If you told yourself you were doing Dry January and now you’re not… pause right there.

This isn’t a call-out. It’s not a failure check.

It’s just an invitation to get curious, because you’re not alone.

About two weeks into the new year is when a lot of goals start to wobble. The motivation fades, real life creeps back in, and the promise you made to yourself begins to feel heavier than you expected.

So the question isn’t “Why couldn’t I stick to it?”
The more helpful question is… why was it harder than I thought it would be?

Why Is a Month Without Alcohol So Tricky?

On the surface, Dry January sounds simple.

It’s temporary.
It has an end date.
Plenty of people are doing it.

And yet–something about it can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Was it the habit itself? The social situations? The stress relief you didn’t realize alcohol was providing? The quiet moments at the end of the day?

Or maybe it wasn’t even about the alcohol at all, but about what showed up in its absence.

What Happened Right Before You Crossed the Line You Set?

Think back to the moment before you decided to have a drink. What was going on right before that?

A stressful day?
A social situation?
A feeling you didn’t want to sit with?
A thought like, “I deserve this,” or “It’s not a big deal”?

What did you tell yourself that made it feel okay to move past the boundary you had set just days earlier? Don’t judge these thoughts, but try to understand it. Those thoughts are important.

Is This Pattern or a One-Off?

Another gentle question worth asking: When you set goals for yourself (especially around habits or boundaries), do you usually follow through? Or is it common for intentions to fade once the discomfort kicks in?

Again, this isn’t about discipline or willpower. It’s about noticing patterns.

Sometimes Dry January isn’t about alcohol at all—it’s about how we respond when something feels restrictive, uncomfortable, or emotionally challenging.

What Did Alcohol Help You Avoid in That Moment?

For many people, alcohol isn’t the reward—it’s the relief. Whether that’s relief from:

Stress
Awkwardness
Loneliness
Boredom
Feeling overwhelmed
Emotional heaviness

If alcohol was helping you cope with something specific, that’s useful information. It tells you where support, skills, or compassion might be missing.

What If This Isn’t Failure, But Feedback?

Falling off Dry January doesn’t mean you “can’t do hard things.” It means something got activated.

Something worth paying attention to.

And if you slow down long enough to listen, there’s insight there—about your habits, your stress, your boundaries, and your relationship with alcohol.

If This Is Bringing Up Questions—I’ve Got You

If Dry January didn’t go the way you planned…

If you’re wondering why it felt harder than expected…

If you’re curious about your relationship with alcohol but not sure what to do next…

You don’t have to figure it out on your own.

As a Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor, I offer free consultations where we can talk through what came up, explore patterns without judgment, and figure out what support might look like—no pressure, no labels.

Sometimes the most helpful step isn’t starting over. It’s getting curious about what happened.

If you’re ready to have that conversation, I’m here.

Sincerely,

Morgan Brown, CADC-I

Still Doing Dry January… or Did It Get Complicated?