January: The trend towards dry and vegan weeks

Resolutions and habits - January: The trend towards dry and vegan weeks

Welcome to January: after November, it is the most unpopular month in Germany - according to a representative survey of adults. No wonder, because January often feels particularly dark due to the fading Christmas lights, the days are only slowly getting longer, the mild spring is still a long way off - and summer anyway. And under these circumstances, many people are still struggling with their New Year's resolutions.

Two campaigns seem to have become popular recently: taking a break from alcohol in January ("Dry January") or not eating any animal products for a few weeks ("Veganuary").

Doesn't this put too much pressure on the new year and poor January? "Actually, yes," says psychologist Sonia Lippke. Research also shows this. "We have conducted scientific studies - including on goals in general and their implementation," says the professor from Constructor University in Bremen. "And we found that it makes sense to set goals all year round, to plan precisely and to put a leash on your weaker self instead of demonizing it. This helps people to be more satisfied with themselves and to behave accordingly - and not just in relation to alcohol or nutrition."

Temporary measures have a limited effect

However, catchy trends such as "Dry January" or "Veganuary" are not a bad thing, says Lippke. "Because they are more likely to be put into practice and if you are successful, you can remember these positive experiences when you try something else." One disadvantage is perhaps "that temporary measures only have a limited effect on health and well-being". "Lifestyle change can't happen in a single month. But January can be a kick-start."

Psychologist Sebastian Bartoschek also says: "At the beginning of the year, many people have the feeling that something new is starting. And with the new beginning, things are supposed to get better." In a way, resolutions are simply part of our society's social mindset. "Psychologically speaking, it's usually about a kind of self-optimization: finding yourself better, becoming who you think you should be." It's often about losing weight or eating less meat and drinking less alcohol. "That's also where the campaigns that suggest a 'dry January' or 'vegan January' come in. They're good in that they don't set resolutions forever, but rather limit them to a certain period of time."

Don't aim too high

Setting goals that are too high is always a bad idea, says the psychologist. "If I resolve to go to the gym for two hours five times a week or never eat meat or drink alcohol again, then it often quickly becomes clear that I won't be able to follow through with it and will fail." Bartoschek says it's important to ask yourself: Can I do this in concrete terms and can I incorporate it into my everyday life? "You should also always ask yourself: am I really doing this for myself or for someone else or the image others have of me?"

Bartoschek says that if you don't have to give up alcohol or meat immediately for health reasons, you could also try not to try a diet like Dry January or Veganuary, but simply eat less of both in the long term. "This means, for example, not eating meat on Fridays or several days a week. No alcohol on weekdays. That's manageable. I can tick off these resolutions and I can check whether I have kept to them or not in a relaxed manner."

Incidentally, a representative Forsa survey commissioned by DAK-Gesundheit recently revealed that "Eat less meat" and "Drink less alcohol" were actually rather low on the list of good resolutions for 2024. By contrast, many of those surveyed considered avoiding stress, getting more exercise and, above all, making more time for family and friends to be far more important.