Is Going Dry in July Actually Worth It?
You’re not doing this for martyrdom.
You’re doing it because part of you wants to feel different. Sharper. Calmer. Less like a hot mess with a loyalty card at the liquor store.
But is it worth it? Like, for realsies?
Here’s the real scoop on what happens when you go dry for a month—and why it’s way more than just a test of willpower. It’s a nervous system love letter. A liver vacation. A choose-your-own-alternate-reality moment.
1. You Sleep Like a Sober Baby
Even one or two drinks mess with your REM cycles. Without alcohol disrupting your system, you might:
Fall asleep faster
Wake up fewer times during the night
Dream more vividly (sometimes weirdly—but hey, it’s a sign your brain’s cleaning house)
You’ll start noticing that the 3pm slump fades… and mornings feel a bit more doable.
2. Your Body Stops Playing Defence
Alcohol is sneaky stress.
It taxes your liver, mucks with hormones, and leaves your gut lining wondering what it did to deserve this.
Going dry gives your body room to:
Reduce inflammation
Balance cortisol levels
Digest and detox like it was designed to
You might even lose a bit of bloat—or at least stop waking up with a tongue like sandpaper.
3. You Get Your Brain Back
Ever feel like your thoughts are buffering? That’s booze.
After a few days alcohol-free, your cognitive function starts returning to factory settings:
Sharper focus
Quicker decision-making
Emotional regulation without the rollercoaster
Bonus: your confidence builds when you realise you don’t need a drink to have a good time (or say the thing).
4. You Save More Than Just Your Liver
Drinks are expensive. Cabs home, snacks, regrettable online purchases made at 2am—also expensive.
Going dry gives you back:
Your weekends
Your cash
Your dignity when you bump into your bar tab from last month
Put the savings towards something trippy-but-true: a massage, a plant, or the good glassware.
5. You Build a New Baseline
This might be the biggest one:
You start to realise how good you can actually feel when you’re not in recovery mode all the time.
You learn:
Which events energise you sober
What kind of rest you really need
Who you still vibe with when the lights are on and the music’s low
Dry July isn’t about becoming a teetotaller. It’s about tasting a moment of clarity—and deciding what stays.
TL;DR
Better sleep, clearer skin, sharper thoughts—yes, yes, and yes
Your body does a happy little reset
Your brain catches up with your life
Your wallet sighs in relief
You realise you’re kind of magic without the mixer
Blow your mind — not your liver.
