Wet January: Why the worst month to go dry is January

Every January, campaigns like Dry January and Veganuary encourage restraint and self-denial at the coldest, darkest point of the year. But what if we’ve misunderstood both health and the seasons?

In this episode of The Standard, host Alan Leer is joined by journalist Melanie McDonagh as she makes the case for “Wet January” — arguing that winter is the worst possible time to give things up, and that our modern wellness habits have lost touch with how people have historically lived through the colder months.

We discuss seasonality, comfort, self-denial, and what our obsession with restraint says about modern life.

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