I Did Dry January and I’m Actually Keeping these 5 Lifestyle Changes

I’ve always taken my health seriously — if I feel any pain, you’ll catch me booking a doctor’s appointment immediately. Drinking water? Always. Going for a daily walk? Yes! However, this year I wanted to take it up a notch and limit my alcohol intake.

While I’m not a heavy drinker, on nights out I often have two or three drinks, which then leads to me having a puffy face and feeling bloated the next day. To limit those side effects, I decided to partake in Dry January.

This was a particularly good year to cut back on my alcohol intake. On January 3, Vivek Murthy, the former surgeon general of the United States, issued an advisory about the link between cancer and alcohol. In the advisory, Murthy shared that alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S. 

This warning really shook me up — especially because alcohol is such a huge part of social culture. Ninety percent of the invites I get from friends involve alcohol; “let’s get dinner and drinks” or “let’s go to a bar” is what they typically say. I never  realize how much I’m consuming until I stop and reflect later. During Dry January, I learned so much about myself — and even adopted a few lifestyle habits that I plan to keep up all year long.

The beginning of the month started off pretty easy. I relaxed at home during the holiday season, so the social pressure to drink wasn’t there. As the month went on, I received social invites and had work events, and that’s when things got a little tricky.

When I saw my peers drinking, it made me want to give in instead of ordering my non-alcoholic beverages like ginger ale, Sprite, or a mocktail version of the espresso martini (my favorite drink). While I don’t have a poor relationship with alcohol, I wanted to give in because, hey, why not? It’s just one drink, right? But I had to stay disciplined and think of the end goal — why I was initially doing it in the first place — to live a healthier lifestyle.

A drink would’ve felt good temporarily, but I thought about how I wanted my body to feel by the end of the evening. It just wasn’t worth it to me. This experience taught me to maintain discipline in all areas of my life and to focus on the end goal.

A few weeks into January, I had a dinner date with a friend to catch up. Afterward, we didn’t want to separate because we were enjoying each other’s company, but we were debating what to do next, as usually we’d head to a bar. 

I shared with her that I was participating in Dry January and we agreed, this time, it didn’t make sense to go. We ended up going to a piercing shop to get new earrings and then to a dessert bar to chat. With a little creativity, we had a great night focused on enjoying each other’s company — and all without any alcohol. 

At the end of the night, my friend said she was happy we didn’t drink because she had to wake up early and would’ve felt it the next morning. After this positive experience, my friend and I made a pact to do more non-alcoholic activities this year that will benefit us, rather than deplete us. 

If anyone knows me, they know that if I’m tired I will go to sleep — and I have no shame in that! I look at it as a major component in my self-care routine. What I noticed during this month is that when I didn’t consume alcohol, my sleep quality was better. One evening, I gathered with some friends and got home later than usual, and was still able to get out of bed feeling refreshed the next morning. I can’t say the same would’ve happened if I had consumed a lot of alcohol.

In addition to sleep, I enjoy going for a nice walk because it fuels me up. During the challenge, I noticed that I had more energy to head to the gym. Instead of feeling sleepy or groggy from the night before, I have energy to wake up and head to the gym. In fact, I have been able to see progress in my routine — and I would like to thank Dry January for that. 

My finances weren’t the main focus of doing Dry January (although with the astronomical prices of alcohol these days, it should have been a factor). During the month I noticed I saved a ton of money. I live in New York, and on average a cocktail here will cost me $20. Normally I would have ordered two or three, depending on the occasion; I’d spend up to $60 without even including food. 

I noticed over time that what would have been a $100 dinner bill ended up being $45 or even less because I didn’t spend additional money on drinks. In today’s economy, saving any amount of money is always amazing. Normally I’m mindful of my spending, but knowing I didn’t spend 10% of my paycheck on alcohol was a game-changer and motivated me to focus on a variety of ways to budget. 

While I didn’t see any drastic changes like glossy skin, I am happy that I completed the month without alcohol and resisted societal norms. I won’t say that it was easy — there were definitely times when I didn’t want to stick with it and wanted to complete Damp January instead (a month where you don’t fully stop drinking, but instead limit your alcohol intake). I’m happy that I was surrounded by people who didn’t tempt me and understood my boundaries, which is very important. 

At the end of the day, balance is key. I can enjoy the social aspects without overindulging, and I can prioritize my health without feeling restricted. Participating in Dry January was more than taking a break from alcohol — it was a lifestyle switch. I enjoyed Dry January and made the most of it by learning things about myself. I can’t say I will never drink again (because I am a sucker for a dry red wine) — but I will say that I’ll consume a beverage when it makes sense to me. As of right now, I am going to continue living a sober lifestyle, and if I decide to drink again I will do so with ease and in moderation.