Dry January has become a global campaign where individuals and organisations reduce or cut out alcohol for the month of January. An estimated 6.5 million people took part in January 2021. The benefits of short-term abstinence from alcohol has been researched, and the evidence shows that it helps improve insulin resistance, weight, blood pressure and cancer-related growth factors in moderate-heavy drinkers. The Dry January campaigns bring great awareness to our own drinking habits, and the benefits of reducing or cutting out alcohol, but how do we sustain these habits after through the year? Here are some tips and tricks to take your newly formed habits of reducing or cutting out alcohol with you intro February and beyond!

Remember Why

The key to sustaining any newly formed habit is to keep motivation high and to track your progress. Take a moment as we come to the end of January to remember why you decided to take part in Dry January. On a sheet of paper or a journal write out all the reasons and motivators for reducing or cutting out alcohol. Keep this list in a safe place so you can refer back to it when the pressure to give up creeps back in. Another tip is condense this list into a phrase or a ‘mantra’ and stick it up somewhere. For example:

“I am cutting out/reducing my alcohol intake, because I feel mentally and physically better in myself when I don’t drink”.

Measure it, to Manage it!

Next is to tail-end reasons for cutting out or reducing alcohol consumption with the progress you’ve made since cutting it out/reducing intake. Every week you successfully reduce or cut out alcohol record how you feel mentally, physically, and with the people around you. How has it effects your health? If you play sports, have you noticed a difference in your performance? Anything you’ve noticed a change in jot it down. If you fall back on your habits, that’s okay! During these weeks write out the changes you felt and set intentions for the next week. Tracking your progress and the impact of alcohol during the good and bad weeks will increase your awareness and control over your habits!

Be Confident in your Commitment.

There can be a lot of peer pressure around drinking, and choosing not to drink can result in a lot of questions from your peers - “Why aren’t you drinking?”, “What’s wrong with you?” “Are you on Antibiotics or something?”. Sometimes it may feel easier to have a drink than being confronted with all those questions. Remember, you are doing this for you and for the reasons you took part in Dry January in the first place. Be confident in your decisions and take pride in your lifestyle change. Sharing this newly formed habit with as many people as possible can help reduce the stigma or pressure you may feel around it. Letting people know your cutting down/cutting out alcohol and why it’s important to you can help them support you.

By following these three simple tips, you can bring dry January into every month of 2023. Here is to feeling healthier and happier for the year ahead!

References

Mehta, G., Macdonald, S., Cronberg, A., Rosselli, M., Khera-Butler, T., Sumpter, C., ... & Moore, K. P. (2018). Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study. BMJ open, 8(5), e020673.