The New Year is all about rebirth, fresh starts, and setting attainable goals. The key word there is “attainable.” Vision-boarding is all well and good, but every successful plan has a first step and a finish line. If one of your resolutions this year is to drink less alcohol, you’re in luck! You can join people all over the world in tackling Dry January.
What is Dry January?
The trademarked Dry January campaign was officially launched in 2013 by Alcohol Change UK, a charity focused on raising awareness and support around alcohol abuse and changing the culture around the use of alcohol. It’s pretty straightforward— if you take up the challenge, you abstain from drinking for the 31 days of January. Alcohol Change UK describes Dry January as “a break and a total reset for the body and mind.”
Over the past 10 years, the campaign has grown beyond the UK and is now known internationally, often used as a way to jumpstart a health-conscious new year. Even Western Washington University has developed their own take on the challenge, although they don’t demand perfection— their version is called “Dry(ish) January.”
Why take on the challenge?
So what’s the big idea behind a sober January? Besides a great way to recover after the holiday season’s indulgences, the overall intent behind the practice is to examine your relationship with drinking. By making an effort to abstain, you’ll probably see things from a fresh perspective. There are also short- and long-term benefits to cutting back.
One of the first things you notice will be the impact on your wallet. Whether you’re used to buying up bottles or just having a few drinks with friends each week, skipping out on that expense will notably reduce spending. You can even put the money you save toward local nonprofits that provide substance abuse and behavioral health services, like Unity Care NW, Compass Health, and Catholic Community Services and Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington.
Then you’ll start seeing improvements in your health. You might not realize it, but alcohol affects your sleep by disrupting your body’s sleep cycles, leading to nights of tossing and turning. Not to mention the brain fog, headaches, and dehydration the next day! After your sleep starts to re-balance, you’ll notice an increase in energy, focus, and productivity. It’s part of what makes Dry January a great accompaniment to other New Year’s resolutions
around health! That workout won’t seem so onerous with a good night’s sleep behind you. Plus, depending on what drinks you go for, drinking can increase your caloric, sugar, and starch intake, inhibiting weight loss and even contributing to insulin resistance.
Longer-term health benefits include an improved complexion and lowered blood pressure. Your liver will also thank you! This organ works hard to filter alcohol out of the bloodstream, and can get damaged over time. But the liver is regenerative, and if you’re a light drinker, even a few days off can be enough time for it to start healing.
While all this is going on, you’ll also be paying closer attention to your relationship with drinking. Do you rely on having a drink or two every night to unwind? Do you drink socially with friends? Do you spend more time and money on it than you were realizing?
How to make the most of it!
The great news is that you don’t have to stop going out, having fun, or even enjoying interesting beverage concoctions during your go at Dry January. There’s been an increasing focus on mocktails and non-alcoholic options at many of our fantastic local bars and restaurants.
Revival Lounge in Mount Vernon is unmissable! They go above and beyond to offer non-alcoholic spirits and mix them into drinks that feel every bit as crafted as regular cocktails, like the Sour Poet, which mixes Wilderton Lustre, lemon juice, blackberry syrup, and egg white.
Suggest Gruff Brewing, Boundary Bay Brewery, or the new Larrabee Lager Company to your friends when deciding where to go! These, amongst other breweries, have at least one N/A brew available.
At Frelard Tamales, enjoy a mocktail made with their house-made agua frescas, or check out Culture Cafe for kombucha galore!
Alternatively, take your drinks into your own hands and collect everything you need for delicious sipping at home. Local companies Shrub Farms and Girl Meets Dirt produce flavorful shrubs— concentrated mixtures of vinegar, fruit, and sugars— that you can add to teas, sparkling water, and more at home for tasty drinks.
The Skagit Valley Food Co-Op also carries non-alcoholic beers and wines for you to stock at home, including beers by Athletic Brewing, Clausthaler N/A, TÖST sparkling rose, and Pathfinder non-alcoholic spirits, among others!
If you’d like additional Dry January resources, Western Washington University’s Dry(ish) January page has prompts and suggestions for each of the month’s 31 days. Alcohol Change UK has a handy app that will help you tackle the challenge, and they reported that more than 70% of people who use their resources to take on the Dry January challenge are drinking more healthily and feeling better even six months down the line. Remember that it’s not about being deprived of alcohol— you’re opening up a new world of possibilities for yourself
