{"id":137202,"date":"2026-01-13T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T14:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedailypour.com\/?p=137202"},"modified":"2026-01-13T12:08:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T17:08:56","slug":"dry-january-tips-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedailypour.com\/no-low-alcohol\/dry-january-tips-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Dry January 2026: 7 Tips to Make the Month Enjoyable and Stick With It"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dry

(Photo: Adobe Stock)<\/p><\/div>\n

I was only 24 years old when I quit drinking in 2007, long before the term “sober curious” was coined by Ruby Warrington in 2011 got trendy and \u201cDry January\u201d was a glimmer of an idea in anyone\u2019s mind. Back then, having a social life without alcohol felt impossible given how enmeshed drinking was in the social fabric of our lives.<\/p>\n

Becoming sober has enriched my life in countless ways, and I\u2019m happy to share a brief history of how Dry January started, along with practical tips to help you navigate the month should you decide to embark on the journey yourself.<\/p>\n

Emily Robinson is attributed with starting the Dry January movement after she gave up alcohol in January 2011 to prepare for a half-marathon. This inspired her to join Alcohol Change UK, where the first Dry January challenge was born in 2013 with 4,000 people. In 2025, it\u2019s in its 13th year with over 200,000. But the cultural zeitgeist of a month without booze wouldn\u2019t become a global phenomenon until around 2019 or 2020.<\/p>\n

For anyone interested in participating in Dry January (and managing to stick with it!), I have collected some suggestions on how to navigate life without alcohol gathered from experts, fellow industry leaders and my sober community. Whether this is your first time embarking on Dry January or your fifth time around, I hope this guide makes your month more bearable but also enjoyable \u2014 perhaps to the point that the habits you develop linger into the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

1. Try Something New<\/h2>\n

Trying something new breaks you out of your comfort zone and encourages growth. Whether it’s signing up for a cooking class at the community college nearby or finally trying out that new Thai place in your neighborhood \u2014 go do it. Dry January isn\u2019t just about taking away; it\u2019s about new opportunities that reveal themselves when alcohol isn\u2019t at the center.<\/p>\n

Tara Oporto agrees. The author of “Temperates: The New Culture of Drinking Less<\/a>” recommends you \u201ctreat Dry January like a curiosity experiment, not a punishment. Pick one evening (or daytime) ritual that you normally pair with alcohol and redesign it! An NA drink you love, a walk, a sauna, a workout class and real conversations with people. The win isn\u2019t abstinence; it\u2019s noticing how much better your body and brain work when alcohol isn\u2019t the background noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the heart of sober curiosity is, well, curiosity. Merriam-Webster defines curiosity as \u201ca desire to know.\u201d I\u2019d argue that curiosity is not just that, but a desire to know mixed with a playful, adventurous spirit. So, if the intrepid explorer within you was hibernating over the holidays, wake them up during Dry January.<\/p>\n

2. Switch Up Your Routine<\/h2>\n

Part of Dry January is making space for new perspectives and observing situations you’d normally associate with alcohol in a new way. Benno Nelson, cofounder of <\/span>Five Corners Beverage Co.<\/span><\/a> suggests trying one thing sober that you\u2019d normally do with alcohol, and see what it feels like to not have an alcoholic drink in that environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lori MacGregor, writer of <\/span>The Reignition Project<\/span><\/a> on Substack, adds that you should modify your routine. If you normally watch TV at night with a glass of wine, replace it with a nonalcoholic activity like going for a walk or reading\u00a0 a book. These might take more time or effort, but part of Dry January is also self-care and taking time to reflect and see things differently so persevere.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Find Community<\/h2>\n

This article wouldn\u2019t have come together if not for the power of community, so naturally I\u2019m a big fan of this one. So is Tawny Lara, author of “Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze<\/a>“; cofounder of (parentheses) botanical non-alc spirit<\/a>; and writer of “Beyond Liquid Courage” on Substack.<\/p>\n

