The One-Week Method Is Your First Step To Trying A Sober-Curious Lifestyle

Every January, a percentage of the population decides to give Dry January a try. It's figuratively dry, in that it's a month when people stop consuming alcohol, and as many successes as there are, the same amount of people can't make it through the first weekend. The whole concept isn't just to give your body and mind a reboot after the alcohol-laden holidays, but to start the year off on a new foot.

Because our culture is so tied to drinking as a means of socializing, even those who aren't big drinkers struggle to make it through the month without a glass of alcohol. It's for these people that the sober-curious lifestyle has seemed out of touch — but not anymore. Created by TikToker Bridget Stangland, the One Week Method is where you take one week off of drinking every month. As Stangland explains in her video, at the end of the year, you've actually gone a total of three months without drinking, and that's pretty darn impressive.

While there's something to be said for those who can jump right in and go a full month without a drop of alcohol, as Stangland points out in her video, it's not always easy to do for a variety of reasons. But if you've been curious about sobriety, either for the short term or long term, the One Week Method is a great place to start.

Although people love to make big changes in January because it's the beginning of the year, you don't have to wait until January to do the One Week Method. Instead, choose any week during a month that's going to work with your schedule — meaning you have fewer temptations from social obligations — and commit to it. If you accidentally have a drink, don't fret; just pick up where you left off the following day while still aiming to hit seven days in a row alcohol-free.

"Sometimes I go longer each month, sometimes I just do the one week," said Stangland in the video. "It all really depends on how I'm feeling and things that are happening in my life... it's worked so well for me in creating and implementing a new habit that's healthy for me." What ultimately drove Stangland to stick to the One Week Method is how great it made her feel and how that pushed her to "chase the good feelings".

According to the World Health Organization, alcohol is a "toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen" and no amount is actually safe to drink. So eliminating something so poisonous from our lives is, in itself, worth giving the One Week Method a try. But there are more immediately palpable benefits too, as Stangland pointed out in her video, healthier looking skin, less brain fog, better sleep, and being able to function at 100% on Monday morning. 

"The biggest benefit of doing a challenge like this is the ability to see your life without alcohol and notice tangible, positive outcomes from the effort you put in," therapist Stephanie Garrison, LPC told Glamour. "You may notice yourself being more present with loved ones, more energized in the mornings, and overall less anxious, especially when you're not experiencing hangovers." 

While Stangland's method is something worth considering for those who want to cut down on their alcohol intake, she does say in her video that it's not for those with substance abuse problems. Instead, it's a glimpse into what reality can be like when you don't have cocktails, beer, and wine pumping through your veins during every social occasion you attend. It may be a bit weird at first and you might feel a little out of place but, like anything, you'll get used to it in time — and your body will be grateful when you do.