After the excesses of the holidays, January is the perfect time to temporarily set aside alcohol consumption and start the new year on a fresh, sober note. Follow these tips to get Dry January—and the next year—off to a good start.
The Sober Buddy
You often drink with friends, so stop drinking with them as well. A buddy (or several) can serve as a support system when the going gets tough. Plus, having someone to support in turn helps keep you strong. You can share tips, ideas, success stories, and even a friendly competition to spice things up. Most importantly, when you go out, you’re not the only one not drinking.
Remove Temptation
Remove all alcohol from your home. If you’re doing it permanently, redecorate the now-empty space so it’s not a constant reminder. Otherwise, store the bottles with a strong-willed friend who won’t give them back until Feb. 1, not even “just one beer.” Arrange dry dinners with friends, or bring your alcohol-free drink with you when you go to their houses or to events such as a football tailgate.
Trigger Foods
Skip the foods you associate with drinking, such as a pizza you enjoy with a cold beer or a Sunday brunch with its all-you-can-drink mimosas. In addition to the weight loss that normally occurs with a reduction of the largely empty calories of alcohol, a 2015 report published in the research journal Appetite indicates that alcohol stimulates excessive food intake.
Satisfying Replacements
A large part of drinking is the ritual associated with it, from choosing the beverage to opening it, mixing, and serving. Substituting alcohol-free mocktails or tea, which has a wealth of preparation rituals of its own, creates the same ambience, acting as escape, stress reliever, and social lubricant. Many folks say zero-proof beers, wine, and hard liquor actually taste better than their alcoholic counterparts.
