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Dry January 2027 planner: one small prompt a day.
Updated for January 2027 ·
Quick answer. A Dry January planner is a printable calendar for the 31 days of January with a small daily prompt and a box to tick. This one is free, printable and written for January 2027, which starts on a Friday, so the first evening is a weekend one. No sign-up.
A printable calendar for Friday 1 to Sunday 31 January 2027, with one small, practical thing to try each day: a phone-free first half hour, a walk with nothing in your ears, a plan for Friday night, a letter to 1 February. Tick the box when you have tried it.
Download the planner (PDF, A4, 4 pages)See the 31 prompts
No email needed. المخطّط بالعربية (PDF) · Counting dry days too? Our free Dry January tracker pairs well with it.
Want each day's note by email as well? Free: 30 Quiet Days, one short email each morning in January. Optional.
Please read this first: if you drink heavily or every day, talk to a doctor before you stop. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous for some people. This planner is everyday lifestyle ideas, not medical advice. In a crisis, call your local emergency number or find a free helpline at findahelpline.com.
Illustrative photo: Chris Lawton, CC0. Photo credits.
How to use it
Five minutes a morning, one box a day.
- Print it and stick page 1 on the fridge. Keep pages 2 to 4 by the kettle.
- Each morning, read the day's prompt. It takes a few minutes, not an hour.
- Tick the box when you have tried it. Missed a day? Pick up the next one. No streaks and no guilt.
- Want more on a day? Every prompt links one article from our journal.
- Look-back days (7, 14, 21 and 28 January): add one keeper to a list on the fridge. By the end you have three habits for February.
The prompts come from 30 Quiet Days, our free January programme. January 2027 starts on a Friday, so the first evening is a weekend one: plan it before it starts. For the five weekends and the December warm-up, see our practical plan for Dry January 2027. Curious what the month saves you? Try the alcohol spending calculator.
The 31 prompts
Days 1 to 11: clear, then steady.
- 1Fri Jan
Clear the decks
The first 30 minutes of the day without your phone.
Read: How to stop doomscrolling: a calm 30-day plan (no phone-smashing required)
- 2Sat Jan
The eye-level shelf
Rearrange one shelf so the drink you want is the first thing you see.
Read: What to drink instead of alcohol: 30 ideas, sorted by moment
- 3Sun Jan
A walk with nothing in your ears
A 20-minute walk without headphones.
- 4Mon Jan
Day 4 is often the hard one
Tonight, write down three things that went well today.
Read: What happens when you stop drinking for a month: a week-by-week guide
- 5Tue Jan
What you're really after at 6 pm
Each time you reach for something today, name what you were really after.
Read: What to do instead of drinking on a Friday night: 40 ideas, sorted by mood
- 6Wed Jan
Five minutes of daylight
Spend 5 minutes outside in daylight this morning, even if it's cloudy.
Read: Sleep without alcohol: what changes in the first month, honestly
- 7Thu Jan
One week, one keeper
Write down the one thing from week 1 you want to keep.
Read: Dry January 2027: a practical plan that actually lasts
- 8Fri Jan
Friday night, redesigned
Plan your Friday evening in three parts: a start, a middle, an early end.
Read: How to not drink when your friends do: a 30-day guide (with things to actually say)
- 9Sat Jan
Your one-line answer
Choose your one-line answer and say it out loud once.
Read: How to tell people you're not drinking in January (scripts for work, family, friends and dates)
- 10Sun Jan
One meal, sitting down, no screen
Eat one meal today sitting down, with no screen.
Read: Low-carb breakfast ideas that travel well: 25 easy picks for home, hotels and planes
- 11Mon Jan
The phone sleeps elsewhere
Charge your phone outside the bedroom tonight.
Read: Digital break month: how to switch off without losing your job
Days 12 to 21: the people around you.
- 12Tue Jan
Five minutes of counting breaths
Five minutes of breath counting, once today.
Read: Meditation styles for beginners: 6 simple ones to try in a quiet month
- 13Wed Jan
Build your 9 pm
Choose three steps for tonight's wind-down and do them in order.
Read: Sleep without alcohol: what changes in the first month, honestly
- 14Thu Jan
Two weeks, and what's steadier
Add a second keeper to your list on the fridge.
- 15Fri Jan
Halfway, and the clever little voice
Write your reason for January on a card and keep it in your wallet.
