How to take a break from alcohol, any time of year

Choose your length

• 3 days: a quick reset after a busy weekend or holiday.
• 7 days: long enough to notice changes in sleep. Try our 7-day challenge.
• 14 days: long enough to break a daily habit.
• 30 days: the classic dry month, and a good way to see your drinking clearly.

Pick a length you’re fairly sure you can finish. You can always extend it.

Pick a start date

Choose a stretch without a wedding or stag weekend in the middle. Monday starts are popular, but a Friday start gets the hardest day out of the way first.

Plan the tricky moments

• After work: swap the drink for a walk, a shower or a favorite alcohol-free drink.
• Social plans: have a line ready. Our social life guide has scripts.
• Stress: list two or three things that help you unwind.
• Boredom: plan something for your usual drinking evenings.

If you slip

Carry on the next day. You don’t lose the days you already did. Read what to do after a slip.

When it ends

Before your last day, decide what you want next: back to how things were, drinking less, or another break. Many people keep a few drink-free days a week.

The seasonal options

If a shared challenge helps, join one: Dry January, Dry July or Sober October. See all of them in our challenge calendar.

Dry Quest is not medical advice or addiction treatment. If you’re worried about your drinking, the free AUDIT screener takes two minutes, and NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking has practical tools. In the US, the SAMHSA National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7: 1-800-662-4357. If you drink heavily every day, talk to a doctor before stopping suddenly, because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous.

Quick answers