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How a Dry January Can Improve Your Physical and Mental Health?

01/31/2025

Going beyond your usual drinking limit during the holiday season is very common worldwide. You are not alone if you have been drinking a lot lately with your friends, colleagues, or family members. However, entering January dry can be a great help, a concept that has gained significant limelight over the past years, especially in the USA and UK. Staying dry throughout January is what you need to regain control over your mind and body.

It may also help you to cut back on your alcohol consumption or stay dry throughout the year. Several studies have proven that cutting back on alcohol decreases your cancer risk or may also improve kidney and heart functions. A short break from alcohol can also greatly impact your health, such as improved sleep, less bloating, increased energy levels, etc. Let’s see how going dry for a month can improve your life:

 

Benefits of Dry January

 

What is Dry January?

Dry January comes out as a type of New Year’s resolution that people often stick to cutting back on alcohol.  It is a campaign launched by Alcohol Change UK, a British organization, in 2013 to urge people to go dry throughout January to improve themselves internally and externally. 

Starting the year dry may push you to stay dry throughout the year or have better control over your drinking urges. Sticking to dry January results in a wide range of benefits, improving your overall health. However, before you accept the challenge, you must consult your medic to know if it is safe for you or not, especially if you are a binge/heavy drinker.

Please don’t take it as a challenge; take it as an opportunity to look after your health, understand your relationship with alcohol, and improve internally.

Benefits of Trying Dry January:

Alcohol may be legal in most countries, but it is also a type of drug that kills you slowly over time.  Over the long term, it possesses the power to cause serious damage to your body. If you are not a frequent drinker or drink once in a blue moon, the damage caused by alcohol will be reparable and minimal. On the other hand, if you are a hardcore drinker or indulge in drinking daily, the damage is likely to be serious and noticeable. 

If you quit drinking alcohol, especially after being a binge or heavy drinker, you may not come across very noticeable changes in a month. In order to achieve noticeable changes, you will have to follow this strategy for the long term. The following are the Dry January benefits that you will see after quitting alcohol for a month:

A Boost in Energy Levels: 

You may feel genius or on cloud nine right after starting Dry January but don’t forget that alcohol is a depressant.  The first few days after quitting alcohol may be really tough; you may feel lazy, sluggish, and exhausted more than ever. However, your energy levels will start to rise after a while as soon as your body gets accustomed to not drinking.

Increased energy levels come out as one of the primary benefits of sticking around Dry January. As soon as you complete one month, you will see drastic changes in your energy levels and will be able to think more clearly than ever. 

Allows your Heart to Work Flawlessly:

We don’t need a long debate to know alcohol is highly dangerous for your overall health, including heart health. Staying away from it will help your heart work the way it should without encountering any hurdles.

Regular consumption of alcohol increases your blood pressure and may also result in increased heart rate. Both of these things are common risk factors for heart attack and stroke. 

Helps your Liver Revive itself

Sobriety can help your liver revive itself by decreasing the inflammation of the liver caused by alcohol consumption. It has been observed in multiple studies that when people stop drinking, even if it is just for a month, inflammation brought on by alcohol tends to improve drastically. If you have been drinking for years, a month of sobriety may not heal all the damage, but it will improve the situation.

You must note that if you have been a drinker for years, staying dry for a month won’t improve liver scarring, but it can reverse liver-associated inflammation.

Skin Clearer than ever:

If you are one of those who think alcohol is hydrating just because it is available in a liquid state, you are mistaken. Alcohol is dehydrating, which can affect how our skin looks drastically. Once you cut back on alcohol completely, you will be able to see improved skin, less puffiness, and clearer skin.

Less Calorie Intake: 

Once you start Dry January, you will be able to cut back on your calorie consumption. For instance, if you have been a binge drinker, you will be consuming fewer calories than before.

You will be flabbergasted to know that the number of calories in three bears is equivalent to a full meal. In other words, you have eaten another dinner for every three drinks you consume but without any nutritional value.

Sticking to the Dry January challenge can help with weight loss, especially when you replace unhealthy choices like soda, candy, sweets, and sugary drinks with something healthy. 

Once you embark on Dry January, you may have increased urges for these things.

Helps you Identify the Real Challenges: 

Your goal for opting for a Dry January could be any, such as taking a break from alcohol, knowing your relationship with alcohol, or exploring a new version of yourself or anything else. A month off of drinking can help you in many ways, especially understanding your relationship with alcohol.