Read: Damp January 2027: how to drink less without quitting (and when to go fully dry)
- 16Sat Jan
Call, don't text
Phone (or video call) one person you've been meaning to talk to.
Read: How to find sober friends as an adult (without it feeling like a job interview)
- 17Sun Jan
A long walk with a quiet person
Take a long walk (45 minutes or more) with someone who makes life feel calmer.
Read: Dry January when your partner still drinks: a calm plan for two
- 18Mon Jan
The quiet money jar
Estimate what you haven't spent on drinks this month and give that money a purpose.
Read: Using a training or wellbeing budget for a month away: what fits, and what does not
- 19Tue Jan
Busy hands, quiet head
Spend 20 minutes on something you do with your hands, no screen.
Read: What to do instead of drinking on a Friday night: 40 ideas, sorted by mood
- 20Wed Jan
One thank-you you never sent
Send one specific thank-you to someone who doesn't expect it.
Read: A new year fresh start: how to plan December so 1 January works
- 21Thu Jan
Three weeks, and who came with you
Add a third keeper to your fridge list.
Days 22 to 31: make it last.
- 22Fri Jan
Your "if this, then that" plan
Write three "if... then..." plans for the moments most likely to wobble you.
Read: How to plan a month off alcohol abroad (or at home), and actually enjoy it
- 23Sat Jan
The Saturday morning you get back
Do one thing before 10 am this Saturday that you'd usually never get to.
Read: Morning routines that survive travel: 7 small habits for hotels, jet lag and early starts
- 24Sun Jan
Ten minutes on the floor
Ten minutes: five of gentle stretching, five of a slow body scan.
Read: Meditation styles for beginners: 6 simple ones to try in a quiet month
- 25Mon Jan
Clear one drawer
Clear one drawer, shelf or bag: keep, give away, bin.
- 26Tue Jan
A letter to 1 February
Write a short letter to yourself, to open on 1 February.
Read: A new year fresh start: how to plan December so 1 January works
- 27Wed Jan
Your rule for February
Decide your rule for February, write it down, and tell one person.
Read: After Sober October: how to keep the good parts going into November
- 28Thu Jan
Four weeks, three keepers
Choose your final three keepers for February and beyond.
Read: Dry January 2027: a practical plan that actually lasts
- 29Fri Jan
One hour of nothing
One hour today with no input: no screens, no audio, no reading.
Read: How to switch off from work on holiday (and stay switched off)
- 30Sat Jan
The last quiet day (and a small ceremony)
Mark the end with a small ceremony of your own choosing.
Read: Sober birthday ideas: how to plan a celebration without alcohol
- 31Sun Jan
Thank you, and what comes next
Open your fridge list, read your three keepers, and pick a day next week to check in with yourself.
Read: What happens when you stop drinking for a month: a week-by-week guide
Questions about the planner
Is the Dry January 2027 planner free?
Yes. The PDF and every prompt on this page are free, with no sign-up. Print it, forward it, or share the link. If you want the prompts by email as well, 30 Quiet Days is our free January programme.
Where do the 31 prompts come from?
From our free 30 Quiet Days programme: one small, practical thing to try each day of January 2027, from a phone-free first half hour on day 1 to three habits for February on day 28. Each day also links one article from our journal.
Do I have to stop drinking completely to use it?
No. The prompts are about mornings, evenings, sleep, people and screens, so they help whether you are doing a fully dry month, drinking less, or simply want a calmer January.
Is this medical advice?
No. These are everyday lifestyle ideas, not medical advice. If you drink heavily or every day, talk to a doctor before you stop: stopping suddenly can be dangerous for some people.
Can I put the planner on my own website or in a newsletter?
Yes. The planner is free to share under CC BY 4.0: print it, share it or adapt it, with a credit and a link to this page. The photo has its own free licence (CC0).
Dry January is a registered trademark of Alcohol Change UK. This planner and The Quiet Month are not linked to the charity; its free Try Dry app is worth a download. Sami Adham is a professional name. Checked on 25 October 2026.
The Quiet Month team
The next step
Or spend this January somewhere quiet.
Up to four guests from 1 January 2027, 21 or over. Write to Sami first, start step 1 of the application (about a minute), or book a free 20-minute call. Applying costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Prefer WhatsApp? +971 52 311 2385. Please don't send health details by email or WhatsApp. More about the January 2027 month.