We asked Millie Gooch (founder of Sober Girl Society) to give us some tips for Dry January, to go along with our brand new cocktail-inspired blends, which we launched to celebrate the month!
Have a read below to see her tips & tricks for a sober curious January to remember:
How to make January a little less dry & not feel like a punishment!
January is apparently the month you’re supposed to get yourself together. Gym more. Spend less. Be healthier. Fix everything you didn’t quite manage to sort out last year (a lot then). Dry January often gets pulled into that same energy, something you commit to seriously, endure stoically, and tick off at the end.
When you frame something like Dry January or sobriety as something to get through, it naturally feels restrictive. If you go into it believing you’re depriving yourself, missing out, or putting your life on pause for a month, then chances are you probably will hate it. You’re already braced for boredom. You’re already waiting for it to be over.
I’ve learned, both personally and through years of running Sober Girl Society, that the way Dry January feels has actually very little to do with alcohol itself and way more to do with how you treat yourself while you’re not drinking. The same month can either feel flat and punishing or surprisingly nice and enjoyable, depending on what you put in its place.
So, here are my tips for making it more like the latter!
Make your evenings more intentional
January evenings can feel particularly long when you’re not drinking and suddenly very aware of time passing. Without a glass of wine to signal the end of the day, the hours can stretch, and it’s easy to let them blur into scrolling or early nights that don’t actually feel restful. What helps is giving your evenings a bit of intention, something to anchor the night.
A film you’ve been meaning to watch, a recipe you saved six months ago, a proper conversation with someone you love. When there’s something small to look forward to, the evening stops feeling like something to get through and starts feeling like part of the day you actually get to enjoy.
Glow up your cup
Drinks play a bigger role in this than we sometimes realise, not because alcohol itself is special, but because ritual is. The glass you choose, the way you make the drink, the pause before you sit down with it. All of that matters. There are so many genuinely exciting alcohol-free options now, and even tea has had a bit of a glow-up.
We’ve been loving the Bird & Blend Spicy Marg tea. It’s a green tea with warmth and heat, the kind of flavour that feels grown-up and intentional. Brew it in water with a slice of lime, add tonic if you fancy it, salt rim optional.
Decide on your prize
Another thing that can really shift how January feels is deciding on something tangible to look forward to. Not as a reward for being “good”, but as something that builds anticipation. Maybe it’s the bag you’ve had saved in your basket for months. Maybe it’s booking a night at a restaurant you’ve been eyeing up. Let yourself think about it, plan it, imagine how it’ll feel.
Having something real to look forward to is a reminder that joy doesn’t disappear just because alcohol does. Sometimes your excitement just needs a new direction – maybe that direction is a new obsession with tea.
Have a happiness hour
Not every day, and not another habit to maintain, just one hour in the week that’s yours. An hour where you switch off from productivity, pressure and proving anything to anyone. You put on your comfort show, get into your comfiest clothes, line up the snacks you actually enjoy, and let yourself rest properly.
Make yourself a really nice alcohol-free drink while you’re at it. We love the Appy Spritz from Bird & Blend, a refreshing rooibos blended with a little Sri Lankan black tea. Cold brew it in tonic water with a slice of orange, and it genuinely feels like a treat.
Make fun, fun again
One of the quieter fears people have about not drinking is that life will feel flatter, less spontaneous, less exciting. But January is low pressure. No one expects you to be out all the time or doing anything particularly impressive. That makes it a great moment to try something new without needing it to become a whole identity. A class you’ve always been curious about, a creative hobby you dropped years ago, something physical, something silly, something you’re not very good at yet.
When alcohol is taken out of the picture, you often get time and energy back. The question becomes where you want to put it.
A final note
None of this has to be perfect. You don’t have to love every day of January. You don’t have to turn Dry January into a self-improvement project. You’re allowed to have quiet days, boring days, slightly wobbly days. But you’re also allowed to make the month feel a bit kinder, a bit more intentional and much less of a bore!
- Millie
Check out Sober Girl Society on socials @sobergirlsociety, & be sure to tag us in all your alcohol free creations @birdandblendtea - happy sipping!