Lara recommends having an accountability buddy and\/or checking out some support group. She advises that you will get more understanding of the core reasons you drink by sharing it with others trying to do the same thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team at Curious Elixirs<\/a> agrees: \u201cTry not to isolate just because you\u2019re not drinking. If you don\u2019t have friends who are sober-curious, seek out that community IRL or online! There is so much sober-curious support (and fun!) to be found out there if you need it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunnyside, an app designed to help you drink less, suggests the following: \u201cTell your best friend or your partner about your goal, ask them to help hold you accountable, and even see if they’ll join you. This gives you a partner-in-crime, and also opens up the possibility for longer term discussion around drinking, which is empowering and can feel like a huge relief!\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Make It a Challenge<\/h2>\n

Journalist and author Hilary Sheinbaum was onto something when she published “The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month,” in 2020. Inspired by a bet she made with a friend to do Dry January in 2017 (spoiler alert: she won), Sheinbaum set out to write a definitive guide to doing January (or any other month) dry. There\u2019s just something about a challenge that gets people excited.<\/p>\n

Instagram user @jowalduck says, \u201cHave something else to ‘throw under the bus’ if necessary. I gave myself a 28 day challenge to be booze free *and* went meat\/fish free too. I knew that if I needed to, I could throw a steak at a craving and get home safely without the booze. 6+ years in, 85% veggie and 100% sober!! Also that old “if i wake up tomorrow morning regretting not drinking tonight, then I can drink tomorrow night” – been a lifesaver over the years!!\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Download An App<\/h2>\n

The right app can help find community and gamify wins. When crowdsourcing, I got a lot of votes for Sunnyside<\/a>, Reframe<\/a>\u00a0and Try Dry<\/a>, the official app of Dry January via Alcohol Change UK<\/span><\/p>\n

Katie Nessel, @soberishmom on Instagram, leads a \u201cdryish\u201d challenge on Sunnyside. \u201cDon\u2019t beat yourself up for slip-ups, you\u2019re 100% ahead of someone who never started ❤️,” she says.<\/p>\n

6. Swap Booze for Adult Non-Alc Beverages<\/h2>\n

I\u2019m personally a big fan of this suggestion. After all, I am the founder of Zero Proof Nation<\/a> and digital cartographer of the world\u2019s first global map<\/a> dedicated to non-alc bottle shops and booze-free bars. Shameless plug time: definitely check out my website if you\u2019re looking for non-alc options across just about any category, and if you want to find a bottle shop or bar specializing in non-alc near you, my map is just a click away.<\/p>\n

Tyler McMahon (another digital cartographer, but of a map devoted to craft NA beer), adds: \u201cFind alternatives that you like and explore those with interest, it helps both distract and maybe provide some options for a more moderation post January.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team at One of One Wine Co. (whose sparkling wine I am so enamored by I voted to include it in a Food & Wine roundup<\/a>) encourages you to \u201chave options available \u2014 non alc, teas, etc. on hand at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eryn Korby, owner of Las Vegas\u2019 Sin City Saints Bottle Shop, recommends that you \u201cMake zero proof cocktails with premium zero proof spirits [so] you won\u2019t miss the real thing. Also drink *good* NA craft beer. Quality matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

To find the best products, take a peek at The Daily Pour\u2019s non-alc ratings section<\/a>. I\u2019ve written loads of reviews.<\/p>\n

7. Give Yourself Grace<\/h2>\n

Kristen Bear (@creativesobriety on Instagram), is all about being gentle with yourself in January:<\/p>\n

\u201cMake your space cozy! It\u2019s cold outside and I think we have the whole New Year\u2019s resolution timing all wrong\u2026save the hardcore action for spring. Make your dry January about comfort and rest. Stock up on delicious alcohol free drinks, make a list of movies and books to check off, cook yourself delicious food, and set the internal temperature for 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n Scan any liquor or NA bottle to see all expert reviews in one place with the free Daily Pour app<\/a>. Download today!\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was only 24 years old when I quit drinking in 2007, long before the term “sober curious” was coined by Ruby Warrington in 2011 got trendy and \u201cDry January\u201d was a glimmer of an idea in anyone\u2019s mind. Back then, having a social life without alcohol felt impossible given how enmeshed drinking was in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":137342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5365],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-no-low-alcohol"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t