The Dry January® challenge blog

Read stories, hints and tips, alcohol-free reviews and lots more, helping you reset your relationship with alcohol at the start of the year and beyond.

Understanding the 4Ds strategy

Are you familiar with the 4Ds strategy?

Understanding the 4Ds strategy

Are you familiar with the 4Ds strategy?
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Lynn's story*: “My anxiety is much reduced, I feel healthy, and I sleep well”

May 2025 | 9 minutes

Since going alcohol-free 3 years ago, Lynn feels free and has got her life back.
A woman with long, straight hair crossing her arms and wearing a white jacket smiles broadly.
Sober Spring Week 8: Dealing with setbacks and unexpected news without alcohol

Lauren White | May 2025 | 10 minutes

Alcohol Change UK Ambassador, Lauren White, stopped drinking at the age of eighteen after struggling with alcohol and drugs during her adolescent years.
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Setbacks, and how to deal with them

Lauren Booker | May 2025 | 11 minutes

Somewhere along your alcohol-free journey you might face a setback – you've had a drink and aren’t sure what to do next.
Three pint glasses on an outdoor table being held by hands.
Drinking and mental health: does it really help?

Andy Boysan | May 2025 | 11 minutes

In this blog, pharmacist Andy Boysan discusses the effect of alcohol on our mental health, including its association with relieving stress and its impact on anxiety and depression.
A man with a boy on his shoulders wearing a football shirt stand outside a football stadium.
Sober Spring Week 7: How to take part in activities or events without alcohol

Jay Motty | May 2025 | 12 minutes

Alcohol Change UK Ambassador, Jay Motty, struggled with his drinking, but after several attempts managed to stop.
Hands In The Air
Going out, without the alcohol

Catherine Gray | April 2025 | 12 minutes

You have to be drinking to enjoy going out - right?
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40 things to do with a bit of extra time

Annie Grace | April 2025 | 12 minutes

Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment, shares 40 things to do with that extra time you gain when you cut out the booze.
Two men wearing suits standing in front of an intricately patterned background smile and gesticulate.
Sober Spring Week 6: What if people close to you still drink?

By two thirty-somethings who completed the sesh | April 2025 | 13 minutes

Alcohol Change UK Ambassadors and They Think It’s All Sober podcast hosts Tom and Jamie talk to us about their experiences of being alcohol-free when others they’re close to still drink.
A group of women laugh and smile together as they drink tea in a sunny garden
Top tips on navigating a family gathering alcohol free

April 2025 | 11 minutes

If you’re trying to cut back on or cut out alcohol but come from a family with a heavy drinking culture, navigating family events alcohol-free can be really challenging.
A man stands with his arms folded, grinning broadly, on a busy street where people sit outside at a restaurant.
Sober Spring Week 5: What if I don’t have an off switch when it comes to alcohol?

Scott Pearson | April 2025 | 11 minutes

Alcohol Change UK Ambassador and Proud and Sober Community founder, Scott Pearson, is passionate about making safe and inclusive spaces for those who are alcohol-free in the LGBTQ+ community.
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Can’t you just have one?

Bex Sutton | April 2025 | 12 minutes

Back in her drinking days, Bex always found it hard to have just one.
A man with cropped brown hair smiles at the camera in a homely environment.
Sober Spring Week 4: What if being a drinker is part of my identity?

Michael Sargood | April 2025 | 11 minutes

Alcohol Change UK Ambassador, Michael Sargood, takes us into week four of Sober Spring.