Happy New Year! The start of a new year for me also means participating in Dry January. I’ve loved doing Dry January the past couple of years and have experienced so many benefits firsthand — more energy, clearer skin, brighter eyes, better digestion, more restful sleep, less anxiety, greater satisfaction, and of course, NO HANGOVERS.
If you know me or have been following my journey, you know that my biggest passion is health & wellness and I have been prioritizing doing things that make me feel my absolute best over the past few years. With that focus, came a somewhat gradual but harsh realization that alcohol was no longer serving me and was, in many ways, in direct opposition to my values and all the other practices I was doing to boost my health.
This led to doing my first Dry January in 2021, again in 2022, and experimenting with several month-long breaks from alcohol (currently 7 months alcohol-free!) — during which I have learned A LOT about navigating your twenties without drinking.
When I asked on my Instagram stories what kind of resources you’d enjoy most related to Dry January, the majority of you wanted to hear more about my personal experiences. So, I’ve compiled my best advice for successfully participating in Dry January. These can, of course, apply to any month or period of time you’d like to take an intentional break from alcohol (I’m a big fan of Dry July & Sober October), but right now is always a great time to start. 😉
“82% of people who are alcohol free for one month report an enhanced awareness of their relationship with alcohol.”
Medical News Today
1. Consume as much sober curious content as possible
If you read nothing else, I highly recommend picking up This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. I’ve read many books on alcohol/sober curiosity and this one takes the cake. Extremely eye-opening. I recommend it to everyone I know.
I also read her other book, The Alcohol Experiment, which is broken up into 30 short daily chapters, which is an awesome way to keep you on track, remind yourself why you’re committing to this, and really dive into your relationship with alcohol. I even reread it when I did Dry January for the second time.
If you haven’t yet stumbled across the sober curious Instagram/TikTok community, go check it out. Follow pages like Reframe App, 1,000 Hours Dry, Sober Girl Society & Soberish to fill your feed with this content and (no hate) drown out the pictures & stories of your friends sipping glasses of Cabernet or espresso martinis — even just for this month.
2. Get other people on board
This is a big one. If everyone in your circle is carrying on drinking, you probably will want to join too. Get your friend, partner, parent, or even online friends to do it with you. And if you can’t find someone IRL don’t fret (this was hard for me too) check out the location-specific Instagram pages for 1,000 Dry, or sign up for a free trial of the Reframe App. This app was incredible for me and gives you access to a whole community who totally get it as well as weekly Zoom sessions (plus an “under 30” group!).
3. Switch up your plans and weekend routines
Been craving a night in for a while? Well, it’s the perfect time to pencil those in now and politely decline all upcoming drinking plans. Trust me, it’s much easier to avoid alcohol when it’s not all around you. And if your movie nights or unwinding after a long day usually involves a drink, then think of other treats to replace it. Try non-alcoholic wine, popcorn, homemade desserts, pick up some ice cream, etc. Remember, alcohol isn’t the only way (or the best way) to indulge.
Or plan a self-care evening. Get out all those face masks, bath salts, wellness gizmos and gadgets that you’ve been meaning to use since you impulse-purchased them on Amazon and go all in. Bonus points if you go to bed super early and catch up on sleep — because let’s be honest, we all need that.
Moral of the story, if you usually drink every weekend and don’t change anything about the activities you’re doing, it’s going to be hard to take alcohol out of the equation. You might need to rethink your old routines and do something different. It’s just for one month, you can do it.
4. Decide what you’re going to drink beforehand
You’re out at an Italian restaurant and everyone is splitting a bottle of wine. You’re at a bar and someone asks for your order. You want to bring something over to your friend’s pregame or dinner party. These are all situations I have been in since cutting out alcohol but able to navigate because I 1) committed to not drinking beforehand (and recommit to this daily) and 2) I know what non-alcoholic drinks I like to order or bring for each situation.
Unfortunately not everywhere you go is going to have delicious tasty non-alcoholic beverages that make your life easier, so think ahead about what you’ll be drinking. At restaurants, I often stick with water or the occasional mocktail if they have it (shoutout to LA restaurants because this is increasingly more common). Otherwise, my favorite drink at a bar (and free!) is soda water with lime. If I’m going to a friend’s house or dinner party, I’ll bring some lemon Spindrift, Kin, or whatever I have on hand.
An underrated bonus of not drinking is that you end up SO HYDRATED by the end of the night. Find what NA drinks you like and bring them literally everywhere, no shame.
5. Get prepared to answer questions
This was one of the hardest parts for me. I got so in my head about what other people think. However, the sober curious movement is growing and the non-alcoholic movement is huge. Just because you may feel lame or different about not drinking this month doesn’t mean anyone else is thinking that. In fact, I know that many people will be impressed, whether they share it or not, or even jealous that you’re committing to this.
Be confident and prepare your answers ahead of time. If you start turning down drinks when you never have before, people might have questions. It’s best to decide how you want to respond and how much to share. “I’m doing dry January” is often the perfect answer, and usually enough. Feel free to leave it at that.
However, if someone is extra curious & you want to share more, think about your reasons for doing this — whether it’s to feel better, to improve your mental health, to have more energy, etc. I often say that I don’t drink anymore because “I feel better without alcohol.” Sometimes I’ll launch into the whole backstory if I’m feeling it. Say as much or as little as you want, you don’t owe anyone an explanation.
6. Progress over perfection
Keeping alcohol in the house not working? Thought you could go to a bar and not have any cravings? You’re going to learn a lot throughout the month. Instead of letting any slip-ups or mistakes discourage you, just keep going and adjust your habits and routines to make it work for you. If you slip up, don’t give up.
Your first dry month can be tough, especially if you’ve never taken an intentional break from alcohol before. See every day as an accomplishment. If you don’t make it through 30 consecutive days that doesn’t negate the progress you’ve made, and you don’t have to wait until next year to start fresh. Pick up where you left off.
Remember your intentions for doing this, take some time to think on it and journal this month. It may not be about 100% sobriety for you, but rather cultivating a healthier relationship with alcohol or being more mindful when you are drinking.
No matter your reasons for doing Dry January, know that just by thinking about this, wanting to make a change, and reflecting on your relationship with alcohol, you are doing something amazing for yourself. Be proud of that.
xo Olivia
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or addiction expert, I’m only speaking from my personal experiences. If you have a severe alcohol addiction you may experience withdrawal symptoms and should consult your doctor before making any changes.
