I had NO idea Dry January was a “thing” until a month or so ago when I saw an Instagram post mentioning it. Curious, I started doing a bit of research to learn more and I came across tons of tips for “How to Survive Dry January.” More on that later.
What is Dry January?
According to alcoholchange.org, Dry January is the annual movement through which millions of people give up alcohol for the month of January. It is run by the charity Alcohol Change UK.
The goal is no alcohol for the month of January. No more hangovers, no more beer gut, more energy, and more money left over in your pocket. Sounds pretty good to me!
This is also a chance to re-evaluate your relationship with alcohol. The idea is that if you take a month off from drinking, you can improve your drinking habits year round.
According to alcoholchange.org, 72% of people who do Dry January are still drinking less riskily six months later.
Drinking, Society & Culture
I love this idea and the mission behind this organization. So much of our culture and society is centered around drinking alcohol. People are often pressured into drinking when they don’t want to or drinking more than they would like to.
Whenever I turn down a drink, people ask if I’m pregnant! When did it become a crime to NOT drink?! Dry January hopes to create more awareness around the choice to be sober, and I love that!
How to Survive Dry January
I’ve been drinking A LOT less over the past year. I feel so much better when I don’t drink! I still LOVE wine (& beer & cocktails). I just drink less of them so I don’t feel like total shit the next day. Here are some tips to help you cut the alcohol this January:
- Get your spouse/partner on board: Andrew is going to do this with me! There is no way I could sit across from him at the dinner table and watch him drink a glass of red wine.
- Replace alcoholic drinks: This is what I’ve been doing over the past year! I drink sparkling juice at parties and tonic water with lime at restaurants. I’m still drinking, just not into a headache & haze!
- Tell your friends: Post it on Facebook and put it out into the world that you are participating in dry January! This keeps you accountable and gives your friends & family a heads up.
- Get active & explore: Find new activities to do that don’t revolve around drinking! Go to a new museum, park or concert venue. Walk the dog or join a gym. Look for local family friendly events.
The biggest thing for me has been replacing alcoholic drinks with nonalcoholic drinks. If I show up to a party empty handed and someone offers me a glass of wine, I’m going to drink it, so I come prepared with something yummy to drink that won’t give me a headache.
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I’m excited to cut out alcohol completely for the month of January. I think we are going to feel better than ever! I also hope that it makes not drinking a little less weird among our friends and family. I’ll check in throughout the month on Instagram and report back here at the end of the month!
Let’s Get to Know Each Other 
