Whether you’re thrilled with your new-found energy, svelte physique and bulging wallet, or still having trouble seeing the benefits, this month will have made you think about your drinking - so where do you go from here?

First of all, it’s worth making a list with the pros and cons of drinking. Is there any way you can get some of the pros without the cons? Having had a month off, you’ll be able to think this through much more clearly. Remember to be honest – this list is for you alone, and you don’t have to share it with anyone else if you don’t want to.

Once you’ve got your list, have a think about what you want to do now. Pick from the list below and have a read of the tips.

I want to stay dry beyond January

You’ve done a month and you’re feeling great, so now you’re considering keeping it up for longer. Go you! Whether you’re going to do 100 days, three months, a whole year dry or the foreseeable future, here are some tips to help you on your way:

• Whatever you were doing in January to stay alcohol free, keep doing it! You’ve probably got your drink refusal skills down to a T, you’ve got your favourite go-to alcohol-free drink and you know how to have a good time sober. Keep doing what works for you!
• Don’t think about forever. Plan your sober periods a week or a month at a time. Small chunks are more manageable. It might also help to think about your sobriety as something which you can always change – you’re not sober forever, you just don’t drink right now. You can change that whenever you feel like it.
• Find some support. Whether that’s through reading ‘quit-lit’ or joining one of the sober communities out there (we have a Facebook group called Dry January and Beyond, for people who want to go alcohol-free or moderate long-term!), make sure you’ve got sources of inspiration and motivation to keep going.
• Ask your nearest and dearest to help keep you on track. Sharing your decision can really help you to maintain your focus on why you want to make this change, and it’ll be so much easier with friends and family around to support you.
• If you’re struggling, talk to your GP. They will be able to put you in touch with your local alcohol support service who can offer you a few weeks of support to help you get your strategy in place.
• Download the app. You can use our Try Dry app beyond January to set your own custom goals, track your drinking, measure savings and more.

Emma continued her Dry January into February out of pure curiosity. She writes: "I didn’t intend to do it for longer than a month (as longer than that scared the living hell out of me!) but I thought I would see what would happen if I kept going." Since then she has seen some wonderful benefits.

I want to drink less, but not stop completely

You’d like to drink again but not at the levels you were drinking before your dry month. If you’d like to set the bar (geddit?) a little lower, having had a month off will definitely help! Here’s some advice to get you started:

• Keep track. This way you’ll be able to see if your drinking is creeping up. You can keep a physical diary or use the Try Dry app.
• Plan how much you want to drink. It’s a good idea to work out how many units you were drinking before Dry January and how many you’d like to be drinking now. Our drinking quiz and unit calculator tools can help you with this, plus you can set your own custom goals in the Try Dry app.
• Take your time. After a month off you can’t jump straight back in. Decide on how much you’d like to be drinking and work your way up to that level by adding one or two drinks every week.
• Come up with strategies. Moderation can be harder than being completely dry, so it’s worth having some strategies in place for how you’ll stick to your plan. For example, if you go to the pub every Thursday, think about how you could limit the amount you drink there. If you’re prone to a weekend binge, think about how you could have a little less. Practice saying no, and don’t be afraid to stick to your plan.
• Join our friendly, supportive Facebook group for inspiration and ideas: the Dry January Community Group and the Dry January and Beyond group are both there to help you. The former is for anyone who has taken part in Dry January – the group is active year-round, and is a space for people to share their tips and experiences. The Dry January and Beyond group is for people who are hoping to moderate or go alcohol-free in the long-term and want support specifically with that goal in mind.
• Only drink what you enjoy! Think about the drinks you have because you actually want and enjoy them, and those you just drink because they’re there or out of habit. The latter are the best drinks to cut out – and you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes.
• Try out some no or low alcohol products. There are new alcohol-free alternatives appearing constantly, and they’re getting better and better!
• Ask your nearest and dearest to help keep you on track. Sharing your decision can really help you to maintain your focus on why you want to make this change, and it’ll be so much easier with friends and family around to support you.
• If you’re struggling to cut back, talk to your GP. They will be able to put you in touch with your local alcohol support service who can offer you a few weeks of support to help you get your strategy in place.

Don's Dry January gave him a chance to reflect on his drinking. He still drinks, but less than before. "It helps to become mindful of what I’m consuming." 

I want to go back to how I was drinking before

You want to go back to how you were drinking before your month off. Your brain may be saying, “Let’s go out and have a few drinks!” – but your body has just got used to being booze-free. When you start to drink again, your tolerance (how much alcohol you can drink without becoming drunk/ill/hungover) will be reduced, so bear this in mind for February.

Here are a few tips to help you through February and beyond:

• Work your way up to how much you want to be drinking, slowly. Getting straight back to your old drinking level will not do you any favours and will probably lead to a hangover from hell spanning multiple days – take it from us.
• It’s OK to say no every once in a while. Don’t just drink because it’s there: drink because you want to!
• Plan a soft drink between every alcoholic one at first. This will slow you down, stopping you going overboard, and will help with the hangover the next day.
• Work out how much you drink and check it’s healthy. To find out how much you drink, pour yourself a ‘normal’ glass and then tip it into a measuring jug. You can then use our unit calculator to work out how many units that is! Use our drinking quiz to make sure you’re not putting yourself at risk.
• Use the app to keep track of your drinking! We can often drink more than we think we are or really mean to, and the Try Dry app can be a useful way to keep tabs year-round. You can also set your own custom goals for how much you would like to drink and how often. If you haven’t yet, download it here.