Dry January is a popular movement that promotes being more conscious of your drinking and reflecting on your relationship with alcohol. While recreational drinking can be ok for most responsible adults, taking a step back from the substance could provide you with a better lifestyle. If you attempted to go through January without a drink of alcohol but you slipped up or were not able to stick to it, there are ways you can get back into it. An unsuccessful dry January doesn’t mean you are a terrible person or are incapable of adopting sober habits. Here are some tips to help you bounce back with confidence and find a successful sober lifestyle.
Revisit Your Why
Ask yourself why you started dry January in the first place. Revisiting your why for taking a step toward sobriety will help you reignite your initial motivation. Reassessing your relationship with alcohol and writing down your reasons can help you stick to your dry habit.
Keep your goals and reasons in a visible place where you can reference them easily. Keep them on your phone, put a sticky note on your mirror, or set reminders on your calendar to keep you motivated. An unsuccessful dry January or failure to meet your goals the first time shouldn’t put you off from ever trying again.
Reflect Without Judgement
It is perfectly ok to reflect back on your January with sadness, however, reflecting on what went wrong can help provide insight going forward. Reflect on the past month and notice if there were specific triggers that pushed you to drink or other events that made it hard to abstain. Start a journal with your thoughts about your past struggles and identify areas where you can do better next time. Keep this journal accessible and look back at your entries when you feel pressure to drink.
Explore Alternative Habits
Alcohol can fill a social and emotional void for many people, which makes it hard to give up when it feels more personal. If giving up alcohol cold turkey can be extremely difficult, so it may be helpful to try alternative habits first. Some ideas to try include experimenting with mocktails, joining a fitness club or yoga class, or scheduling more sober events. While these activities don’t revolve around being sober, they can help you in a nonconscious way, reap the benefits of sobriety. Building more healthy habits will help your brain be able to form other ones going forward.
Start Again
No written rule says you can’t try a dry month at any point of the year. Even if you struggled to stay consistent during the month of January, you can try again in February or March. You don’t have to wait another year to take a break from alcohol, you can start over at any time and on your own terms. A successful dry month will fit your personal lifestyle and help you improve your overall well-being.
Celebrate Any Progress
Any step you take toward better health and wellness is worthwhile. Even small progress will be a step in the right direction. If you are someone who struggles with perfection and wants to complete your goals quickly, starting over may not seem like a win. Becoming more aware of your drinking habits and how alcohol affects your body is an achievement worth celebrating.
If you are struggling to see any positives in your sobriety journey, here are some milestones worth celebrating.
- Saying no to a drink at a social event
- Attending a support group
- Quitting other harmful habits
- Managing your anxiety or depression without alcohol
- Reaching out for help
- Completing a treatment program
- Going a day without craving alcohol
- New or improved relationships
- Time milestones without alcohol (1 day, 30 days, 6 months, etc.)
Help From The Team At Red Willow
Red Willow Counseling And Recovery offers helpful resources and treatment programs for those struggling with alcohol. Even if you don’t have an addiction to alcohol, there is still help to be found from a recovery facility. Red Willow focuses on mental health and addiction recovery practices to help improve the overall well-being of our community. We provide effective therapy for diverse clients in Salt Lake City and Park City. Red Willow uses competence, compassion, and collaboration in all of our treatments. If you want some extra support on your sober journey, reach out to us to get started!
