Dry January: How Swearing Off Alcohol for an Entire Month Impacts Your Health

FIT asked experts how quitting alcohol for an entire month can impact your health.

Image used for representation.

(Photo: FIT)

Kriti, a 25-year-old corporate employee from Delhi, has vowed to cut back alcohol in January 2024.

This month, she’s had a drink almost every other day, which made her sit back and question: Should I be concerned about my health?

“I want to get a grip on my drinking now. A dry month should help,” she says.

Dev* (name changed on request), a 23-year-old student pilot based in Canada, has also been thinking about quitting alcohol for a while now. 

“I’ve been drinking my pains away and I know that’s just not the way to go about it,” Dev tells FIT.

What both Dev and Kriti are hopping onto is called the ‘Dry January’ challenge. One month of swearing off alcohol.

What is this challenge? Why is it so popular? Are there any health benefits? We asked experts so you don’t have to.

Where It All Began

Some trivia before we get into the details though. How did the Dry January challenge even come about? A UK-based charity Alcohol Change started Dry January as a public health campaign in 2013.

The idea behind it being – “If we got more people having a break from booze in January, could we get more people thinking about their drinking? And would they drink less after their month off because actually they enjoyed the break so much?”

But the concept goes way back. Many studies say that the Finnish government followed “Sober January” in 1942 during its war against the Soviet Union.

The Many Benefits of Drynuary

Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, the chief nutritionist at Delhi’s Apollo Hospital, tells FIT that there are ample benefits to avoiding alcohol for short periods. She says:

• One is that you’ll see significant gains in your physical well-being.

• Your sleep quality will drastically improve since alcohol tends to disrupt your sleep rhythms.

• Your mental clarity and attention will improve too.

• You might potentially lose weight, improve mood stability, and have a more balanced emotional state.

• You might even have better self esteem at the end of the month for having stood up to the challenge.

There are other more tangible benefits too.

Dr Ankur Gupta, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Fortis Escorts, New Delhi, says that taking a break from alcohol can not only improve your liver function, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health, but it gives your body the time it needs to “recover from the potential negative effects of alcohol consumption.”

In fact, a study in the British Medical Journal showed that when regular drinkers avoided alcohol for 30 days, they "slept better, had more energy, lost weight, and lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels."

Another significant benefit was that quitting alcohol helped decrease "cancer-related proteins in their blood."

A 2015 research study by Royal Free London had similar results too. 10 journalists who participated in 'Dry January' lost considerable liver fat and had lower levels of glucose in their body.

And That’s Probably Why It’s Popular Too

Ever since ‘Dry January’ became a thing, it’s been trendy and popular, especially among the youth. Dr Rohatgi feels that there are good reasons for this.

“A temporary abstinence from alcohol provides an opportunity for self-reflection and evaluation of your drinking behaviors.”

Dr Priyanka Rohatgi

But, Dr Gupta adds that the effects of quitting cold-turkey might be different for different people. For some it may be a positive change, but for others it might be difficult to cope. 

Tips, Tricks & More: How To Stay Put On the Dry January Wagon

Trying to consciously move away from alcohol for 31 days might be tough, especially at the beginning. But Dr Rohatgi and Dr Gupta have some tips for you.

• Ask for help and seek support from friends and family. Have a support system to rely on.

• Share your goals with someone you trust and have them hold you accountable.

But not everyone has that community support. Dev, for instance, says,

“My biggest struggle is communicating this to people around me. If some people were there to support this then even if I wanna go back they would’ve held me accountable. But people our age don’t get all this.”

In that case, the doctors share some other advice too.

• Develop a plan to manage your cravings.

“Identify triggers that may lead to drinking and establish alternative activities or coping mechanisms.”

Dr Priyanka Rohatgi

• Have an alcohol-free home so you don’t give into impulse urges.

• Go for non-alcoholic beverages like mocktails or juices.

Non-alcoholic beverages is what Kriti is planning to rely on at parties too, if she does attend any at all in January, she says. “I’ll either decline invitations or pretend I’m drinking,” she tells FIT.

• Set clear and achievable goals for the month, and don’t forget to celebrate the milestones.

• Try and explore healthier hobbies. Staying busy will keep you distracted.

• Focus on staying hydrated and have a balanced nutritious diet.

• If you have concerns about alcohol dependence, seek professional help.

• Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

Aman* (name changed on request), a 25-year-old copywriter from Gurugram, agrees with this last point, almost too wholeheartedly. In January 2024, he's actively going to be avoiding alcohol, he says, but without making it a resolution or a rule. "Why the unnecessary pressure?" he asks.