5 small changes that make Dry January easier

By Simon Poulin, CEO & Co-Founder Upside Drinks

If you’re doing Dry January, or simply trying to drink less alcohol this month, here’s something worth remembering: you don’t need to change everything at once.

Many people struggle with Dry January not because they lack willpower, but because they try to overhaul their routines, social habits, and ways to relax all at the same time. Doing all of that in the middle of winter can feel overwhelming.

That’s a lot to ask of anyone.

What actually helps is much simpler. Small changes. Not dramatic ones. Just small, realistic shifts that make drinking less feel easier to stick with.

Here are five that genuinely help.

1. Keep the ritual, change the drink

For many people, it’s not the alcohol they miss, it’s the ritual around it. The glass in your hand. The pause after a long day. The transition into the evening.

Keeping that ritual matters. Swapping the drink doesn’t mean losing the experience. This is where non-alcoholic options can make a real difference. A non-alcoholic wine, beer, or mocktail can still create a sense of occasion, without feeling like you’re just “drinking nothing.”

You’re not giving something up. You’re keeping the part that actually matters.

2. Decide before the moment

Decision fatigue is real, especially at the end of the day when you’re tired and hungry.

One small change that helps is deciding ahead of time what your evenings will look like. Not rigidly, just gently. If you’re home, you might choose a non-alcoholic beer. If you’re out, you might order a mocktail or alcohol-free cocktail.

When the moment arrives, the decision is already made. That alone can make drinking less feel much lighter.

3. Change what’s within reach

This one sounds simple, but it’s powerful.

If alcohol is the easiest thing to grab in your fridge or cupboard, that’s usually what you’ll reach for on autopilot. Making non-alcoholic drinks visible and easy to access changes behavior without relying on discipline.

Stocking your fridge with alcohol-free options you actually enjoy makes the choice feel natural, not forced. It’s less about willpower and more about environment.

4. Reduce frequency before quantity

You don’t need to think in terms of forever, or even the entire month of January.

Sometimes it’s enough to focus on fewer drinking days, clearer boundaries, or more intentional choices. Replacing a few usual drinks with non-alcoholic alternatives during the week can already shift how you feel, without the pressure of cutting everything out.

Instead of asking, can I do all of January, try asking what feels manageable this week. Momentum builds confidence, and confidence builds change.

5. Let good enough be enough

This might be the most important change of all.

Dry January isn’t a test. It’s not something you pass or fail.

If you drink less alcohol than usual, that counts. If you swap a few drinks for non-alcoholic alternatives, that matters. If you pause and make a different choice even once, that’s progress.

You don’t need to apply all five of these changes. One is enough to start shifting habits.

Dry January doesn’t have to be extreme to be meaningful. Sometimes, the smallest changes are the ones that last the longest.

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Simon Poulin, CEO & Co-Founder Upside Drinks