6 Dry July Tips: Make Dry July 2021 Your Best Yet

Saying Sayonara to drinking this Dry July? Great decision!

What is Dry July? In case you’re new to non-alcoholic drinks or Dry July in general – as the name implies – every year in July, brave people just like you take the leap to quit alcohol for the 31 days of July.

The cause behind the movement of going alcohol-free in July is to raise funds for people affected by cancer.

Dry July Half Marathon or 10k

With that out of the way, Dry July is truly a month to break free from ‘the way we’ve always done it’. With a month off alcohol, you’re going to land all of the physical and mental health benefits!

If you have decided to take the leap this year, I have great news. It doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun. With so many non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy, you can still be part of the crew that’s always with you in the bar.

I have shared a few dry July tips that will help you make it through successfully.

Your 6 Dry July Tips

Start From Stress Relief

We have all been there, it’s been a tough day at work and now that you’re back home all you want to do is reach for a glass of wine. So it’s safe to say that our favourite drinks (be it beer, wine or delicious cocktails) are a common way to unwind.

But you’re Dry July’ing and you’ve come so far, so how about we look at another way that doesn’t leave you with the dusty post wine feelings the next day?

If alcohol is a way to relieve stress for you, then finding alternative ways is essential.

Look this might sound cliche, but honestly, there is seriously nothing better than exercise to reduce stress hormones. It works for a reason!

Couple cooking in kitchen for dry july

You can add the following to your stress relief program while abstaining from alcohol throughout July:

Now you’re not sleeping off last night’s wine, get up that tiny bit earlier and go for a run.
Meditate early in the morning or after work (I’m a huge fan of the Calm app).
If you can spare some extra time, treat yo’self and get a massage.
Get your Kindle or audible app out and read a good book every day at a dedicated time;
Get to a yoga or pilates class in person or Online – Check out threepointyoga.com.au for some great online resources (gents you’ll love the benefits of yoga too).
Sunday. Morning. Hikes. Get out and spend some time amongst the trees!

Want to know how leaving behind alcohol can improve your health? Check out the blog I wrote about the health benefits of leaving alcohol behind.

Be Ready For Challenging Days With A Strategy

Many people want to get around Dry July, but going cold turkey for a whole month can be insanely challenging. There’s no denying that maintaining a month of sobriety can be difficult. But if you add in the crazy that is the in and out of COVID impacted life Dry July 2021 becomes a minefield.

As Australians we are habitual drinkers and going cold turkey, the urge to ‘meet us at the pub for dinner’ will inevitably arise. There will no doubt be times when the Dry July challenge will leave you explaining a concept more difficult than quantum physics to your mates around a dinner table. But you’re not a quitter you’ve 100% got this!

Interestingly, you’ve got this because it is not as much about your willpower as it’s about accepting and managing the fact that you can’t program yourself to totally avoid wanting a beer or wine.

So rather than trying to prevent cravings, I’ve set out a bit of a strategy for these moments.

Try the following mindfulness strategies:

Recognize the urge as a thought.
Accept the urge and let it be there, knowing you’re just reverting back to habit!
Sub in a different habit, grab a piece of fruit (aka chocolate or ice cream).
Notice how the urges eventually subside.
Take the time to celebrate the wins daily and recommit to your Dry July 2021 challenge.

With these mindfulness strategies, you’ll be unstoppable!

Rock Climb Dry July

Get A Friend To Accompany You On This Journey

It must be so so tempting to bail on and quit the Dry July challenge when ‘next Thursday’ happens! But we’ve already established, you’re not a quitter.

The easiest way to stick it out the whole month is to rope an unwitting accomplice in!

But on a more serious note, if you have company on the journey and are able to get a friend involved, the likelihood of making the month:

enjoyable;
discovery packed; and
enjoyable

skyrocket. Plus new ventures, adventures and experiences are always best shared!

Road Trip adventures

Drink Non-Alcoholic Drinks: What to drink

One of the best dry July tips to get through the month successfully is enjoying all the non-alcoholic drinks the world has to offer. Okay maybe not the wold but you get the drift. Go for it. They are alcohol free (and low calorie) afterall.

While lacking in alcohol, you can get absolutely delicious cocktails, champagne, spirits and beers delivered to you, in supermarkets (see even woolies have them) and in many bars.

On the bar front, there are even some exclusively dedicated to only serving non-alcoholic drinks.

Like I touch on in blog #3, Non-alcoholic drinks can really provide you with the sense of engagement and connection with people that a glass of soda water with a slice of lime can’t.

Apart from soda water and lime, there are a lot more non-alcoholic drinks you can enjoy like:

Spirits: Brunswick Aces, Clovendoe, Gnista, Lyre’s and Palermo.
Beer: Heaps Normal, UpFlow Brewing, Australian Sports Brewing Co., Sobah, NORT.
Wine: Thomson and Scott, Newblood, Giesen, Plus and Minus, Barton & Guestier.

An important aspect of drinking is socialising with your friends. Thanks to the latest and greatest non-alcoholic drinks like those mentioned above, each and every Sober October Dry January or Dry July 2022, 2023 or even 2033, will be sociable and inclusive!

Find your favourite brands on our website to find a drink you’ll absolutely love.

boating activities for non-alcoholic activity

Try Two New Recipes Per Week

Engaging in a fun and exciting activity like cooking is a great dry July tip to get through with fewer challenges. Take dry July 2021 as an opportunity to learn something like cooking. It can be a great skill to learn while also helping you stay healthy by eating fresh and healthy meals.

Once you have mastered a new and delicious favourite dish—prepare it for other people —and:

have some quality time with friends and family ;
let them do the dishes; and
you cooked, so have them bring you your favourite zero alcohol drinks.

To keep yourself on the path to being a master chef, try to cook two new recipes every week. You never know, your zero alcohol month might just lead you to a new interest or passion that you never knew you had.

If you have always wanted to take hold of your kitchen and cook healthy meals for you every day, there can’t be a better time to start cooking than dry July.

boating activities for non-alcoholic activity

Get Real & Ditch “Fake It Till You Make It”

Thanks to the rise of some quality, delicious, and, well, “real” zero alcohol alternatives you can leave the “fake it till you make it” approach at the door.

Having a soda water and lime, sweet malty beers, and sugar-filled cocktails as your main alcohol-free drinks is a thing of the past. Today, you have plenty of access to non-alcoholic drinks available.

You can recreate your favourite cocktails, pick up some quality sparkling and beer delivered right to your door from a wide range of retailers like:

Final Thoughts

If you’re the only one in your social circle who’s on a dry July challenge and everyone else around is still ‘doing it the way it’s always been done’, it can get challenging to stay the course.

But if you:

Get the right mindset
Follow my dry July tips:
Find out what drinks you’ll love on the website: and
connect with people who share your goals

You’ll be through July in no time and who knows, you might even make it through to Sober October!

Jonathan

Dry July Wellness#6 Dry July Survival Tips (2021)