Tips · Dry January 2027
Dry January tips: 31 that actually help (one for each day)
Thirty-one tips for thirty-one days, sorted by the moment you need them. No juice cleanses, no 5 am routines, nothing that needs a new personality. Just the small, practical things that make a dry month easier.
Photo is illustrative, not from a past month. Credits.
Quick answer. The tips that help most: write down your reason, clear the house before 1 January, plan a replacement for the 6 pm drink, have a short line ready for "why aren't you drinking?", use a tracker or daily email (users were twice as likely to finish dry in one study), plan each weekend in advance, and if you slip, carry on the next day instead of restarting.
You don't need all 31. Read them, pick five that fit your life, and write them on a card. The rest are here for the night you need them.
Please read this first. If you drink heavily or every day, or use other drugs daily, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you stop. The Quiet Month is not medical, not therapy and not rehab. In a crisis, call your local emergency number or find a free helpline at findahelpline.com. More in our questions.
Before you start (tips 1 to 6)
- Write your reason in one sentence. "I want clear Saturday mornings." You'll reread it on the 12th.
- Pick your rules now: 0.0% drinks or not, cooking wine or not. The rules guide covers the grey areas.
- Clear the house on 31 December, or hand the bottles to a neighbour. Distance beats discipline.
- Stock the fridge with things you actually like to drink: limes, ginger, good tonic, cold herbal tea.
- Choose a tracker: the official Try Dry app, the NHS app or paper. In a University of Sussex study, people who used the charity's tools were about twice as likely to finish dry. Compared in Dry January apps.
- Find a buddy. One friend doing it too, or one who'll ask "how's it going?" each Friday.
The 6 pm hour (tips 7 to 11)
For many people the hardest moment isn't a party. It is a Tuesday at 6 pm, when a drink used to mean "the day is over".
- Mark the end of the day another way: a shower, a change of clothes, a 15-minute walk.
- Have the first drink ready in a nice glass: sparkling water, lime, ice. See easy mocktail recipes.
- Eat earlier. Hunger and tiredness feel a lot like wanting a drink.
- Give the urge ten minutes. Cravings tend to rise and fall like a wave; do something with your hands until it passes.
- Change the route home if it passes your usual shop or bar.
Nights out (tips 12 to 17)
- Order first, before anyone offers. "Lime and soda, please" ends most conversations.
- Have one short line: "I'm doing Dry January." That's it. More scripts in how to tell people you're not drinking.
- Drive. The best excuse ever invented, and a favour to your friends.
- Arrive early, leave early. The first hour is the most fun; the last is the most repetitive.
- Suggest plans that aren't about drinking: breakfast, a walk, the cinema, a climbing wall.
- Skip one big night if you need to. Saying no to one party is not saying no to your friends. If your friends all drink, read how to not drink when your friends do.
Rowan is our AI assistant. Please keep health details for the video call.
Weekends (tips 18 to 21)
January 2027 has five full weekends. Plan them like small holidays.
- Book one good thing for each Saturday morning: a swim, a market, a long breakfast. It's the reward for a clear Friday.
- Plan Friday night specifically. A film and good food at home, or out with the friend who doesn't care what you drink.
- Get outside in daylight at least once each day. January light is scarce; go and get it.
- Try one new thing each weekend: a recipe, a walk, a class. More in 40 things to do instead of drinking.
Home, partner and work (tips 22 to 25)
- Agree house rules with your partner in December, not at 7 pm on the 3rd. See Dry January when your partner drinks.
- At work, say it once, lightly, and order first at after-work drinks. Dry January at work has scripts for clients and bosses.
- Move the wine glasses to a high cupboard. Out of sight helps more than you'd think.
- Keep evenings a little busy in week one: a call, a bath, a book, an early night.
When it gets hard (tips 26 to 29)
- Reread your reason. Out loud if you have to.
- Text your buddy before you open a bottle, not after.
- Look at what you've kept: days, money, calories. Use the Dry January calculator or tick another box on the 31-day challenge.
- If you slip, carry on tomorrow. Don't restart, don't throw the month away. Next-morning plan: drank during Dry January? Research on habit-building found one missed day had little effect on the long-term result.
The last days (tips 30 and 31)
- Write down what changed: sleep, money, mornings, mood. Compare with 1 January.
- Decide February before it arrives. Drink-free weekdays? A weekly limit? Another dry month? See after Dry January.
When tips aren't enough
If you find you can't go a few days without a drink, or you feel unwell, shaky or very low when you stop, that's not a willpower problem: talk to a doctor. In a crisis, call your local emergency number or find a helpline at findahelpline.com. For more support options, read Dry January support.
Everything else about the month, from where it came from to every free tool, is on one page: what is Dry January?
Where The Quiet Month fits
Half of these tips are about changing your surroundings: clearing the house, avoiding the route past the bar, planning weekends. The Quiet Month takes that idea all the way: a whole month in a calm place, with the surroundings already set up.
The Quiet Month is a calm month away for up to four guests, each in their own private flat a short walk from me: slow mornings, a short, always optional meditation, daily movement, shared low-carb meals and long evening talks, with no alcohol, no smoking and no drugs for anyone, me included. The first month starts on 1 January 2027, then on the 1st of every month. Honestly: I'm self-taught, not a doctor or counsellor, and The Quiet Month is not medical and not therapy. Every guest is 21 or over and brings a doctor's fit-to-join letter. I don't publish where I am; after a free video call, if we both want to go ahead, you learn the country and city before you sign anything, and nothing is paid before that call and a signed agreement. The programme fee is US$10,000 for the month; your flat and flights are extra. See the January 2027 month and what the fee includes.
Email me first at info@thequietmonth.com, start step 1 of the application (about five minutes, free, no commitment), or book a free 20-minute call.
The Quiet Month team
Questions people ask
What are the best tips for Dry January?
Write your reason down, clear the house before 1 January, plan what you'll do at 6 pm, have a short answer ready for "why aren't you drinking?", use a tracker or daily email, plan your weekends, and carry on after a slip instead of restarting.
How do I socialise without drinking in January?
Order first, have one short line ready ("I'm doing Dry January"), arrive early and leave early, offer to drive, and suggest plans that aren't built around drinking, such as breakfast or a walk.
How do I stop wanting a drink at 6 pm?
Mark the end of the day another way: a shower, a walk, a change of clothes, and have a good alcohol-free drink ready. Eat earlier, and give an urge ten minutes; it usually passes.
What is the hardest week of Dry January?
Many people find the first week (habit) and the third weekend (boredom) hardest. Plan both in advance.
What should I do if I drink during Dry January?
Carry on the next day. Note what led to it, change one thing, and keep going. One drink doesn't undo the month.
Sources
- University of Sussex (2020): Take part in Dry January and you'll reap the benefits for months (over 6,000 people surveyed January to August 2019; read 3 Nov 2026)
- Alcohol Change UK: The evidence behind the Dry January challenge (de Visser 2019: 86% saved money, 70% slept better, 66% more energy, 54% lost weight; tools roughly double the chance of a dry month; read 3 Nov 2026)
- BPS Research Digest: How to form a habit (summary of Lally et al., UCL) (one missed day had little effect)
- Find A Helpline: free helplines in many countries
Prices and facts were checked on 3 November 2026. Prices change; always check the source before you book anything.