Dry January Benefits

When all the joyful celebrations of the holiday season are over, you may be left feeling in need of a health reset. Maybe you’re considering Dry January—either eliminating or cutting back on alcohol for the first month of the year.

Sarah Wakeman, MD, Mass General Brigham senior medical director for substance use disorders, describes Dry January as a time to examine the role that alcohol plays in your life. “That mindfulness about alcohol use, just like we try to be mindful about diet, exercise, and other health-related behaviors, I think can be a real opportunity. And sometimes you learn something you didn't expect about how alcohol fits into your life,” she says.

Below, Dr. Wakeman explains the health benefits of Dry January and shares tips for cutting back on alcohol throughout the month—and perhaps even beyond.

What is Dry January?

Dry January is a growing trend where some people choose not to drink any alcohol over the month of January. Others use the time to either cut back or explore their patterns around alcohol use.

“I don't think Dry January has to be an all or nothing thing. It doesn't have to be either you commit to the whole month or you don't,” says Dr. Wakeman.

After the holiday season, many people are already re-examining health-related behaviors and making goals for the new year. Dry January is another opportunity to take a closer look at your alcohol use and think about the way it impacts your health or your life. And whether you don’t drink for the full month or simply cut back, you may notice some surprising benefits.

Health benefits of Dry January

So, what happens when you stop drinking alcohol for a month?

“The health benefits will vary person to person, based on your own health and how much you were drinking before,” Dr. Wakeman explains. But in general, people may notice certain benefits when they cut back on alcohol use.

Short-term benefits of not drinking alcohol or cutting back

Even if you don’t eliminate alcohol completely, you may experience the following changes during Dry January:

• Improved sleep. You may notice you’re able to sleep better throughout the night and wake up feeling more rested.
• Less heartburn or acid reflux. Alcohol affects the digestive system, causing inflammation in your stomach and potentially leading to heartburn or acid reflux. Drinking less may reduce that irritation and lead to fewer side effects.
• Weight loss. Alcohol contains calories, so if you’re trying to be mindful about your diet, cutting back or eliminating drinks for a month may lead to losing weight.
• Clearer skin. Drinking alcohol dehydrates you, which may cause dry skin. If you sleep better due to cutting back on alcohol, you may notice a brighter complexion and less dark circles. It can also cause inflammation and worsen skin conditions like rosacea.
• More energy. Alcohol can make you feel foggy-headed or “hungover” the next morning. Reducing alcohol use may help you feel more clear-headed and energized in the morning. This change is even more noticeable after a period of heavier drinking, like the holiday season.
• Improved mood. In the moment, drinking alcohol may feel like it calms anxiety and improves your mood. But Dr. Wakeman explains that after a period of drinking, you may have “rebound anxiety,” where you actually feel more anxious or depressed. People may notice their mood and anxiety improve after avoiding or cutting back on alcohol for a period of time.

Long-term benefits of drinking less alcohol

Excessive alcohol use has longer-term negative health effects. “Drinking it at higher levels over time can have impact on almost every organ system in the body,” says Dr. Wakeman. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe excessive drinking as 8 or more drinks in a week for women, and 15 or more drinks in a week for men.

Particularly around the holidays, Dr. Wakeman notes, people may drink more than usual. “There is even a term, ‘holiday heart,’ for when people have atrial fibrillation after drinking a large amount, such as over the holidays.” Atrial fibrillation is a type of irregular heartbeat that increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Cutting back on alcohol also lowers your risk of:

• Cancer, such as colorectal and breast cancer
• Liver disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Heart disease
• Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety
• Memory problems like dementia

Dry January tips and how to avoid alcohol

Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink, especially for a full month, may feel daunting. “Behavior change is hard,” Dr. Wakeman acknowledges. “You want to set yourself up for success whenever you’re trying to make a change.”

Here are some Dry January tips she recommends:

• Outline your specific goals. Do you want to eliminate alcohol for one week, or the whole month? Do you want to only drink on the weekends? Whatever your goals are, be as specific as possible to make it clear what you want to accomplish.
• Tell another person. If you can, let someone know about what you’re doing for Dry January. It’s helpful to feel like there’s someone keeping you accountable if you’re trying to reach a goal. They may even consider doing Dry January with you.
• Understand why you’re making a change. Figure out the reasons why you want to cut back or eliminate alcohol. If the change feels important to you, it’s easier to be mindful of the positive benefits. “You want to be reminding yourself over and over again of why you’re doing something,” Dr. Wakeman says.
• Be mindful about your social calendar. Certain social activities may make it more difficult to avoid alcohol and maintain your goals. You may want to skip events where you know others will be drinking, like happy hour with coworkers or meeting people at a bar. Instead, try to make plans that don’t involve any alcohol, like grabbing coffee with friends, going to yoga, or taking an art class.
• Celebrate the small wins. “If you notice: I’m feeling so much better this morning, normally I’d never be out of bed at 6:00 a.m. going for a run or being more present for my family—really notice those and celebrate them,” says Dr. Wakeman.

Post-Dry January tips

After Dry January is over, it’s important to take it slow when you return to drinking. Your tolerance for alcohol has likely gone down, and drinking a beer or glass of wine may affect you more than it did before.

People may also be more likely to go to extremes after restricting something in their life. After being on a diet, for example, they might instinctively want to eat a lot of food to make up for the time they weren’t able to. The same is true for drinking. “You don’t want to undo any benefit you got from the past month by drinking more than you were in December,” Dr. Wakeman says. 

Support for cutting back on alcohol

Some people may try cutting back on drinking for Dry January and find that they have a difficult time, or that they’re unable to. They may experience cravings, where they can’t get the idea of having a drink out of their mind. They may feel physical symptoms from drinking less that make it difficult to keep going, like feeling shaky or anxious.

If that happens, Dr. Wakeman says, it’s a sign to talk to someone and get some professional help. It may be a sign of alcohol use disorder, a health condition that affects millions of people in the United States. It happens when someone is unable to control their alcohol use and continues to drink despite negative consequences.

“Alcohol use disorder is an illness. It’s not an issue of willpower or choice,” says Dr. Wakeman. “This is a very treatable health condition.”

There are many different types of treatment available, including medication, therapy, or group support. Mass General Brigham also offers support through Bridge clinics located throughout different communities, where people can walk in and be seen right away for substance use disorder care.

“The most important thing is talk to someone. Don’t worry alone,” she says. “Our hope is always to bring people in as soon as possible, and let them get the compassionate care that they would get for any other health condition.”