When Tom Holland decided to try Dry January in 2022, he realized something about his drinking habits. “I couldn't quite wrap my head around how much I was struggling without booze in that first month — and It really scared me,” he revealed during an episode of the Rich Roll podcast. “I decided, as a sort of punishment to myself, that I would do February as well as January… If anything, it got a little bit harder. So I was starting to kind of panic, thinking, ‘Damn. I have a bit of an alcohol thing.’ “
Holland eventually decided to extend his period without alcohol once again. It got easier, many parts of his life got better, and he came to a realization: After a full year of sobriety, he decided he was never going to drink again.
For some people, Dry January, or any other finite period without alcohol is just that: a month, or a week, or a year without booze, a welcome reset after which you revert to your pre-existing relationship with alcohol. But for others, it represents something else entirely: maybe a period without alcohol makes you realize you feel better when you’re not drinking, and it leads you to full-out sobriety. Or maybe you split the difference: maybe you decide to scale back your drinking or go through regular periods without it. Because while Dry January is a common practice, you can take a month (or any other time frame) off from drinking at any time of year.
Whatever the case may be, if you’re one of the people who is about to be done with your Dry January challenge — or if you’re someone who has been thinking about reevaluating your relationship with alcohol — you may be finding yourself at a crossroads.
It’s worth keeping in mind that alcohol comes with some significant risks: recently, former surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory indicating a link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. If there’s a reason to rethink your alcohol consumption, that news, which links alcohol consumption to increased risk of seven types of cancer, is it. Of course, this isn’t the only health issue linked to alcohol, but it’s certainly a big one.
How to have a healthy relationship with alcohol
That’s for you to determine. But know this: there are options. Just because you finished Dry January, it doesn’t mean you need to end your spell of sobriety — it also doesn’t mean you can never have a drink again. At the end of the day, you have to make the choice that’s best for your body and health… but having information at your fingertips is the key to making the best choice for you.
How you might be feeling after a period of not drinking
According to material from MD Anderson, cutting alcohol for a month (say, for Dry January) can yield some pretty apparent results: because alcohol has a lot of “empty” calories, you may find you’ve lost a little weight. You may also feel like your sleep is better, as alcohol can cause “rebound insomnia”, or repeatedly waking up in the middle of the night. You may also feel more mental clarity, with marked improvements in your memory and judgment.
But there may be changes you don’t necessarily notice. Cutting out alcohol, even for a month, can lead to significant internal changes too. Within just 30 days, your liver can reproduce injured or dead cells, according to MD Anderson.
After a period of not drinking, it’s time to check in with yourself
Do you love the way you’ve been feeling physically? Are you enjoying better sleep or improved mental clarity? Or do you find yourself itching for a glass of wine? Did socializing while sober feel uncomfortable?
There’s no universal right here — it’s just about checking in with yourself. Because ultimately, taking some space from drinking can really help you learn more about your own relationship with alcohol.
From there, you can figure out your next steps. Maybe, like Holland, you’ll gradually extend your period of not drinking until one day you realize you’re better off without it completely. Maybe, you’ll go the way of Chrissy Teigen, who stepped away from drinking only to discover that the anxiety she was trying to quiet with alcohol actually improved when she cut out drinking. Or maybe, you’ll find that Dry January wasn’t difficult and didn’t make a huge difference in your life and that your relationship with alcohol doesn’t really require reevaluation.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing
We really lack nuance about most things these days, and alcohol consumption is no exception. A few years ago, it felt like absolutely everything revolved around alcohol. Now, it seems like drinking even in small amounts is seen as disordered. (There’s discourse on social media saying that after you become a parent, you should never have another drink, for example.)
But even though we have greater awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption, taking these findings seriously doesn’t have to mean completely cutting alcohol out of your life. While that is certainly the right choice for a lot of people, modifying or reducing your consumption might be the right choice for you instead. Cutting back on alcohol, whether by saying you’ll have just one drink a week, or only have a glass of champagne on special occasions, could be the right move for you too.
Now there’s even a term for this: sober-ish. The term can refer to drinking more mindfully, reducing consumption, or even avoiding alcohol. It’s a middle ground between a completely unregulated approach to alcohol consumption and complete sobriety. For some people, this might be the right approach.
Of course, addiction is real
And if you feel like you may be experiencing addiction, there’s no shame in getting help. If Dry January felt incredibly difficult to manage, if you were completely unable to avoid alcohol for a short period, if friends or family members have expressed concern regarding your drinking, or if you just feel like you could use some help in rethinking your relationship to alcohol, there is help out there. You don't have to do this alone, and asking for help could be the first step.
Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and mom of twins. She's written for outlets like Parents, MarieClaire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Motherly, and many others. In her (admittedly limited!) free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family.
