Trying Dry January in 2025? This is a great time to go dry and here are some of the health benefits you can expect as the month progresses.
If you are anything like me, you often start the first day of the new year with a pretty major champagne hangover. Some time off from drinking alcohol can definitely be appealing during the first month of the year, particularly after the over-indulgent holiday season. January is a great time to reset and think about your goals for the year, including your relationship with alcohol.
If you are considering Dry January this year, what is it and what can you expect by going dry for a month?
What is Dry January?
Dry January was started by Alcohol Change UK, a charity focused on reducing alcohol harm. It simply involves avoiding or significantly decreasing your alcohol intake for the 31 days of January. Some people go completely dry, whereas others do a “damp” January where they may only drink during special occasions. The goal of Dry January is to re-examine your relationship with alcohol and see if you see significant health improvements from not drinking.
Being sober or sober curious does seem to be a pretty significant trend among celebrities and those trying to optimize their health. There has been a mass exodus away from drinking over the last few years, particularly among Millennials and younger generations.
A Gallup poll found that people ages 18-35 drink significantly less than those over 55 years old. Younger people are also drinking less often and are less likely to binge drink. The survey found that 52% of young adults believe that even moderate drinking is unhealthy. I have heard in some wellness circles that within 10 years drinking alcohol will be viewed as negatively as smoking. That could be true, but drinking is fairly ingrained in our culture and has been for centuries.
But I do think it’s worth it to cut back periodically and see how you feel. If you are considering trying to cut back for a month, what are the health benefits of Dry January that you can expect?
Health Benefits of Dry January
There seems to still be a lot of confusion about whether alcohol is beneficial or not. Many of us have heard that “a glass of wine” with dinner is a good thing for our hearts. “It has antioxidants”, right?
Yes, red wine has some antioxidants. However, it is easy to get those antioxidants from other fruits and vegetables that don’t have negative side effects.
A handful of correlational studies have found a connection between moderate drinkers and a lower risk of heart disease. But this is just a correlation in that there could be other factors at play (let’s say moderate drinkers also might exercise more, have healthier diets, etc). These findings unfortunately don’t make alcohol healthy.
Let’s get one thing clear, there are NO health “benefits” to drinking alcohol. (And I say this as a drinker myself). In fact, alcohol consumption is linked to cancer, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, heart disease, digestive issues, stroke, a weakened immune system, and heart and liver disease. If you don’t drink, there is no reason to start for health reasons.
MJ Gottlieb founder of Loosid, a free platform for the sober community, told me “The benefits of not drinking are immense. Sobriety allows you to approach life with clarity and explore healthier ways to deal with stress, such as meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, nature walks, and other modalities that promote health rather than hinder it.”
So if you are considering seeing if you feel better NOT drinking for a month, what are some of the health benefits you can expect?
Improved sleep
Many of us think that alcohol helps us sleep, but this is actually not true.
At the beginning of the night, alcohol does make you fall into a deep sleep quickly, but it prevents you from getting the REM sleep you need for adequate rest. Once your body is done metabolizing the alcohol, it pushes you into the lightest sleep, meaning you might wake up in the middle of the night. What you end up with even after just a few drinks, is fragmented, low-quality sleep.
Alcohol can also cause disruptions in circadian rhythm and make sleep apnea and snoring worse.
Avoiding alcohol for 31 days can help you get a better night’s rest, which can have a myriad of additional health benefits.
More energy
The grogginess and hangover that comes with a night of drinking can make it difficult to have energy for much else. Have you found yourself sitting on the couch with a hangover and a significant lack of motivation? And if you’re not sleeping well on top of that…it will be challenging to find the energy to do much else.
Better mood
In small amounts, alcohol does seem to put most people in a better mood due to an initial increase in dopamine. It can make you feel relaxed, happy, and less anxious, at least after the first few sips. This is why people drink, right?
But the dopamine surge only lasts a short time. The more keep drinking, the more dopamine levels start to crash, leading to a similar crash in your mood. Let’s be honest have you ever had a crying spell after drinking too much? Yeah, that’s the dopamine crash.
While you will typically recover if you just have a drink or two on the weekend, chronic alcohol consumption can lead to changes in brain chemistry, including decreased serotonin and dopamine levels, which contribute to depression, anxiety, and mood instability.
Prolonged heavy drinking can also disrupt sleep, as we discussed, making mental health issues worse and increasing the risk of depression and anxiety.
