Dry January: 10 benefits of taking a 30-day alcohol break

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Dry January has become increasingly popular in recent years, but we’re the first to say it: There’s nothing better than sipping on a good whiskey or enjoying a glass of red wine after a long day to make dinner even more delicious. Still, that evening drink — and the resulting false feeling that everything is suddenly a bit easier to handle — can easily lead to multiple drinks or drinking any day of the week. Even if you drink less than two drinks a night (that counts as “moderate” alcohol consumption for men), the effects of alcohol can add up night after night.

The problem: “Alcohol is a neurocognitive sedative, which means it weakens the central nervous system. Over time, it can have a negative effect on almost every system in the body,” says Abe Malkin, M.D., family doctor and medical advisor at Monument, a digital alcohol treatment platform.

Luckily, the human body has an amazing ability to heal.

“The benefits of sobriety can become apparent in just a few weeks,” says Malkin, “just like an abstinence challenge.”

Taking

a 30-day break from alcohol, such as in dry January (or any time of year), can provide a wide range of benefits, including better sleep, a more stable mood, less brain fog, and an improved immune response. Perhaps most importantly, studies show that choosing to drink again can improve your relationship with alcohol. Research even shows that giving up sauce for 30 days can make you feel more satisfied with life and more motivated and self-confident in your own abilities.

If you’re thinking of going alcohol free for a while, it’s smart to set yourself a challenge that defined rules and expectations: A 2017 study in the European Journal of Public Health found that people who opted for Dry January were more successful in staying sober for the 30 days and had less problem drinking six months later than people who set a more general goal of drinking less.

“Popular sobriety challenges like Dry January add an extra level of accountability among peers and help make alcohol free living the norm as a proud decision,” Malkin adds.

And that doesn’t mean you have to give up alcohol forever: Dry January is a great way to build a more mindful relationship with the joy juice in the future.

Taken together, the benefits of abstinence from alcohol for 30 days make it compelling to give it a try. Here are all the benefits you could expect if you take a break from alcohol in dry January (or any other time this year).