Dry January Benefits: What Could Happen Week by Week?

In terms of the Dry January benefits, they won’t all be achieved at once on a single glorious day at the start of the New Year. Get that rose-tinted image out of the way!

Instead, different positives will start to show as the month progresses. The midway point of the month, according to a recent study, is the danger zone for people dropping out of Dry January with more than half of those respondents likely to tail off.

The survey, commissioned by Volvic Touch of Fruit flavoured water, found a third of those polled struggled to find something else to turn to after a bad day, while 31% would pine after the taste of their favourite alcoholic tipples; 29% would find it difficult to miss out during social occasions.

But don’t lose heart, stick with it as the benefits are tangible, even within a month. What you might notice and when varies, but generally speaking, you’ll find different improvements each week of your Dry January.

Week One

The first seven days should see your sleep pattern improve, after a potentially tricky start if you have become used to drinking as a way to help you nod off. Alcohol before bedtime produces ‘micro awakenings’ during the night which has a damaging effect on the amount of deep sleep you get. You won’t notice them, but they have an impact. Avoiding alcohol will help avoid these, leading to better sleep.

You’ll feel more hydrated without the dehydrating element of alcohol in your intake, your concentration will improve, and you’ll feel less tired.

Week Two

With sleep improving, your skin will visibly improve, becoming healthier-looking and less puffy. The early benefits of week one will continue, hopefully increasing your overall wellbeing and general outlook.

You may be finding yourself with more time to do things like exercise classes or going for walks as you avoid the lazy hangover weekend mornings and wake up brighter, more energised, and motivated.

Week Three

All going well? If so, your blood pressure should have lowered with alcohol absent from your intake. The calorie count will have plummeted too, as six pints of beer per week equates to 3,240 calories while six glasses of wine amounts to almost 3,000 calories.

Your general outlook on life may have improved by this point; hangovers usually show as headaches, nausea and feelings of depression and/or anxiety. This can knock your confidence and mood, but by taking alcohol away, you don’t get into these positions and you feel better about yourself.

Week Four

You should be feeling fresher, brighter and more energised by this point of the month, and if you haven’t had an alcoholic drink until now, your transformation may have you considering making those Dry January benefits a permanent addition to your life going forward.