A new year rolls around, and a chorus of people gathered to give sobriety Go-that is, for the month of January. Dry January, a month when some people don’t drink as part of their New Year’s ritual, has become popular since the term was first coined about ten years ago.
About 35% of legal adults in the US will participate in Dry January in 2022, up from 21% in 2019, according to CGA, which provides data on the food and beverage industry.
What used to be a simple New Year’s resolution has become trendy and even glorified on social media as something to try, whether for health-related reasons or pure curiosity. The world has also caught on, as many restaurants and bars are increasingly offering mocktail options for those who want to partake in an after-work spritz without feeling out of the loop.
But because overly ambitious New Year’s resolutions are often broken, some are opting for Dry January’s milder cousin: wet January.
Damp vs. January is dry
Like Dry January, Damp January offers participants a chance to reflect on their relationship with alcohol.
“This can be a reflective moment,” said Dr. Akhil Anand, a psychiatrist with the Cleveland Clinic Drug and Recovery Center. fortune. “Any reduction in alcohol is important,” adding that many people who try to limit or avoid alcohol tend not to need it to enjoy life as much as they think.
As the name suggests, the moist option does not require you to stop drinking altogether. You decide what boundaries to set. With January Damp, people make rules about alcohol consumption, eventually limiting their intake for 31 days.
For example, if you usually have 15 drinks a week, you might cut back on a few each week for a month and slowly reduce your alcohol consumption. Alternatively, you can choose a drink with a lower alcohol content. Some may keep a glass of wine at dinner but not drink alcohol at work or socially. Others may drink on certain days or times of the week. It’s a personal decision, Vedant Pradeep, CEO and co-founder of Reframe, an alcohol reduction app, told fortune, which can help.
“You make a choice to cut back and prioritize your health,” he said. “This is a very good step in the right direction.”
Does dry or wet January improve health?
Excessive drinking such as binge drinking, which has increased during the pandemic, has long-term health consequences including the development of alcohol use disorders, alcohol dependence, heart problems, the development of certain cancers, memory problems, depression and anxiety, and social problems, such as family problems and project, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Drinking in moderation for the legal age, defined as two or fewer drinks a day for men and one or fewer drinks a day for women, can help prevent long-term health problems.
It’s no surprise that cutting out alcohol altogether has its benefits. One study found that for moderate and heavy drinkers who did not drink alcohol for a month, there were long-term health benefits, such as insulin resistance, weight loss, blood pressure and “reduced concentrations of cancer-related growth factors.” People who work with Anand also report better health, sleep, and mood.
While some people are able to create better habits around alcohol and feel more confident in giving up drinking after January after completing a month, maintaining the habit is not easy for everyone. One study in the UK found that after the end of Dry January, many experienced “feeling freer to drink at other times of the year, with binge drinking having greater damaging effects.” The study calls for more research on how to measure success with alcohol reduction and elimination campaigns. However, Anand says that reflecting on your month of cutting down on alcohol can help people “get back on track” and changing their alcohol habits in the New Year has benefits.
Is January Damp right for you?
Intention and a why important when assessing whether you should choose wet January. Start by observing when you tend to drink alcohol and how you feel – not just in the moment but afterwards.
Some people struggle with anxiety, and find that alcohol exacerbates those symptoms, Anand said. Others may have sleep problems or want to increase productivity, all of which serve to limit consumption, especially when countered by a society that emphasizes alcohol in many contexts.
“We live in a culture that we follow, whether at work or socially with friends, [and] alcohol is everywhere,” says Anand. Having an invention helps you find ways to substitute alcohol for other activities and even new hobbies.
When Anne Mahlum, fitness entrepreneur and founder of Solidcore, reflected on her consumption, she realized that she had developed a bad habit with alcohol. He drinks every day and regularly indulges himself.
“If you start to think about it, and even ask yourself if you have a healthy relationship with alcohol, you’re probably going to tell me something,” he said. “I feel guilty. I feel ashamed. I don’t like it when I wake up with a slight headache. I was like, this just doesn’t fit what I want.
When determining how alcohol fits into your life, try to find places where you can replace drinking, such as exercise, and monitor how you feel when you create new situations where alcohol does not need to be at the center of the table. All of this can help determine your purpose in choosing January Damp or Dry.
For Mahlum, Damp January is not the answer, because the guidelines can be ambiguous. Abstaining is required in his case to establish his consumption. However, everyone is different, he said.
Turkey turkey may not work for everyone—or be sustainable. Some people may experience discomfort that makes it difficult to stay true to their abstinence goal until they reach 31 days. A wet January could be an alternative.
“You can reduce it slowly [alcohol consumption] over time,” says Pradeep. “Your body adapts better.”
But for others whose withdrawal symptoms go beyond an unpleasant feeling, including tremors (shaking), anxiety, stomach upset, or heart rate changes, a more serious relationship with alcohol is at play, Anand said. For people with alcohol dependence, a wet or Dry January will not be helpful, he said. Instead, consider talking to your family doctor or someone in the sober community.