Doing Dry January? 9 tips to get you across the finish line

You’ll be hearing a lot about Dry January this month as our friends, relatives and co-workers consider taking on the challenge. Some will start and finish, others will start and quit. Meanwhile, many us will wonder: Could we really go “dry” for the entire month?

Of course you can!

For the uninitiated, Dry January is a campaign that dates back decades and coincides with the resolutions so many of us make to start the new year off on a healthier kick. The goal is pretty straighforward — abstain from all alcohol for the month.

But it has grown to be more than just a detox after the holiday season or a test of one's will power. Many in the sobriety community see Dry January (and any cravings or slip ups) as an opportunity for you to reconsider your relationship with alcohol and flirt with the possibility of giving it up altogether.

We asked an expert — Jessica Borelli, a professor at UCI and the associate director of clinical training in the department of Psychological Science — for advice on how to head into Dry January and finish strong.

Here are some of her tips:

To begin with, she suggests thinking about Dry January as a practice, much like a yoga and exercise practice. You only get better at it the more you practice it, right?

Set an intention

Why do you want to do Dry January? What are your goals? What would success look like?

Do you plan to go back to drinking the same amount on Feb. 1? Or are you using Dry January to jump start a plan to cut back? Are you using this time to think about your behavior when you do drink. Or to put a little more distance between yourself and some of your friends who may be heavy drinkers? (Note that if you are a heavy drinker, many experts say going cold turkey is a bad idea. If in any doubt, talk to your doctor.)

These are some of the questions Borelli suggests you ask yourself as you start a month of no booze. The answers will be different for everyone. But setting an intention upfront will help you stay the course.

Write it down

Whatever your reason, big or small, write it all down.

“It might even help to write out a narrative, in paragraph form or even bullet form,” or whatever format works for you, Borelli said.

Keep it handy — in a notes app on your phone, or on a piece of paper folded up in your wallet, maybe a sticky note on your bathroom mirror. And go back to it if and when temptation strikes. Maybe even write it from your future self: “If you’re reading this, it’s because you are tempted to have a drink. Here’s why you can’t do that…”

Embrace technology

There are plenty of online support groups and free versions of apps that have all sorts of creative ways to help you stick with your game plan. Some send you motivational reminder messages. Some appeal to a competitive nature by “gamifying” your non-drinking streak. Some help you calculate how much money and calories you’re saving by not drinking.

Look around and test drive a few if you think it could help. Or, skip if this doesn't appeal to you. Borelli noted that Try Dry is a popular app with special focus on Dry January.

Technology can help.

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Consider an IRL community

If there is ever a time to be sober in L.A., this is it. There are SO MANY sober communities in SoCal. Go find one. Or three.

“It’s really challenging to be sober in this world that we live in,” Borelli said.

Here is one Sober Guide to LA from Do LA. Here’s one from Thrillist. You get the idea. There’s no shortage of fun things to do in and around LA, no alcohol needed. Search "sober" and Los Angeles (or wherever you are located) on Meetup and prepare to be amazed at all you will find. Get out there!

Identify drinking routines — and break them

We all know the person who “only” smokes when they’re at a bar. Well, drinkers have their own routines, Borelli noted. You want to identify those routines and find ways to sidestep that trap door. For example: Someone who typically hits up a Wednesday night happy hour with friends might volunteer to work the late shift on that day, removing all possibility of temptation. Someone who typically drinks on Friday night while they binge Netflix might want to instead sign up for a Friday night workout class, followed by a favorite take out dinner, and an early bedtime — avoiding the remote control for the entire evening.

Find other ways to unwind

Many of us use alcohol as a quick way to unwind, and perhaps to take our mind off our troubles and our “To Do” list. So your job this month is to find other ways to meet these needs. When you need to relax, maybe take a bath instead of reaching for an adult beverage. When you need to blow off steam, maybe play loud music and jump around your living room instead of pouring a shot.

“If you can figure out what the function" that a glass of alcohol normally filled, Borelli said, “you can then find an appropriate substitute.”

Grab a book and head someplace sunny.

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Quench your thirst

Use the month to find other non-alcoholic beverages that you like to drink and stock up on them.

Do you like a particular kind of fizzy water? A caffeine-free tea for the end of the day? Hot cocoa with those little tiny marshmallows? Have a few alternatives on hand and ready to go. Reach for them when the urge to drink something stronger strikes.

Or how about diving into the world of non-alcohol mixology? The zero-proof movement is huge in L.A. and continues to grow. Here's a story we did about the list of the best non-alcoholic cocktails we could find in L.A.

Be prepared for the questions

"So, what are you drinking?" "Hey, want to grab a drink later?" and "Why aren't you drinking?" These are some of the questions you can expect. You can say some version of "Sorry, can't — doing Dry January!" Whatever your answer, just be ready for the questions so you're not caught off guard. This Business Insider story does a good job of examining this issue.

Also: Let's all agree to stop asking people why they aren't drinking, OK?

Brace for slip ups!

Borelli said you need to have a plan in place in case this happens. She suggests that if you do have a slip up — let’s say you end up at a happy hour with friends and have a drink or three — then try to interrogate that the next day. Ask yourself what happened and why, and what you might have done differently.

But whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up. Just get back on track and finish the month strong.

Do that, and you’ll be proud of your progress come Feb. 1.

So proud, that you might just try to go for a dry February, too.