What are the Health Benefits of Dry January?
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Dry January has grown in popularity over recent years as people seek a reset after the holiday season. But the benefits go beyond just avoiding a hangover. Going sober for a month can lead to improved sleep quality, weight loss, and reduced risk of liver damage. Additionally, it promotes awareness of drinking habits, potentially encouraging long-term moderation and healthier choices.
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What is Dry January?
Originating in the UK in 2013 by the charity Alcohol Concern, Dry January was designed to encourage people to take a break from alcohol for the first month of the year, promoting a healthier start to the year and raising awareness about the effects of alcohol on health. Over the years, it has gained international recognition and participation as a popular and widely observed health challenge. For some it is a 30 day pause in their alcohol consumption, while for others it is the start of a broader exploration into changing their alcohol consumption for good.
9 Health Benefits of Dry January
As you might expect, the Dry January challenge offers some quick and obvious health benefits, such as a reduction in excess calories and a break from hangover symptoms. But the health benefits of a prolonged hiatus from alcohol consumption go even further that that:
Increased Energy Levels
For many people, eliminating alcohol results in an improvement in energy levels. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle, leading to poor sleep quality. When you stop drinking, your sleep patterns normalize, and you experience more restorative sleep, which leaves you feeling more energized during the day. Additionally, quitting alcohol helps maintain proper hydration. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and reduced energy levels. Also, if alcohol consumption is excessive, it can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients. When you quit drinking, your body can absorb nutrients better, leading to more robust health and more energy. Finally, for some of us, eliminating alcohol keeps our heads clear enough to call it a night when your body’s tell us it’s time to rest - that alone can help improve energy levels the next day!
Enhanced Focus and Clarity
It goes without saying that alcohol impairs our senses and decision-making while we are under the influence (as anyone with next-morning regrets can tell you!). But taking a break from alcohol can impact our focus and clarity in more ways than that. As we’ve seen, sleep quality degrades when we consume alcohol, and tiredness can cause us to feel less clear-headed and sharp than we otherwise might. Alcohol consumption is also associated with the feeling of ‘brain fog’ due to its detrimental impact on dopamine levels in the brain, which can have a cognitive impact. Alcohol is also associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression - both of which can cause or exacerbate brain fog.
Improved Hydration
Alcohol is a diuretic, which leads to increased urination and fluid loss from the body. This is why people often experience symptoms like dry mouth, increased thirst, and the need to pee frequently when they drink alcohol. Dehydration from alcohol can also contribute to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and general discomfort. Extra hydration is necessary for drinkers just to reestablish their baseline level of hydration, so when you take a break from alcohol but keep drinking your water, your hydration level improves, leading to positive outcomes like healthier skin, better digestion, improved weight management, and greater stamina and energy levels.
Reduction of Acid Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common problem that's becoming more widespread. When you drink alcohol, it can make acid reflux worse, affecting both your stomach and esophagus. Alcohol can have a direct impact on stomach acid, leading to increased acid production and even harming the stomach lining, causing irritation and swelling. Experts agree that alcohol consumption can be a cause or irritant of acid reflux and it’s often recommended to reduce or eliminate alcohol completely if this is a problem for you.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is a common goal after a holiday season filled with festive meals and beverages, and choosing a sober January can be an effective way to tackle weight management in a healthy way. At the most basic level, weight loss is a matter of taking in less calories than we are using (or maintaining a balance if the goal is weight maintenance). Alcohol is a high calorie beverage, with each gram of alcohol containing 7 calories - almost as much as a gram of fat. Add to that the sugar present in most alcoholic beverages and you have a recipe for high calories with little to no nutritional value. Furthermore, when we consume alcohol, we may have a tendency of eating more, and less mindfully (even find yourself gobbling down potato chips after a couple of beers? Yeah, me too). So when we stop consuming alcohol, we are not only reducing excess calories from the drinks themselves, but also from the often high-calorie treats that accompany them. Add to this that our bodies have more ability to metabolize fat (when alcohol is present, our bodies prioritize metabolizing it due to its toxicity) and the likelihood that we will increase our energy levels, leading to more capacity for movement and exercise, a break from alcohol is a great way to kickstart a weight loss journey.
Reduced Risk of Certain Health Conditions
Alcohol consumption has inherent risks associated, and these risks decrease the more we decrease our consumption. In the short term, alcohol is linked to increased risk of injury and violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and in pregnant women, risk of fetal injury. In the long term, the news gets even scarier: alcohol is a carcinogen known to increase the risk of several cancers, including breast cancer and various cancers of the digestive system. Alcohol increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease (contrary to the popular myth, alcohol isn’t good for your heart - no, not even red wine), stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. It negatively impacts the immune system, putting us at higher risk for a variety of illnesses. And of course, it puts us at risk for addiction issues. Taking a break from alcohol allows our body to take a break from this highly toxic substance, eliminating the short term risks during Dry January, but also allowing us to consider the long term risks and benefits of consumption on our overall health.
Lowered Blood Pressure
Notwithstanding myths to the contrary, alcohol consumption is bad for your blood pressure. When you drink alcohol, your blood pressure may briefly drop within 12 hours, but after that, it tends to go up and stay high. If you keep drinking, it can lead to a long-term problem of high blood pressure. This happens for several reasons - in the short term, alcohol constricts our blood vessels and increases our cortisol levels, while in the longer term, it can contribute to weight gain, which can also drive hypertension. And if you are taking medication to manage blood pressure, your evening glass of merlot might be interfering with the medication’s effectiveness.