Withdrawal from alcohol can trigger intense mood swings, irritability, and anxiety as the brain readjusts to functioning without the substance. But don’t let that discourage you, this only lasts a few days to a few weeks (depending on how much you were drinking) before your brain and body start to recover.
More cash
Alcohol gets expensive fast, whether you’re getting it from the liquor store or throwing back drinks at restaurants. Because of its addictive potential, the need for more alcohol also leads to more cash being spent on it.
Better decision-making
If you’ve ever had too much to drink, there’s not much I need to explain here. You may find you eat better, and spend less money, and your relationships improve when you are not drinking.
Weight loss
Alcohol has a significant number of calories and it is easy to overconsume. While not everyone loses weight when they quit drinking, it can still save you a lot of calories over time making it easier to maintain your current weight.
Improved exercise performance
When you have more energy, it is also likely you will be able to work out harder, improving your overall stamina, strength, and fitness level.
Benefits of Dry January Week-by-Week
Here is what you can expect week-by-week during dry January to keep you motivated. Of course, everyone will experience the potential benefits differently.
Week One
While it only takes a few hours for your body to process the alcohol and for you to sober up, it takes 7-10 days for the body to normalize after drinking alcohol. (Surprised? I was.)
In the first few days of not drinking, you may feel an increase in energy, as your body detoxifies and your blood sugar normalizes. It may take up to 4 days for your energy to increase if you are a heavy or binge drinker.
During the first week, you will also start to sleep better and may feel more hydrated.
Week Two
As your hydration continues to improve, your skin starts to look more moisturized. Skin conditions like rosacea or dry skin can start to disappear.
You may also feel like you have less brain fog and are thinking more clearly. You may feel less anxious and may experience an improved mood.
Your workouts might start to improve, you might find you can push yourself harder at the gym, as you sleep better and your energy increases.
Week 3
During week three you may notice your jeans are fitting better or the scale is slightly down. (One thing to note, it is common for people to trade alcohol for sugar, so if you are not seeing the scale go down, ask yourself if maybe you are eating too much ice cream instead of drinking).
You may also start to see even more significant improvements at the gym. It will seem easier to hit your goals, increase your PR, or lift more weight. You will also recover faster after a workout and have less muscle soreness.
Your gut may begin to heal. In fact, gut permeability (basically holes in your gut) caused by alcohol was found to be almost completely resolved within 3 weeks of not drinking.
If you happen to get sick during this time, you may find that your body fights off the infection faster. Or maybe you don’t get sick at all.
You may start to see improvements in your memory and ability to retain information. Your focus may also improve. Your motivation may increase.
Week 4
After 4 weeks, your heart rate will begin to decrease and your blood pressure may normalize if you have high blood pressure. Both of these effects are beneficial for lowering your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Insulin resistance and cholesterol may also improve, lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Your liver, a really cool organ that can regenerate, will start to heal itself. One study found that people who stopped drinking reduced liver fat, which causes long-term damage to the liver, by up to 20%.
Your skin will continue to look amazing. Redness and dryness will be nearly resolved.
At the end of January, you can expect improved metabolism and a reduction in certain inflammatory factors that increase your risk of cancer. You may also see improvements in insulin resistance, blood pressure, liver function, and weight.
Looking to track your Dry January experience and stay on track? Grab our Dry January journal with a calendar, prompts, and resources to help you stay motivated and evaluate your relationship with alcohol.
Long-Term Benefits of Dry January
What happens after the 31 days? Well, even if you go back to drinking, you may continue to drink less throughout the year. A 2016 study found that people drank less in August after doing Dry January. On average most people were drinking one less day per week and having one fewer drink if they did drink before January.
Any reduction in alcohol consumption can help improve your health. Even if you decide to go back to drinking, Dry January can make you more aware of how you feel when you do drink, compared to when you don’t. Awareness is the first step to making better choices.
It seems that many have started to become aware of the benefits of not drinking, but what can you drink instead? The best choice for a beverage is always water, but sometimes you do want something more fun to drink. And with the growing interest in sober living, the non-alcoholic drink market is expected to grow 25% from 2022-2026.
MJ says that the N/A space is “projected to generate $1,254 billion this year. One of the most exciting aspects of this space is that people can still enjoy an elevated mocktail and feel fully included in any social atmosphere.”
So if you are ready to take on Dry January, what should you drink? We gathered a list of our favorite non-alcoholic drinks here.
