7 Unexpected Dry January Benefits You’ll Thank Yourself For

Participating in Dry January this year? These Dry January benefits will motivate you to take a break from drinking and enjoy a month of sobriety.

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Are you sober curious or just want to give your body a break from drinking? Dry January is an exciting time to take a break from alcohol while benefiting from sobriety. If you’re anything like me, it helps to know how participating in a month long event will benefit you. My first Dry January, I was excited to see what it would feel like not to drink regularly and it completely changed my relationship with alcohol.

You may not have guessed the Dry January benefits you could experience in just a few weeks of not drinking.

The benefits of not drinking alcohol for a month range from better skin to decreased anxiety! Whether you thought Dry January would be a fun challenge or are exploring your relationship with drinking, taking a break from alcohol for the month of January will help you have a healthy start to your year.

This post is all about the benefits you will experience when participating in Dry January.

Powerful Dry January Benefits

1. Decreased Anxiety

While you may feel less anxious socially after a drink or two, drinking leads to increased anxiety levels and “hangxiety” the morning after. This was the biggest reason I got curious about being sober and tried Dry January for the first time!

If you are someone who tends to look back on the night before with regrets or worries about how you may have acted, or even just experience general anxiety, you can experience this benefit of Dry January right away! Taking a break from drinking throughout the month means no hangovers, and no anxiety following a drink.

2. Better Skin

You may not have realized alcohol can actually dehydrate your skin. January is already a cold and dry month (depending on where you live), which also dries your skin out, so it’s the perfect month to take a break from drinking. Your skin will thank you for it!

Drinking can also worsen conditions like psoriasis and rosacea. I have rosacea and my skin would always flare up the next day – sometimes right away – when drinking. As much fun as I had drinking, my face always suffered for it. Maybe you have noticed similar effects on drinking and acne. So staying sober throughout Dry January will help your skin a lot!

To fully benefit from better skin throughout Dry January, make sure to moisturize daily. I prefer fragrance free moisturizers from Aveeno, like Aveeno Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.

3. Liver Health

Your liver may not be something you give much thought to, but heavy drinking over time can cause a lot of damage to your liver. The good news is, your liver can benefit from just a few weeks break from drinking during Dry January! Your liver can even heal and regenerate over 30 days, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

While this may not mean much to you now, you will be thanking yourself as you age that you gave your liver a break.

4. Improved Sleep

Another advantage of Dry January is better sleep. When I drank I know I would wake up more often throughout the night, or as alcohol was leaving my system.

To help you get the full benefit of better sleep throughout Dry January, I recommend improving your sleep hygiene habits. Below are some suggestions on how to improve your sleep.

3 Quick Tips To Improve Sleep Habits during Dry January

• Keep a regular bedtime. This should be easier since you might not be going out as late or staying out until bars close.
• No screentime an hour before bed. Try to limit your screentime before bed, or at least filter out blue light on your phone, to help you transition to sleep easier.
• Create a nighttime routine. Having a bedtime routine signals to your body that it is time to sleep. Find a routine that works for you! I enjoy washing my face followed by listening to an audiobook while relaxing in bed.

Being intentional about your sleep routine will give you something to focus on that is a replacement for drinking, and help you stay motivated throughout the month!

5. Less Stress

Drinking can feel like a quick stress reliever. But in the big picture it’s good to try alternatives so you aren’t always relying on alcohol to help you with stress.

This is a great month to take care of your mental health. Make sure to find other stress relieving activities to replace drinking, like exercise, meditation, or talking to friends. This way, you will be able to stay motivated throughout the month knowing you have a plan when things feel stressful.

Personally, I found it enjoyable to try new hobbies during Dry January! Since I wasn’t going out as much, I used the time to explore my other interests. Maybe you’ve wanted to take an art class or have been eyeing a new video game. This is a great opportunity to let yourself have fun and show yourself you can have fun without drinking!

You can also plan more intentional time with friends. Since you might not want to go to bars where you would be tempted to have a drink, try planning friend dates with activities like making a vision board or having a photo shoot.

These new year friend date ideas are great examples of how you can enjoy time with friends that can also act as stress relievers since you won’t be drinking.

6. Saving Money

The benefits of Dry January aren’t just limited to your physical and mental health! The cost of a night out can be pricey, especially if you add Uber/Lyft fees. I always loved buying drinks for friends too (especially after a couple drinks), so Dry January helped me learn that choosing not to drink can really help me financially.

Of course, if you choose to go out for mocktails or buy zero proof beverages, you might still spend money. But you won’t have to worry about drinking and driving and you can also think more intentionally about how you want to spend your money this month.

Maybe you can even use the money you saved by not drinking to treat yourself! This is a great way to motivate you to finish Dry January strong.

7. More Time for Self Care

One of the best benefits of Dry January is having more time for self care! Drinking often means staying up late and feeling fatigued or hungover the next day. Without alcohol in the mix, you’ll probably find yourself with more time and motivation to focus on the things that help you feel your best.

I found it hard to stick to routines when drinking because staying out late even one night on the weekend threw my whole sleep schedule off.

Ask yourself, what does self care look like for you? This doesn’t have to mean the stereotype of massages or warm baths. But reflect on putting yourself first – what does it look like to care for yourself, physically and mentally?

Maybe you can focus on building productive habits or a new skincare routine. Or maybe you can use a few nights you would otherwise be out drinking for journaling or working on a side hustle. This is a personal question and will look unique to you, but it’s worth using Dry January to put effort and time into taking care of yourself.

These Dry January benefits make a month of sobriety worth it! Don’t forget you can always choose to participate in a “damp” January, and just drink less than usual. You’ll still enjoy all of these benefits!

Even if you don’t complete the whole month of Dry January, be proud of yourself for giving it a try.

This post was all about the Dry January benefits you can expect when choosing to stay sober throughout the month of January.