feeling very fresh and upbeat.

There are many reasons why people drink and BRITA have identified 5 key reasons which I outlined back in my first Brita Boost post. One of those reasons is relaxation and that's what I'm going to focus on today.

Brita Drinking alcohol can help you to relax in the short term, but long-term drinking to cope with stress can lead to a range of health and social problems including addiction, obesity and relationship difficulties. If you drink alcohol every day, your concentration and ability to work will be affected making your more stressed out in the long run.

Alcohol is a depressant and calms certain parts of the brain which may help you to feel more relaxed and less stressed but it can become a habit

Don't avoid the issue 

You're not properly confronting the issues that make you feel stressed in the first place by having a post work drink. Have a chat with a colleague, a friend or member of your family and see what steps you can take to make changes.


I've never really been fond of week day drinking but I've certainly used it at weekend to relax and feel like I'm letting my hair down a bit. BRITA organised a relaxing treatment for me as a substitute for a glass (or three) of wine to relax. I was treated to the Laguna Full Body Massage to ease stress and muscle tension. I was a little nervous before hand as I've never had a massage prior to this. 

I really felt like this treatment helped ease the strain of day to day life and the tightness I had in my legs from walking up and down hundreds of steps in France the week before disappeared. The combination of the relaxing music, oils, and deep muscle massage helped me to forget my troubles and nearly nod off. You wouldn't need to do something quite as extravagant at this every week to wind down but you could do something simple like paint your nails, take a long bath or take some time out to listen to your favourite music with no distractions. 

Drinking water  and staying hydrated after a massage is often recommended by massage therapists and health care practitioners. Drinking water is always a good idea, as the body benefits from proper hydration, and consuming water will help the kidneys and other organs process the various substances which move through the human body on a regular basis. Drinking water before a massage is also highly recommended, as it will make it easier for the massage therapist to perform deep work by hydrating the muscles so that they are easier to manipulate.

Water after a massage helps the body flush out any accumulated materials in the muscles which were released during the massage. Deep massage stimulates circulation in the body while getting rid of water, salt, and other minerals from the muscles, and circulation is designed to carry away waste materials generated by cells. By providing the body with plenty of water you can help sweep away these waste materials; otherwise, they might build up, causing muscle aches and soreness after a massage.

I stayed hydrated before and after my massage with my BRITA Fill&Go bottle and continued the relaxation after my massage by going home, putting a face mask on and spending some time alone.

Do you drink to help you relax? If you're doing Dry January how are you getting on?