Educational

How To Fully Commit Yourself To Stay Sober Especially During Dry January

Dec 26, 2022

Want to reexamine your relationship with alcohol? Want to experience how life would be without alcohol? You can do it all during the Dry January month. This month is when you can cut down on alcohol and experience soberness.

Being sober for a month can also help you in the long term as well. Research has found that Dry January can help in changing drinking habits in the long term. Having said that, being sober for a month isn’t easy. You need an action plan to make Dry January successful. Here are a few tips that can help you to stay sober in Dry January. But before getting into the tips, here’s what will be covered in this article.

Sobriety and challenges
What happens in Dry January?
How to overcome the challenges of Dry January?
Partying in Dry January? Don’t worry - Try non-alcoholic drinks
A step-by-step guide to staying sober with non-alcoholic drinks
Recommendations for non-alcoholic drinks this Dry January
Benefits of non-alcoholic spirits
Non-alcoholic spirits beyond Dry January: Why you should consider them

Sobriety and challenges

If you are seeking to be sober in the month of January, it isn’t going to be easy. There would be a lot of challenges that may come your way which can create hurdles for you. Here are a few challenges that you may encounter.

You may get the urge to drink alcohol when people around you are having drinks.

You may get tempted to drink if there are cans of beer or other alcoholic drinks stocked in your house.

If you love drinking alcohol after dinner, this may trigger you to have alcohol in such situations. There are some occasions where alcohol is a must like after dinner or in the evenings. These occasions are triggers that can lead to alcohol consumption.

If you use alcohol as a coping mechanism, then you may find it difficult to stay away from alcohol.

All the above are some of the challenges that can create hurdles during the Dry January challenge. Having said, that there are tips to overcome these challenges which we will discuss in the coming sections.

What happens in Dry January?

The Dry January month encourages drinkers to give up alcohol for a month. Alcohol drinkers try to stay sober for the entire month. During this month, people will get to know their relationship with alcohol, and also helps them to notice where they can begin cutting down on alcohol.

It also provides an opportunity for people to lead healthier lifestyles. Research has found that being sober for a month can offer several health benefits including better sleep, lowering blood pressure, and reduced cholesterol to name a few.

The challenge starts on the first day of January and ends on the 31st of January.

How to overcome the challenges of Dry January?

Here are a few tips to overcome the challenges during Dry January.

Whenever you are out with your friends and the people around you are having alcoholic drinks, it can be difficult to be sober. To overcome such situations, there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages on offer. The next time you go out with your friends, order non-alcoholic beers, wines, or mocktails. They give the same feel as alcohol but aren’t toxic.

If you have alcohol stocked in your home, you’re most likely to give in to the temptation. Every time you open your refrigerator or pass by a stock of alcohol bottles, this is a big sign of temptation. To overcome this, the only solution is to clear out all the stocks from your house before you start the Dry January challenge.

After dinner, or in the evenings, many people love drinking alcohol. Whenever such occasions arise, people tend to indulge in alcohol consumption. If you are one of them, in such scenarios, you can avoid the temptation of having alcohol by indulging yourself in some work. For example, after dinner, go for a walk which will help in distracting you from having a drink. Or else you can meditate or work out.

If you use alcohol as a coping mechanism or to relax after a hectic day, it could be challenging for you to remain sober. To solve this problem, try indulging yourself in other activities. The best activity that you can take up is exercise. Whether it is yoga, a workout, or any other physical exercise, these will help you to clear your mind and relaxes you.

Motivation is a big challenge during Dry January. You can easily get demotivated and can retrieve yourself from the Dry January challenge. To avoid this from happening, seek support from family and friends to help keep you on track.

Partying in Dry January? Don’t worry - Try non-alcoholic drinks

If you are looking to party in Dry January and crave alcoholic drinks, don’t worry, there are drinks that are similar to these - Non-Alcoholic drinks. Though they don’t provide the kick that alcoholic beverages offer, they give you the feel of having an alcoholic beverage during a party. From non-alcoholic beers, wines, and gins, to cocktails, these can quench your thirst at parties.

A step-by-step guide to staying sober with non-alcoholic drinks

Here are a few things you can try to stay sober with non-alcoholic drinks during Dry January.

Visit non-alcoholic bars occasionally during January month so that you can have the feel of an alcoholic drink and at the same time stay sober. There are many restaurants and bars out there serving different non-alcoholic brands. To find them easily, you can use the Better Without app.

You can order non-alcoholic beverages online. There are plenty of sites that offer different varieties of non-alcoholic wines, craft beers, cocktails, gins, and others. During January month, on some days, order these beverages to quench your thirst.

You can prepare non-alcoholic mocktails at home. There are many sites and YouTube channels that provide delicious mocktail recipes. Occasionally, you can prepare them during the month of January. These mocktails can help you in getting through the Dry January month.

Recommendations for non-alcoholic drinks this Dry January

There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available in the market. Having said that, here are a few non-alcoholic drinks that you can try this Dry January. For beers, you can give a shot at Better Rhodes Big Drop Brewing craft beers. When it comes to wines, you can try Better Rhodes Wander + Found and Better Rhodes Zeero Sangiovese wines. If you’re a cocktail lover, then you can check out Better Rhodes Sir James Mojito. If you like gin and tequila, try Better Rhodes Free Spirits.

Benefits of non-alcoholic spirits

Here is a list of a few health benefits when having non-alcoholic spirits.

It helps in shedding weight.
It improves sleep at night.
Keeps you hydrated.
Doesn’t deteriorate your mental well-being.
Doesn’t cause harm to your organs, unlike alcohol.

Non-alcoholic spirits beyond Dry January: Why you should consider them

Even after the Dry January has passed, still, non-alcoholic beverages are very helpful. First, these options keep you healthier. Second, you can enjoy a delicious drink even without the toxic compound in it (the buzz). Third, these beverages are socially accepted and both drinkers and non-drinkers can enjoy them.

Parting Thoughts

Dry January is a great time to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol. If you’re thinking to quit alcohol, this is the time to start on it. Having said that, being sober for a month is challenging. You may get tempted, distracted, or lose motivation during this period. For that, there are strategies and this article has listed a few strategies which will help in successfully navigating through this challenging phase.