There are plenty of practical things you can try to help you feel more prepared for your dry challenge. Take a look and see if there are any you think might be useful:

• Remove booze out of house before your challenge begins. This is a simple but effective action you can take to help you start off on the right foot and remove extra temptation. And if you’re worried about waste, you could always regift unopened bottles to someone in your life who you feel would appreciate them. 
• Stock up on alcohol free drinks. The alcohol-free sector is well and truly booming and there’s now a plethora of alternative options out there if you fancy experimenting. Pro tip: sign up for the Dry January® challenge daily emails for exclusive perks and discounts from our partners, including some really excellent alcohol-free drinks suppliers. Winner! 
• Try some caffeine-free teas or coffees for a new evening ritual. Could you take a punt and pick up a few more ‘exotic’ hot drinks next time you’re at the supermarket? If you’re usually an evening drinker, why not carve out a bit of time to try out your posh new beverage and make it feel special to help distract you from thoughts of wanting to drink. 
• Listen, watch or read a variety of ‘quit lit’ style materials to find what works for you. You might want to start this ahead of your dry month to give you time to practice carrying out any strategies you come across to give yourself the best chance. 
• Keep yourself busy in your downtime by picking up a new (or old) hobby. If you’re looking for something active to get stuck into, why not try out a new sport? And if you’re trying to keep the costs down while you explore some new activities, there are some fantastic schemes connecting sports facilities and clubs in your local area offering free activity and wellness sessions on a trial basis such as the ClassPass app. With a month’s free trial available, it might just be the perfect thing to get you started this Dry January® challenge. 
• Stock up on some good books or your favourite games. If reading or gaming is your thing, no explanation needed for this one! Both are also great ways to spend a long, dark winter night immersed in a different world of your choosing – sounds pretty nice to us!

Read the full preparation checklist for the Dry January challenge 2026