The one reason I will not do Dry January ever again
I’m not a big drinker, but a couple of years ago, I challenged myself to go without booze for the month.
The aim was to start my New Year on a fresh slate – leaning into my Resolution for the year of prioritising my health.
The result: I’ve never thought about alcohol more in my life.Β
Prioritising my health might sound like a vague goal, but it was designed to be no-pressure so I could still indulge in midnight McDonald’s and lazy Sundays.
As I stopped drinking, I began therapy sessions, going swimming again, reading regularlyΒ and drinking daily smoothies.
The idea was to introduce small and manageable healthy habits into my life until they became a simple routine.
To cap it all off, I had to give Dry Jan a go for a full rest.
I’ve never tried the 31-day challenge before – but I did attemptΒ Sober October at university (I lasted a spectacular grand total of 12 days).
Growing up, there was never alcohol in the house, and I continued this rule into adulthood in my own flat.Β
I very rarely have a drink on a school night – reserving the occasion for catching up with friends I haven’t seen in ages.
My clubbing days are very much in their twilight years, but every other weekend, I might enjoy an Aperol or two or three Β to blow the cobwebs away.
The only time that I’ve felt alcohol’s creeping influence was at university – when I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.Β
Between the stress of exams, a nasty breakup and my diagnosis, I was clubbing and drinking more than I ever had in my life.Β
On the surface, I just looked like a happy, carefree student who was just doing what students do.
But of course, we know better. I was drinking to escape, and I was risking my health, education and my friendships to do it.
After a drunken and tearful argument with a friend one night, I cut ties with alcohol and swore its toxicity out of my life. For the months that followed, I barely drank – minus a few slip-ups here and there, which served as theΒ jolt of realityΒ I needed to stop again.
Six years on, I do drink, but until recently, anyway,Β my relationship with booze has been completely different. It’s not something I obsess about or even crave. There’s no lazyΒ ‘It’s 5 o’clock’ somewhere justification. It all appeared to be very healthy.
Since I rarely drink, I didn’t see Dry January as presenting much of a challenge for me. As far as I was concerned, it would be hardly noticeable in my day-to-day life.
If I was doing a marathon, I would have to spend hours and hours training.
If I went on a diet, I’d have to watch everything I ate, counting calories as I went.
But with drinking, I just wouldn’t drink.
Should be that simple, right? Enter social media.
Between the constant Instagram health ads and TikTok tips, I lived in a world of sober-supporting hashtags.Β
After watching a few videos out of curiosity, I was locked in the algorithm, and there was no escape.
For the next month, all I knew was the minefield of videos appearing on #DryJanuary and #sobertok to name just a few. Don’t get me wrong, I can see value in social media creators sharing their favourite mocktail recipes or their complicated experiences with alcohol.
It’s an inspiration to think more creatively about sober living. It’s motivation to keep up with the challenge when you’re questioning why you did it in the first place. But my ‘For You’ page forced Dry January content down my throat like it was a Sambuca shot nobody wanted or asked for.
Yes, I was doing Dry January, but by being faced with a stream of daily videos, I couldn’t help but think about it all of the time – even if I didn’t actually want a drink.
Not only that, the videosΒ made me feel I was doingΒ Dry January wrong, too. I didn’t have a new lease of life, I didn’t experience a fresh jolt of energy.Β I hadn’t made tonnes of fancy mocktails or thrown myself into any extreme sports. In short, the videos made Dry January a challenge when I’d never believed there was one.
Recommended reading
10 surprising items you didn’t know were vegan
How to complete Dry January in 7 simple steps – it’s actually easier than you think
10 foods that can help give a boost to your immune system this winterΒ
The only way I can compare it is when the Diet Culture alarm goes off at 00:01 on January 1st.Β As soon as the New Year strikes,Β we can’t breathe for discountedΒ gym memberships and weight loss plans.
If we truly want to lead a healthy lifestyle, it can’t be through extreme month-long challenges or impossible resolutions for the year. Instead, sobriety, healthy eating, exercise or whatever it is needs to be part of the conversation all year round.
We need it to be normal. So, it’s not a chore or a hardship we’ll give up on in a week or two; it will simply be our routine.