Dry January: How a Month of Sobriety Improves Your Health

Published: January 16, 2024

Dry January: How a Month of Sobriety Improves Your Health

By Movieguide® Contributor

As Americans become more conscientious of their drinking habits, ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explains how one month of sobriety has impacted her health.

Only halfway through the Dry January challenge, Ashton has already seen notable improvements in her sleep and skin health, along with weight loss. She’s also found giving up alcohol easier than she expected it to be.

“I went out a bunch of times with friends and family on the weekend and I just said, ‘I’m doing a dry month,’ and that was it,” Ashton explained. “There was never a second thought. I did not miss it at all.”

Ashton has found that the support of her friends and family has been a key factor in the ease of this challenge, with many friends choosing not to drink around her as a sign of support. Despite her smooth experience with giving up alcohol, Ashton noted that she was not doing this out of a place of addiction, something that would make this challenge a lot harder.

“I did this to challenge myself because I’m always looking to push the envelope a little bit from the health and wellness standpoint,” she said. “I’m not doing this for an abstinence or sobriety issue, which I think is way harder and way more serious.”

Despite the reason for going dry, studies have found that improved health continues even when the challenge is over and regular drinking resumes. A study from 2015 found that those who participate in challenges like Dry January drink more responsibly even six months after the challenge ended.

“Kind of the same way you would assess you budget and your finances, I took stock of what I was drinking,” Ashton said about her experience. “From now on, I’m literally going to budget it, and I’m going to keep track of it on a weekly basis.”

Monthlong challenges like this can also lead to prolonged abstinence as participants realize how big of an impact alcohol has on their lives. SPIDER-MAN actor Tom Holland decided to continue going sober after participating in the challenge in 2023.

“I didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘I’m giving up drinking.’ I, just like many Brits, had had a very, very boozy December – Christmas time, I was on vacation. I was drinking a lot,” Holland told Jay Shetty last July. “And I decided to just give it up for January.”

This decision led him to realize that he was completely addicted to alcohol, something he decided to address even after the month ended. As he continued to stay sober, Holland began to see improvements in many areas of his life – including his mental health – something that has inspired him to stay away from drinking even though he now feels that he has the addiction under control.

Holland is one of many celebrities who has gone public with their sobriety journey in recent years. This has led many not in the public sphere to consider their drinking habits and become more mindful of their alcohol consumption.

One of the most notable celebrities to share their journey to sobriety is PRETTY LITTLE LIARS actress Lucy Hale, who just celebrated two years of sobriety after a 19-year journey with alcohol that began when she was a young teenager.

Movieguide® previously reported:

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS actress Lucy Hale is reflecting on two years of sobriety.

“This continues to be the greatest gift I’ve given myself,” Hale posted on Instagram. “I remain so grateful for another year of growth, growing pains, lessons, joys, and self realizations. To be able to show up as myself and to be greeted with such warmth and acceptance is something I do not take for granted.”

“The interactions, conversations, and moments of vulnerability from people I know, people I used to know, from people I’ve hurt, from people who’ve hurt me, from strangers and even people on the internet have given my life so much color and meaning,” she continued. “Those experiences have been my favorite takeaway from this last year. To every person I have connected with…thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Lastly, if you are struggling, please know you are not alone and that you do not have to trek this path alone. There is no right or wrong way to heal and it is deeply personal and unique to each of us,” Hale added. “My only advice to remain open hearted, curious, and to find the people who see and support you. It does get better. Take it moment by moment.”