4 tips for a better Dry January

It’s January. A reset month for most, or at least a return to regularly scheduled programming. While I’m not a big drinker these days—the thought of even a small hangover and parenting stops me in my tracks—December is always a bit boozier than other months of the year. 

I found myself drinking most nights of the week with more social events and the celebratory feelings around the season. I rarely go over two drinks as parenting and hangovers don’t mix, but it all adds up.

Drinking more than I usually do, combined with my Christmas cookie and heavy hors d’oeuvre diet for most of the month, left me not feeling my best self at the end of the year. 

So while I’m not a big fan of super restrictive diets, as I strongly believe everything in moderation is the way to go, I’m doing Dry January to kick off the year as a way to reset. That means 31 days with no alcohol. 

Dry January is an idea that some say started during WWII as part of the Finnish war effort while others say it started in 2013 as an effort by the British charity Alcohol Change UK. Other campaigns like Dry July in Australia have been going since 2008, so the idea of taking alcohol out of the equation for a month is hardly a new one.

I’ve done a few dry months over the years and have found a few tips that make the experience better.

Tell people you’re doing a dry month

Dry January and Dry July are two popular months to go dry, so chances are you might have some friends going through the experience at the same time. It’s great to have friends you can reach out to or text for accountability. If you don’t have friends who are doing it, that’s fine too but putting your intentions out into the world is helpful for sticking with them.

Remember, you don’t have to explain why you’re doing a dry month to anyone if you don’t want to. I’ve had people question why I would do such a thing and my answer has always been “because.” 

Telling people in advance also helps ward off the “are you pregnant” questions when people see you not drinking (side note: it’s never appropriate to ask someone if they’re pregnant or not)

Find something to scratch the itch 

I love a glass of wine at the end of the day—it’s something different from my usual water and having a wine glass in the midst of the chaos of my living room feels luxurious. For me, having an option that isn’t water is important so that I can still have that feeling and stick to my goal.

Non-alcoholic drinks are booming right now so there are lots of choices, but I typically find them fairly pricey. My less expensive favorites during a dry month are mixing seltzer water or club soda with a bit of pomegranate juice and putting it in a wine glass to feel fancy or drinking a Poppi Sparkling Soda.

Replace drinking time with other activities 

During dry months I find that my husband and I don’t go out to eat as much, so it’s a fun time to try new recipes for us. We’ll splurge on ingredients we might not buy other times or try a new cooking technique.In the past we found alternatives for getting out and about, like going to a driving range for date night or doing a cooking class together. 

Celebrate your accomplishment  

This might be controversial but I always celebrate after hitting my goals. As someone who loves a glass of wine and likely won’t ever give it up completely, Dry January is an effort for me! It’s usually something relatively small, like treating myself to a manicure or buying a favorite chocolate bar, but it’s an acknowledgement for the hard work and effort that went into the month. 

Dry January doesn’t have to be boring. With new mocktails to drink, new activities to try and friends to have a shared experience with, it can be fun.

It’s a great tool to help with the reset of the year and I’m hoping it will help me get back to feeling my best.