Dry Jan 2026- anyone care to join in?

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Since there doesn’t seem to be a dedicated dry Jam thread I thought I would start one and see if I get any company.
I so need this. Drinking has made me feel sluggish, anxiety ridden and awful. I remembered how great I felt doing it last year but slipped back into old habits far too easily.

Morning all. Can't decide whether the month has dragged or flown. I won't be having a drink till 5th Feb (at besties house) and I'll only take one bottle of wine. I'm not even sure I want to drink it tbh. I'm really hoping the opportunity has reset my habit of drinking on non work nights (3 x 24 hrs shifts). Sleep improved mostly within first few weeks but I've been waking early (5am) these last few so not feeling as refreshed as I'd hoped. Skin a bit better. Lost half stone. Purse a bit heavier so to speak. This thread has been so helpful to me. Thank you.

@Sixseventeen I’m really hoping to carry this on as long as I can. My drinking was getting ridiculous. I’ve also given up smoking, well I haven’t had a cigarette since New Year’s Eve and I know if I have a drink I’ll smoke so that’s stopping me drinking too. I also need to lose weight so don’t want the empty calories in alcohol and I have dropped a few pounds this month. I’m just going to take it one day at a time as it really is still early days but I’m hoping and praying I’m in it for the long haul. Good look to everyone whether you want to abstain for longer or just trying to moderate I hope it goes to plan for you. 💐

I am not going to continue alcohol free but I am going to be greatly reducing the alcohol in future. No more drinking a bottle a night and just the occasional drink at weekends or special occasions. I don't want to be back in the place I was last year again so will be monitoring closely and if it starts to creep up again then its back to alcohol free for me

@MyCatTibby well done on giving up nicotine - that's tough but you've done the hardest bit - don't waste that pain, I did it back in the 90's and I didn't go out drinking for a while - I didn't really enjoy drinking without a cig - even 5 months later I had a weak point - caught myself smoking cigars, so easy to fall back into it.

I am looking forward to a drink at the pub on Sunday. We will be going back to booze in a much more limited way. I've worked hard on my fitness and I've been eating so much better. The January reset (which was more than just dry Jan) has really helped me get back on track.

@Strikethepower Thank you!! Yes I keep telling myself I’ve got through the hardest days and I don’t want to go back to feeling those cravings like I did in the first week or two. That’s keeping me away from alcohol too so double win 🤞

Can’t believe we’re almost at the end of the month. I’ll admit I’ve found it easy but have noticed zero benefits - externally at least.

But! My husband has completely stopped snoring after about a year of waking me every single night. So that’s amazing. He’s decided to stay dry for another couple of weeks when we go on holiday, so I’ll probably do the same.

Hello everyone - well done for almost making it to the end of Dry Jan! Just to say, if this thread isn't continuing, there is a 100 day thread going for anyone who might want to push on with their sobriety.

Well done everyone, I think this thread has helped me through as well as the stay dry app. I feel great for being alcohol free and I’d really like to continue as long as possible but I’ve got a cruise a week tomorrow and a few drinks of an evening is normally a big part of that.

I will try my best, think it will either be much easier than I imagined or I’ll cave as soon as I get on board the ship🤪😂

It's a lot easier if you and your partner do these things together. Actually the snoring thing is a benefit I hadn't even considered. My sleep has been bloody awful this year during Dry Jan but dh's snoring could not be blamed (for once!).

Happy day 30 everyone 🥳 I think its flown in. I've had a few stressful days at work this week usually I would have a couple glasses of wine to unwind after really stressful days but it didn't even cross my mind so that's a massive improvement.

@2026x thank you for the invitation to the 100 day thread. My plans are to continue onto 100 days so will pop over and join.

Thanks for this thread - I feel a sense of achievement managing to do the month. I'm having a glass of wine on my birthday when I'm out (start of Feb) but shan't open a bottle at home. I'm hoping to stay doing that and only drink on special occasions so not getting back into the habit of alcohol as the norm every evening.

Me too! It’s actually life changing!

There’s a 100 day thread? Is it open to anyone?

