What Is Dry January? Health Benefits And Tips For Avoiding Alcohol All Month

After months of indulging — heightened during the holiday season — many people across the globe are looking at abstaining from alcohol to bring their lives back on track, or simply as a cleanse, by taking part in the Dry January campaign.

United Kingdom-based Alcohol Concern launched the campaign that is now in its fifth year. According to the organization’s statistics, 1 in 6 people in the U.K. took up the challenge last year and noticed a positive impact on their health.

“As the festive season draws to a close, we’re urging people to get their 2017 off to a positive and healthy start by signing up to Alcohol Concern’s Dry January,” Joanna Simons, chief executive at Alcohol Concern, reportedly said.

“By signing up with Alcohol Concern, receiving the support and information throughout the month means it’s more likely you’ll complete the month booze-free, and cut down your drinking longer term. Even people who have slipped up once or twice throughout the month were consuming less alcohol six months after the campaign,” Simons added.

The campaign, however, is not restricted to the country of origin and many across the United States have decided to take this well-needed break from alcohol. While the primary benefit of the campaign is that it makes people reassess their relationship with alcohol at a time when a large amount of social interaction is based on drinking, there are a number of other reasons why people are giving it a shot:

Weight loss

According to Alcohol Concern, 49 percent of people taking part in the campaign lost weight over the month of no alcohol. England’s National Health Service says a glass of wine has the same number of calories as a piece of chocolate, while a pint of lager will cost your body the same as a packet of crisps.

Sleep better

People usually have six to seven cycles of REM (Rapid eye movement) sleep in the course of a night, but after drinking, only one or two cycles can be completed, causing you to wake up exhausted.

Save money

The alcohol-free month also means less expenditure. Social drinking or a trip to the bar with colleagues after work can damage your pocket more than is realized in the intoxicated state. Avoiding alcohol will also help you avoid unnecessary expenditure.

Long-term benefits

While many say that going without alcohol might not help in the long run as people fall back to drinking, and sometimes excessively, the Alcohol Concern statistics say otherwise. Last year, 65 percent of participants maintained reduced levels of drinking even six months after completing the campaign.

Tips for getting through Dry January

Think creatively: To be able to successfully go through the campaign, many need a distraction. Join a class, do some yoga, or read more to avoid getting pulled to the neighborhood watering hole.

Find your alternative: Instead of the regular glass of wine or fancy cocktail, mix up your soda water with a splash of grapefruit juice and three limes, GQ suggests.

Bring your drink to the party: It is easy to fall back on alcohol in a social setting and many suggest that carrying your alternative — and sharing it with others — can help you stay sober even as you socialize.

Don’t obsess over it: Don’t let your life revolve around alcohol or the lack of it.

Visit a new bar: As Dry January progresses, many bars are putting an extra effort into their mocktail menus. Coming up with alternatives, Claudia Ruiz, general manager of Chicago-based AceBounce, told Chicago Tribune: “Not everyone that comes into our bar is (going to drink).”