What is Dry January?

For those of you who don’t know, it is the sacrificing of alcohol for the month of January. According to many “challenges” and articles on the subject, omitting alcohol for a month can have numerous health benefits. 

I am sure that it is so good for your body, as is joining a gym, getting a new job and being a kinder and gentler person. “New Year, new you” way of thinking. Good for you, I say to all of those participating in healthy, dry, dieting, kindness January. I just can’t join you, particularly on the dry month journey and here is why:

1. Studies show that January is the longest month of the year. It feels like there are 8 or 9 weeks in the first month of the year (according to many memes on social media.) If I am going to give up anything, it sure as hell isn’t going to be during the longest (and most boring) month of the year.
2. I live in New England. It’s cold. It’s dark. It’s icy. No one leaves their home after 4 pm or after work. If I am going to spend all 9 weeks of January in my pjs, there should be a glass of tequila and a baguette with cheese in front of me making me happy.
3. I once had kids home from college in January, nearing the tail end of their vacation. Messy rooms, coming home at all hours, with dishes everywhere. Anyone who suggests giving up a glass of wine during the tumult isn’t a parent.
4. If I make it out of the house and to a restaurant with a tablecloth (and I’m not wearing snow boots), I am going to want a drink. Again, it’s January. No Valentine’s Day, no St. Paddy’s Day, not even an ‘it’s almost spring’ day. If I am able to get out of my driveway, wear nice pants and decent shoes, it’s a miracle. And if there is a waiter or a bartender, I would feel badly not giving them the challenge of my drink order.
5. My girls’ birthdays are in January. We always celebrate together. Ok, I can hear all of you judgy people — you can’t drink with your kids! Well they are 24 and yes, I can. I haven’t been blotto since I was in college and I don’t plan on it ever again. Nothing fun about that. I just want to clink a glass of champagne in honor of my birthing two babies at once.
6. Why can’t we move it to September? I am game for giving it a try after a fun summer of rosé and toes in the sand. Kids are going back to school, we have days that still feel like summer and I’m basking in the glow of the beautiful late summer light. This isn’t really a reason, more like a question. Can we take it to a vote?
7. I’m not big on deprivation. I’ve been there and done that in my life. It never works. Taking something away means I replace it with another vice of sorts.  I am afraid that I would plow through 20 bags of Cool Ranch Doritos if you told me I couldn’t have a drink.
8. I workout so I can eat and drink. I go to the gym 12 months a year, not just on January 1. I put in the time and the effort. I am strong and, despite the fun rollercoaster of menopause and a few cranky body issues, I still feel good from my later-in-life athletic accomplishments.  Eating a burger and drinking a beer is a my kind of reward. Not for everyone I know, but it makes me happy.
9. Everything is OK in moderation. As long as we all drink responsibly and don’t get behind the wheel of a car, there is no need to cut joy out of our lives. If you are looking for me twenty Januarys from now, I will be at the bar.

Tell me your thoughts. Do you “Dry January”? Maybe you can convince me that it is a good idea.

Mimi Golub

Mimi L. Golub is the Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Living the Second Act, an online magazine for women in their 40s and 50s who are seeking the truth. Mimi has written for numerous publications including The Huffington Post. She is the author of the someday-to-be-published novel, Boxed In. Mimi is also the writer and a staff editor of From Our Kitchens, a nonprofit cookbook that was released in 2018. In her spare time, Mimi loves to workout, drink tequila, and volunteer with many local causes. She lives in Newton, MA, with her husband and has twin girls who have left the nest. You can find her former work on: tequilainbed.com

Follow Mimi on Twitter @mimigolub