Yes absolutely! It started at the beginning of the year (although some may have had their last drink a few days before then). It’s super supportive whether you are sailing through or struggling (or indeed if you have a slip up). Most of us want to drink less long term (some are planning to give up entirely) but the goal is 100 days. Everyone is welcome 😊

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/alcohol_support/5479863-calling-time-on-wine-100-day-reset-thread-2-one-day-at-a-time-together?page=9&reply=150222969

@MaggieBsBoat it is open to everyone

I've joined that thread and everyone on it is really lovely and supportive.

Well we're almost there. Feel a huge sense of achievement but realise it's all too easy to fall back into the same old habits. I'm going to try to just have a drink on a weekend night unless there is an occasion which seems like the concensus on this thread. I'm feeling, for want of a better word kind of nervous about drinking again. The health benefits have been huge and that alone should discourage me from ever touching booze again. But unfortunately it won't 😕. Well done to everyone on here who had a damp/dry january. Good luck to those going over to the 100 day thread.

🥰 happy February one and all!
I've no plans to drink yet, will take it day by day.

I fell at the last hurdle and had wine last night 😳and for only the second time in January I got a high sleep score!🙄
See (some of) you next year, good luck in whatever relationship with alcohol journey you have planned! If I can stick to only high days and holidays, it'll be a success for me.

Hurrah! We've made it! Well done everyone. Planning not to fall back into pre-Jan habits, but not to stop entirely. So, no celebratory wine tonight, but I will probably take a bottle with me when I go and stay with a friend later this week. I definitely feel better for it, and its certainly made weight-loss a lot easier. Hope to see some of you next year!

Morning all. Earnt the dry January badge woo hoo! Its been so good to understand my relationship with alcohol. I really thought I could not do this challenge but here I am - and it's done and dusted. I will be having a nice glass of red and thoroughly looking forward to it. For the taste not for some quick forget me not because I'm stressed etc...
Definitely using the app for other dry days. Definitely turned a corner.

Well done all 💐

So here we are at the end of January. It hasn't been totally dry for me but I have drank 80% less than usual and my mindset has definitely changed.

I am going to carry on using the Dry Jan app to track my alcohol intake - and I absolutely won't be drinking mid-week anymore. When I do choose to drink I'll be having less and may swap out for AF, especially for social occasions where its easier to drive and not have to bother with taxis, or when I want to be up and about the following day without a fuzzy head.

Well done everyone, whether you stayed dry to the end or not I hope you have got something out of the month 👏🏻

Well done everyone! No matter slips ups (sip ups?) for some of us, in the end we made it.

I‘m going to continue until at least as long as I can. I was drinking so much and I realise now, with clearer head and eyes how sad it was making me, how I lost the ability to find fun in things without it. Now it’s easier and I guess my dopamine levels are normalised. My brain is functioning better. Ironically I now see how other things affect me, like sugar.

I want to treat myself better so if that’s all that comes out of this, that my friends, is enough ❤️

I want to add a big thank you to you all here. This thread and all your posts and wisdom made it possible for me. Thank you 🙏

Been a bit AWOL, we had an unwanted visitor called Kristin early Wednesday morning – she took most of our roof off, tore up power lines and uprooted trees. Still feeling the effects and another storm is about to roll in. Not the time for fruit teas!!

I managed it and am so pleased I did.

It's really interesting to me that this year, number 5, was so much easier. I have to say, I haven't felt any real benefit but that's because it's coincided with an accidental break from HRT which has played havoc with my sleep. But it's been good nonetheless.

I drank as planned yesterday but had far less than I would have done previously and am dry again now until next Sunday, with no doubt or regret about that.

I've realised that my cravings aren't as strong or unbeatable as I tell myself.

Feeling positive.

Well done everyone. The fact this thread is needed shows how powerful this stuff is, it is a drug and I need to remember that I think.

Morning all.

Well drank as planned yesterday. Woke up today feeling crap. Poor sleep, dehydrated, anxious. Wow alcohol really is a nasty thing isn't it.

Back to dry! I liked me better a few days ago