While on this plan, if you come across insatiable cravings or mental uneasiness with drinking, it may be a sign of an addiction. These are things that come when you start Dry January. It will also help you fix these issues gradually over time.

Tips for Successful Dry January

if going sober for a month is part of your New Year’s resolution, it’s important to stay committed to your decision. You might experience increased anxiety as time passes, but try not to view this as a challenge. Instead, see it as an opportunity for personal growth.

Sticking to the tips mentioned below can help achieve the goals you have set for yourself:

Cut back Before you Embark on a New Challenge:

You may find it tough, especially when you are going to have a party with your colleagues or friends on New Year’s Eve. However, cutting back doesn’t mean avoiding it completely. It simply means reducing your number of glasses. For instance, if you drink 5 bottles of beer on average, you just have to stick to 2 to 3 bottles only. This will help you have better control over yourself.

Stay Committed to Your Goals:

Before you commence Dry January, ask yourself, why are you starting it? If there is a reason behind it, make sure to jot it down. The reason behind it could be anything, such as improved health, weight loss, control over alcohol, etc.

Staying away from alcohol for a month will not only help you accomplish your goals but also result in multiple benefits, such as clearer skin, reduced inflammation of the liver, etc. Seeing these results may also push you not to drink beyond January. 

Seek for Friends and Family Support: 

You may find it irksome to explain to everyone why you have cut back or stopped drinking. Here’s where Dry January comes as a rescue. You don’t need to explain your goal to anyone; Dry January itself tells that it’s a month of cutting back on alcohol. It would be better if you request your friends and family members to stop drinking for January or beyond. Doing it with a group makes it easier.

Keep an Eye on Alcohol Withdrawals: 

When you are on Dry January, you may or may not stumble upon the common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Encountering withdrawal symptoms can be annoying and even deadly. If you are someone who can’t go a day off without drinking, consulting a doctor before starting Dry January can be of great help. It may also happen with people who indulge in drinking once in a while. You will never understand how deeply something is rooted until you try to pull it out. Therefore, watch out for these symptoms: 

  • Vomiting

  • Shaking

  • Anxiety

  • Abdominal cramping

  • Nausea

  • Dizziness

  • Headaches

January is also the time for multiple illnesses. Therefore, look out for these signs so that you can easily differentiate between other sicknesses and alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Conclusion:

If you have been overindulged in drinking lately, giving a shot to Dry January can be really good for your health. If you are not sure where and how to begin, seek help from a doctor to help you develop a plan that meets your unique needs. Take a step towards a healthier you by quitting alcohol today. There is no better time than today to rethink the choices that affect you internally and externally. If you read it in the middle of the month or any other time of the year, don’t forget to make your own alcohol-free month.

FAQs:

What does Dry January do for your body?

Going dry for a month can greatly improve your overall health. If you don’t drink alcohol for a month and beyond, you can decrease the risk of developing cancer and improve kidney, heart, and liver function. If you don’t drink for a month, you will see the following benefits: improved sleep, less bloating, and increased energy levels.

Does Dry January reset your liver?

Going sober for a month can help you improve your liver health as it decreases inflammation caused by binge drinking. Several studies disclose that quitting consuming alcohol even for a month can decrease liver inflammation greatly. If you have been drinking for an extensive period, going dry for a month will not heal all the damage but may improve the condition.

What is the hardest day of Dry January?

When you start dry January, you may find the initial few days highly challenging. In the initial days, you may have trouble falling asleep along with hangover-like symptoms.  However, after a few days of quitting alcohol, you will start noticing positive changes such as better concentration, improved sleep, improved energy levels, etc.

What are the benefits of 31 days of no alcohol?

Going dry for a month can have a significant impact on your overall well-being. If you don’t drink for a month, you will be able to notice the following benefits:

  • Clearer skin than ever

  • Improved heart health

  • Increased energy levels

  • Less calorie intake

  • Better liver functioning

In addition to the above benefits, you will have better control over your urges, resulting in improved mental and physical well-being.

Medically Reviewed By:

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B. Pharma

(Dr. A. Sharma, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist and a medical writer with 10 years of clinical experience. He strives to empower patients to understand their medications so that they become better healthcare advocates.)

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