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Dry January, Straight Up

Maybe your nightly glass of wine is starting to feel less like self-care and more like self-medicating. Maybe drinking gives you hangxiety. Maybe you’ve seen the research that links alcohol to higher rates of heart disease, cancer, and other health risks. There are endless reasons you might want to try a Dry January, and whatever yours is, we’re here to help make cutting out booze easier—whether it’s for 31 days or the long haul.

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 Cutting out alcohol for Dry January? These apps can help

Dry January has taken off since a UK-based group organized the first campaign in 2013. The idea of going sober for a limited time can be appealing — research shows even a temporary dry spell offers some health benefits, like better sleep, weight loss, and more energy. And evidence is stacking up that too much drinking has serious health harms. Some 25% of Americans over 21 participated in Dry January last year, according to research group Civic Science.

 What Happens to My Body During Dry January?

The physical benefits are likely numerous. But there may be psychological ones, too.

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Curious about Dry January? What to expect — and how it works

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Drinks to help you make the most of dry January

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Dry January Can Be Amazing for Your Health, If Done the Right Way

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Dry January Forever: How Gen Z Is Turning Sobriety Into a Lifestyle

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Dry January: a convenient distraction for the alcohol industry

Looking at the Dry January website, managed by Alcohol Change UK, you’re left in little doubt: you can lose weight, save money, sleep better and have more energy. There is certainly evidence to support the negative effects of alcohol on all these things, but does that mean Dry January causes these positive effects?

Dry January: is it worth giving up alcohol for a month?

Gram for gram, alcohol contains almost the same amount of calories as pure fat, so abstaining for a month could reduce your weight, assuming you don’t compensate for the lost calories by eating more. Fat accumulates in the liver as a result of drinking. As little as two weeks abstinence can return your liver to good health, reducing the risk of alcohol-related liver disease.

Everything You Need to Know About Dry January

The popular sobriety challenge can be a good way to start the year. Here’s how to prepare, what to expect and more.

From Whole30 to Dry January: why 30-day challenges are so popular

In and of themselves, there’s nothing particularly revolutionary or unique about 30-day New Year challenges: They’re basically just lengthier, more hashtag-optimized versions of New Year’s resolutions. But the concept appears to have been popularized by “Try something new for 30 days,” a viral 2011 TED talk by then-Google software engineer Matt Cutts (which was itself inspired by the stunt documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock).

Here's What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking for 30 Days

From increased energy to better sleep, the benefits of giving up alcohol can improve your daily routine.

History Suggests the Impact of Not Drinking Can Reach Far Beyond ‘Dry January’

As February looms, it’s worth considering whether New Year’s resolutions extend beyond self-improvement. A resolution such as “Dry January,” attempting to quit drinking for a month (or more), while initially driven by health concerns, can have broader cultural, economic, and political implications. In fact, we can learn much from early 19th-century choices about alcohol, which spawned a mass movement that reshaped both taverns—the precursors of our modern bars, hotels, and restaurants—and American politics.

How to Actually Pull Off a Dry January

Grab your kombucha or your favorite flavor of club soda. The experts are here to help you stay sober (and social) this Dry January.

How to make Dry January a success

Rather than waiting until the first of January, it’s worth thinking ahead. It’s harder both physically and psychologically to abruptly stop a regular pattern of behaviour, such as drinking alcohol. For those that are dependent on alcohol – it could even prove fatal. Your chances of success are improved if you incrementally reduce your alcohol intake before January, as this provides time for you to adapt physically and psychologically.

I Quit Drinking for a Month and It Transformed My Skin

I was ready for a booze-free month. I planned to begin on the first day of October — Octsober, if you will. I stocked my fridge with boxes of La Croix and embarked on a journey to become a Better Version of Me.

Is Dry January the best way to cut back on drinking?

The jury is out on the long term effects of challenges like Dry January. While some studies have shown that people report continuing to drink less after an alcohol-free month is over, a 2021 study found that a rise in Dry January participation in the United Kingdom between 2015 and 2018 was not associated with a corresponding drop in overall consumption nationwide.

Is the One-Week Method the New Dry January?

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Is the One-Week Method the New Dry January?

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My year of Dry January

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Now It’s Over, Let’s Talk About Why Dry January Doers Are the Worst

And so they emerge from their underground bunkers—the non-drinkers, the Dry January doers—covered in sand and looking wounded, thinner and more haggard, but underneath it somehow still smug.

The Origins of Dry January

Dry January—a month-long feat to be sober—officially launched as a campaign in 2013 under the organization Alcohol Change UK, though the practice has roots that extend as far back as 1942, when Finland had their own “Sober January” to help in the war against the Soviet Union.

What is Dry January?

The aim of our campaign is to start a new conversation about alcohol, to encourage people to consider and discuss their alcohol consumption and ultimately, to inspire behaviour change following a positive and fun-filled month of sobriety.

What You Can Gain from Trying Dry January

What actually happens when you skip booze for 31 days? Here's what experts have to say.

When you go sober for even a month, your body will change. Here’s how

Dry January. Sober October. More and more people are attempting to curb their alcohol use—so we asked experts what benefits you can really expect to see.

Why I’m Abstaining From Dry January

Our wine columnist consults medical experts on the benefits that the comforting ritual of wine drinking can bring.

Why I’ve Given Up Alcohol Every January for the Last Eight Years

Back in December of 2006, right after I’d pulled up stakes to follow the woman who would eventually become my wife to New York, said woman made a preposterous proposal: Not drinking for the entire month of January. It was more of a dare than anything. Could we really forgo wine with dinner, Manhattans with friends, and beers while watching football games, for a month?

‘Dry January’ Has Benefits All Year Long

Research suggests the alcohol-free challenge reduces consumption for months afterward.

Resources

Alcohol Change UK

We are Alcohol Change UK. We work for a society that is free from the harm caused by alcohol. We are not anti-alcohol; we are for alcohol change. We are for a future in which people drink as a conscious choice, not a default; where the issues which lead to alcohol problems – like poverty, mental health issues, homelessness – are addressed; where those of us who drink too much, and our loved ones, have access to high-quality support whenever we need it, without shame or stigma.