Nickolaus Hayes: Why Dry January is good for your health

Dry January — abstaining from alcohol for the entirety of the first month of the year — has significant benefits for physical and mental health. It also prevents impaired driving and helps people reevaluate their drinking habits.

Social drinking during the holiday season is widely accepted, generally seen as a way to lighten the mood and bring people together. Others use it to manage the stress and emotion the festive season creates.

Benefits of abstaining from alcohol can include better sleep, more energy, weight loss,clearer, brighter skin, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and a lessening of anxiety, depression and stress.

Most importantly, the chance of impaired driving is removed. In 2022, there were more than 42,000 DUI arrests, a significant decrease from 2021.

Those who choose a Dry January often find themselves reevaluating their drinking habits. Maybe they use alcohol as a tool to cope with stressful situations, or their drinking habits impact their personal or professional life. Dry January can be beneficial for changing bad habits.

Dry January does not have to be an uphill battle:

• Create a supportive environment to ensure success.

• Remove all of the alcohol from the home — dump it, hide it or give it away. Find a suitable non-alcoholic drink for social situations.

• Recruit a friend or family member to participate and help avoid temptations; compare your success and challenges.

• Stay busy and active — plan activities that do not involve alcohol.

• Utilize Dry January apps to track progress and find practical ways to stay accountable.

Dry January is a good time to focus on mental and physical well-being, taking advantage of having more energy and sleeping better. Ideally, people begin to lose alcohol cravings and realize alcohol does not need to take up so much space in their lives . Maybe the benefits will be worth continuing for another 30 days. Embrace your new attitude to alcohol use.

Nickolaus Hayes is a health care professional in the field of substance use and addiction recovery.