Tips for Surviving Dry January
The start of a new year is a great opportunity to do a reset of sorts and assess some of our current habits. This will be my second year doing Dry January, and here are some tips that helped me get through the month and actually look forward to doing it again.
Consider Your Why
Whether you went a little too hard with the champagne and spiked eggnog during the holidays and need a detox, or you just want to cut back on alcohol because of the calories, keep in mind why you’re doing this and honor the commitment you made to yourself. My first Dry January was in 2021, coming off of a year of drinking way too much wine. I was looking for a way to detox from the holiday and create healthier habits around alcohol.
Identify Your Triggers
Once you identify your triggers, you can plan and get ahead of them. Once I realized that alcohol was a way for me to decompress after a stressful day, I created a new ritual. At the end of the evening after the kids went to bed, I made a cup of herbal tea and drank it from my favorite mug while watching a show. I replaced my mimosa at brunch with a latte or asked for sparkling water with lemon. Try swapping out your cocktail for a mocktail or flavored water.