A Guide to Dry January 2026: 7 Tips to Make the Month Enjoyable and Stick With It

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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 “Dry January” was a glimmer of an idea in anyone’s mind. Back then, having a social life without alcohol felt impossible given how enmeshed drinking was in the social fabric of our lives.

Becoming sober has enriched my life in countless ways, and I’m 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.

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’s in its 13th year with over 200,000. But the cultural zeitgeist of a month without booze wouldn’t become a global phenomenon until around 2019 or 2020.

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 — perhaps to the point that the habits you develop linger into the rest of the year.

1. Try Something New

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 — go do it. Dry January isn’t just about taking away; it’s about new opportunities that reveal themselves when alcohol isn’t at the center.

Tara Oporto agrees. The author of “Temperates: The New Culture of Drinking Less” recommends you “treat 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’t abstinence; it’s noticing how much better your body and brain work when alcohol isn’t the background noise.”

At the heart of sober curiosity is, well, curiosity. Merriam-Webster defines curiosity as “a desire to know.” I’d 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.

2. Switch Up Your Routine

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 Five Corners Beverage Co. suggests trying one thing sober that you’d normally do with alcohol, and see what it feels like to not have an alcoholic drink in that environment. 

Lori MacGregor, writer of The Reignition Project 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  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.

3. Find Community

This article wouldn’t have come together if not for the power of community, so naturally I’m 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“; cofounder of (parentheses) botanical non-alc spirit; and writer of “Beyond Liquid Courage” on Substack.

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. 

The team at Curious Elixirs agrees: “Try not to isolate just because you’re not drinking. If you don’t 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.”

Sunnyside, an app designed to help you drink less, suggests the following: “Tell 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!”

4. Make It a Challenge

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’s just something about a challenge that gets people excited.

Instagram user @jowalduck says, “Have 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!!”

5. Download An App

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

Katie Nessel, @soberishmom on Instagram, leads a “dryish” challenge on Sunnyside. “Don’t beat yourself up for slip-ups, you’re 100% ahead of someone who never started ❤️,” she says.

6. Swap Booze for Adult Non-Alc Beverages

I’m personally a big fan of this suggestion. After all, I am the founder of Zero Proof Nation and digital cartographer of the world’s first global map dedicated to non-alc bottle shops and booze-free bars. Shameless plug time: definitely check out my website if you’re 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.

Tyler McMahon (another digital cartographer, but of a map devoted to craft NA beer), adds: “Find alternatives that you like and explore those with interest, it helps both distract and maybe provide some options for a more moderation post January.”

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) encourages you to “have options available — non alc, teas, etc. on hand at all times.”

Eryn Korby, owner of Las Vegas’ Sin City Saints Bottle Shop, recommends that you “Make zero proof cocktails with premium zero proof spirits [so] you won’t miss the real thing. Also drink *good* NA craft beer. Quality matters.”

To find the best products, take a peek at The Daily Pour’s non-alc ratings section. I’ve written loads of reviews.

7. Give Yourself Grace

Kristen Bear (@creativesobriety on Instagram), is all about being gentle with yourself in January:

“Make your space cozy! It’s cold outside and I think we have the whole New Year’s resolution timing all wrong…save 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.”