“Dry January,” as the name implies, involves avoiding alcohol for 31 days during the month of January.
The movement is part of a public health campaign that people have been practicing across America as well as in European countries.
“I’ve been doing it for years. It is a great chance to hit the reset button after so many holiday parties from Thanksgiving and Christmas through New Year’s Eve,” John Hayes, a financial broker in Atlanta, Georgia, told Fox News Digital.
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“Feels like a million bucks. Big advocate,” he added.
Mike P. (who asked that his last name not be used) from Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital that he took part in “Dry January” last year.
One New York man (not pictured) told Fox News Digital that he felt some very particular benefits from leaving the booze behind for a month. “I slept better,” he said. “It was a good reset.”
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“I fell into a pattern of having some drinks each night and thought it was a great way to sort of break that habit.”
The 51-year-old said he felt some very specific benefits from leaving the booze behind for a month.
“I slept better. It was a good reset,” he said.
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Participating in “Dry January” has been associated with an increased sense of well-being and general self-efficacy, according to a study that surveyed more than 4,000 participants.
It was published in the journal Psychology & Health in 2020.
There is “growing evidence that support provided through organized abstinence challenges is associated with changes in beliefs linked to harmful drinking,” the researchers said in the study.
“There’s a need for further research to help us to understand what forms of support are most effective for different drinkers.”
“However, there is a need for further research to help us to understand what forms of support are most effective for different drinkers.”
The group Alcohol Change UK is an association behind the “Dry January” campaign and provides an app as well as several tools to help support those who undergo the New Year’s challenge.
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The group’s mission is to reduce harm associated with drinking, its website stated.
The group kicked off the “Dry January” campaign in 2013; it grew from 4,000 participants to over 130,000 taking part in 2022, according to its website.
Research shows that a month without alcohol leads to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes risk, as well as lower cancer-related proteins in the blood.
“It isn’t about giving anything up. It is about getting something back. Get your fun back. Get your energy back. Get your calm back,” the group stated on its website.
Of those …….