If you’re already finding a fully-sober Dry January to be a drag, there’s a less restrictive way to cut back on drinking and still improve your relationship with alcohol.
Studies show that even a modest reduction in drinking can lead to improvements in blood pressure, mental health and liver health. It can lower risk for cancer and heart disease. And you may even notice improvements in your sleep, energy levels and skin.
There’s not one best way to do the Damp January challenge. Here are some ways to cut back on alcohol.
- Special occasion drinking: Avoid drinking for the month of January except for special occasions, like a wedding, birthday party or anniversary celebration.
- Add more dry days to your month: Reduce the number of days you drink during January.
- Consume fewer drinks in a setting: For a month, cut back on the amount you drink on each occasion. If you regularly have two or more glasses of wine with dinner, for instance, commit to just one drink per sitting.
- A combination approach: Experts say it’s best to reduce the number of days you drink and the amount that you drink on each occasion. You can set a goal to have a specific number of dry days each week and fewer servings on the days that you drink. You can drink only at special events or be sober on special occasions. Pick the strategy that works for you.
The important thing to know is that any strategy you use to reduce how much and how often you drink will be beneficial, said Katie Witkiewitz, director of the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use And Addiction at the University of New Mexico and a former president of the Society of Addiction Psychology.
“Any reduction in drinking is associated with improvements in health,” she said. “As your drinking increases you have increased health risks, and as your drinking decreases you have decreased health risks.”
“Even if you didn’t drink for one day that’s still one day less of drinking,” she added.
Reset your relationship with alcohol
Damp January (some people call it Dryish January) can act as something of an alcohol reset – a chance to give your gut, brain and liver a break and reassess your drinking habits.
Damp January works for many people because it’s not all or nothing. If your goal is to reduce your drinking by 30 percent and you fall a little short, that still counts as a success. If you find even small reductions in your drinking are impossible then that could signal the need for professional help.
