Ten Tips for Mindful Drinking 2025

For Dry January and Beyond, by Hillary Sheinbaum

Hilary Sheinbaum - Enjoying Giesen 0%

The Holiday season has come and gone and everyone is ready for a New Year that feels more cheerful and promising, filled with wellness and happiness. It’s the perfect time for Dry January – a global movement that focuses on experiencing the personal challenge and proven benefits of mindful drinking choices.

Trend journalist and author of The Dry Challenge, Hilary Sheinbaum, has joined forces with our Giesen 0% range to make your Dry January journey rewarding, rejuvenating and reflective with ten “Top Tips for Dry January”.

Curious about trying “dry”? Take a look at Hilary’s tips for fun, inspiring ways to lose the booze for Dry January or any other alcohol-free occasion.”

Hilary's Top Tips for Dry January

1. Build Out an N.A. Activity Calendar — Keep your schedule (and your drinking hands) busy! Rather than opting for a beer after work, instead proactively plan your nights and weekends so you can participate in things you love to do, whether that’s yoga, an art class, team sports, reading more books or something else entirely!
   

2. Recruit a Friend, or at Least A Support System — There’s strength in numbers! You can make a bet with a friend to see who can go 31 days without alcohol (I did!) or team up with a friend so you can support each other during the highs (not drinking) and the lows (venting about not drinking).
   

3. Drink N.A. Bevs — Swap the alcoholic version of your favorite wines with Giesen 0% varieties! Their popular non-alcoholic range, including white, red, and rosé styles, offers mindful wine drinkers a lower-calorie, non-alcoholic option to match healthy lifestyles. This way, you can participate in Dry January and eliminate alcohol for the month without giving up wine.
   

4. Take Note (And Notes) On How You Feel — Motivation can come in all shapes and sizes, but seeing hard data can show you a major difference. Write down how you are feeling on Day 1 (coming off of the boozy holiday season), and check in once a week (or daily, if you’d like). Keep a record of how many hours of sleep you’re getting, your mood, how many hangovers you’re enduring (read: zero) and see how your month evolves without alcohol.
   

5. Store Your Booze — You don’t necessarily have to pour your alcohol down the drain but leaving bottles in plain sight can serve as a reminder that wine, beer, spirits and cocktails are readily available. With that, stashing booze away can certainly help! Out of sight, out of mind.
   

6. Satisfy Sweet Cravings with Mindful Choices — — When you reduce your alcohol consumption, you might start craving the sugar in your favorite drinks. To keep things in balance, open a bottle of Giesen 0%, like New Zealand Riesling, which delivers a satisfying, fruit-forward N.A. option at only 33 calories per 5 oz and no added sugar (compared to 110+ calories for full-strength wine). And go ahead, treat yourself to quality snacks like dark chocolate morsels, dry fruits, or salted caramel popcorn.

7. Plan Out Your Nights — If/when you do decide to partake in activities where alcohol is present, think through how your night will go! If you're headed to a party, practice ordering a nonalcoholic drink (or bring your own to gift the host/ess and drink yourself). You can also rehearse saying “no thank you” to alcoholic beverages, in your own way.

8. Be Kind To Yourself — Giving up alcohol for any amount of time is hard! Alcohol is embedded in so much of what we do: celebrations, grief, boredom, entertaining — the list goes on! So, don’t be too hard on yourself. Of course, if you are struggling, please speak with your doctor.

9. Build in a 1-Drink January — Dry January isn’t about being perfect, it’s about reducing your alcohol consumption and seeing how it changes your day-to-day life. That said, if you have a big celebration, a wedding, or a bad day and you happen to drink (or plan on it), just pick up where you left off and continue on with the rest of your month: dry!

10. Promise Yourself a Reward At The End— After going a month without booze, you can celebrate however you choose. Perhaps you’ve been eyeing a pair of shoes, a meal at a special restaurant or a vacation. Go for it! You deserve to treat yourself.

Hilary Sheinbaum is the author of “The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month” and can be found on Instagram at @Hilarywritesny.