Dry January: Reflecting on Alcohol, Stress, and “Wine Mom” Culture

January 8, 2026

Written By: Betsy Aniol, Crescent Moon Advanced Clinical Intern, and Jenny White, Clinical Manager

Each new year brings an opportunity for reflection and change. For some, this shows up as formal New Year’s resolutions; for others, it’s more of a quieter, internal setting of intentions for the year ahead. In recent years, there’s been a trend to kick off the new year with a month of sobriety – often referred to as “Dry January.”

Dry January was launched as an official campaign by Alcohol Change UK in 2012 with the hopes of encouraging people to re-evaluate their relationship to alcohol by abstaining from any alcoholic beverages for the entire month of January.

At its core, Dry January exists as a response to drinking culture. In American culture, alcohol use has become normalized as a way to manage and reduce stress. One prominent example is “wine mom” culture, where women–particularly mothers–are encouraged to use alcohol to “cope with the stressors of parenting” (1). This messaging is prevalent in TV shows, movies, social media, and even home decor, with quotes like, “wine makes Mummy cleverer”.

Problematic relationships with alcohol show up differently for everyone, and often show up in subtle ways. Some signs of a potentially problematic relationship with alcohol include:

Drinking more, or for longer, than you intended
Needing increasing amounts of alcohol to get the same effect you used to
Being secretive about how much or how often you drink
Feeling shameful or guilty about your drinking habits
Using alcohol to numb or manage difficult emotions, like anxiety or stress.
Feeling like you “need” a drink.

Whether or not you relate to the criteria above, if you’re curious about your own relationship to alcohol, the following reflection questions may be helpful (adapted from Amanda White’s Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love (6)):

What role does alcohol serve in my life? What problems does it seem to solve?
When does it feel easier to have a drink in my hand?
How is alcohol negatively affecting my relationships?
How often do I say things I regret with alcohol is involved?
Do I use alcohol to deal with my emotions in any way? How?
How interconnected is my drinking with my social connections? Would my friendships endure without drinking?
How does drinking interfere with my ability to care for myself [my children?]?
Would my life be better without alcohol?

Research tells us that “wine mom” culture does the opposite of it’s promise to “relieve stress” and is actually related to higher levels of parenting stress (1). If you’re finding it difficult to cope with stress in the context of parenting, here are a few strategies that may reduce strain and build resilience:

Seek emotional and childcare support from your community and family
Connect with other parents and caregivers to expand your social support network
Recognize that how you care for yourself will impact your ability to care for your family.
Know when to seek professional help by educating yourself on risk factors and signs of mental health issues.