Liver Health Improvement
Our liver is an incredibly important organ, performing hundreds of tasks to keep our bodies running well, including filtering out toxins, metabolizing nutrients, and regulating our blood. When we consume alcohol, which is toxic to the human body, the liver must perform the important function of breaking it down so that we can process it. If we drink more than the liver can process, it becomes damaged, and that damage can become serious and even life-threatening over time. However, even if we don’t drink to excess frequently, every time the liver has to process alcohol, some of its cells are damaged. By eliminating alcohol for a period of time, we give our hard-working livers a chance to recover from the damage we’ve inflicted by ingesting alcohol.
Improved Sleeping Patterns
As we mentioned, alcohol can improve the quality of our sleep, a fact that surprises some people who associate an evening glass of wine with feeling drowsy and drifting off quickly. While this may be true, the effect tends to be short-lived. Drinking too much alcohol can have a more negative impact on sleep than moderate drinking. People who consume a lot of alcohol before bed are more likely to wake up during the night and have poorer sleep quality. However, even small amounts of alcohol can reduce sleep quality for some people because its effects on sleep vary from person to person. Over the years of speaking to numerous people who have given up alcohol, either for Dry January or a longer spell, one of the most consistent benefits that is reported is improvements in sleep!
Impact of Dry January on Well-Being
In addition to strictly health benefits, there are additional benefits on well-being
Mental and Emotional Benefits
Alcohol, which is a depressant, can initially make you feel confident and less anxious. But this feeling doesn't last long. Alcohol messes with the chemicals in your brain, which can lead to negative emotions like anger, sadness, or worry, no matter how you were feeling before. It also makes it harder for you to think clearly and understand your feelings and actions.
Over time, alcohol can use up neurotransmitter that are essential for our feelings of mental health and well-being, causing feeling of anxiety, depression or both. To compound the risk, this might make you want to drink more to feel better, which can start a cycle of alcohol dependence or addiction.
As an anxiety sufferer, this has been the most surprising and impactful benefit to eliminating alcohol from my life. My anxiety symptoms have improved immeasurably, especially the acute “hangxiety” that would appear following a night out.
Potential for Long-term Drinking Habit Changes
Like it or not, alcohol is a huge part of life. For many adults, drinking is the default in their social circles and is a part of socializing, work events, even children’s parties and the idea of no wine seems impossible! Taking a break from alcohol during Dry January gives you a chance to evaluate your relationship with alcohol and allows you to gain an understanding of what is motivating you to drink and how it is impacting your life. The insights gained while taking a break from alcohol can help guide better choices moving forward.
Tips for a Successful Dry January
Many people find the prospect of a whole month with no alcohol daunting. What can you do to give yourself the best chance of success?
Setting Realistic Goals: The best goals are specific, challenging, attainable, and aligned with what you hope to achieve. Why are you taking on a Dry January? Once you know your “why”, it’s easier to define supportive goals for yourself and stay motivated. Do you want to go completely alcohol-free, or is a “dryish January” more realistic for you? Do you want to challenge yourself to socialize without booze, or do you need a break from the social scene entirely? Is your Dry January supporting other goals, like rebooting a fitness routine or taking better care of yourself? Then perhaps you might have additional goals like replacing your evening wine with a walk, or journaling about the impact Dry January has on your mood. Doing a Dry January “before and after”, where you take note of where you are starting and where you end up can be a motivating and inspiring way of celebrating your progress and ultimate success.
Building a Support System: Everything is easier with support. Your support system might include like-minded friends who are also going Dry January, a social group whose activities are not centered around alcohol, a supportive partner, or an online community. Inspiring books and podcasts, uplifting music, support groups and online “sober spaces” are just some of the resources you might lean on during Dry January.
Coping with Potential Challenges: Make “progress not perfection” your mantra. Keep non-alcoholic beverages on hand so you have something to reach for when cravings strike. Designate a friend who agrees to boost your confidence and motivation when it wanes. Give yourself permission to make mistakes - if you slip up one evening, you don’t have to throw in the towel altogether. Just dust yourself off and keep going!
Transitioning Out of Dry January: Making Informed Choices
After a month of abstaining from alcohol, you might want to consider some or all of the following steps:
Reflect: Take some time to reflect on your experience. Think about how you felt physically, mentally, and emotionally during the month. Consider the positive changes you've noticed.
Set New Goals: Use your experience from Dry January to set new goals for your alcohol consumption moving forward. You could decide to continue abstaining, moderate your drinking, or set limits on how often and how much you'll drink.
Seek Support: If you struggled with alcohol withdrawal during your one month sober, or have concerns about maintaining your new goals, consider seeking support from friends, family, a health professional or a support group. It's important to have a support system in place.
Stay Mindful:If you choose to resume drinking, do it mindfully. Pay attention to how alcohol affects you, both positively and negatively. Be aware of your triggers and strive to make informed choices about when and how you consume alcohol.
Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle: Use this momentum to make other positive changes in your life. Focus on exercise, nutrition, and mental well-being to maintain your overall health.
Celebrate Your Achievement: Acknowledge and celebrate your success in completing Dry January. Reward yourself with something that aligns with your new goals and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Remember, the end of Dry January doesn't mean you have to return to your previous habits. It's an opportunity to continue making healthier choices and maintain positive changes in your life.
Final Thoughts
Dry January offers a host of benefits beyond just avoiding the occasional hangover. It provides a significant opportunity to improve your health and well-being. From increased energy levels, enhanced focus, and improved hydration to weight loss, reduced risk of various health conditions, lowered blood pressure, and enhanced liver health, the advantages are diverse and substantial. The positive impact extends to mental and emotional well-being as well, with reduced anxiety and the potential for long-term changes in drinking habits. Whether Dry January is just a month, or the start of a longer sober curious journey, the key is to set new, realistic goals, seek support, stay mindful, and continue embracing a healthier lifestyle. Regardless of your choices, celebrate your achievement and maintain a positive trajectory toward a happier, healthier you.
