If you’ve kicked off the new year by taking a break from alcohol (or are just taking a break from drinking in general, really), you might be wondering, “now what?” when it comes to your drinking habits and your overall relationship with alcohol. You might even be counting down the days until you can have a sip of your favorite boozy cocktail or a glass of wine. 

Before you start making too many plans, I want to encourage you to take a moment to reflect back on why you took the month off of alcohol in the first place…

I did my first and last Dry January nearly three years ago in 2017. I say “last” ironically as it was the catalyst for me to give up alcohol for good...so technically every January is Dry January now.

Since then, I’ve become an advisor and mentor to ambitious, high-achieving women who want to change their relationship with alcohol. Many of them begin their journey working with me as a part of Dry January. Each year, I see an influx of optimistic souls who hope to transform their relationship with alcohol using Dry January as their magic bullet. 

As someone who has consciously watched this process unfold, I’m here to set the record straight for you by sharing what most people get wrong about Dry January...and how you can get it right.

A few things you’ve got wrong about taking a break from booze + some good news.

You read the title: Giving up alcohol for Dry January isn’t an accomplishment. I know, because I did it. Two years ago, I decided I couldn’t keep living the, work hard / play hard, mimosas made me do it, 5 o'clock somewhere, party-girl lifestyle I’d kept up for most of my 20s. It was becoming exhausting, mundane, boring, and I could sense that the lifestyle was the single most concrete habit interfering with having the career, relationships, and fulfillment in life that I deserved.

7 Pro Tips to Make Your Break from Booze a Success

Committing to staying sober for 30 consecutive days may seem like a lifetime - especially as your friends continue about their lives (or maybe worse, commit to Dry January and fall off the wagon a few days in!). Changing your own habits when others around you are not can be very challenging. However, I can promise - from personal experience - that completing a sober stretch will be extremely rewarding. I completed Dry January in 2017 (which inevitably led to a longer sober stretch for me personally) and have several pro tips to help you make your month without alcohol a huge success. Approaching this challenge with the right mentality and tools is the best way to set yourself up for success.

My unhealthy relationship with alcohol began over a decade ago. I started drinking my senior year of high school. I had actually been afraid to start drinking, but my fear of not fitting in was much larger. When I realized there were parties and sleepovers going on that I wasn’t being invited to, I quickly began to see alcohol as a social tool.