"Going damp" is a 2023 lifestyle trend between Dry January and full sobriety, where women cut back on alcohol without quitting completely. Nikol shares her own experience of reassessing her drinking since 2020 and the small, intentional changes that helped her feel and sleep better.
Key takeaways
- "Going damp" is a middle ground between drinking as usual and going fully sober, popularized on social media.
- Nikol started reassessing her own habits after noticing how much pandemic stress increased casual drinking.
- Knowing your personal 'why' is the first step before changing any drinking habit.
- She used a mindfulness app to track her drinks and build more intentional habits without announcing it to anyone.
- Swapping alcohol for a non-alcoholic pour in the same glass helped her keep her wind-down ritual without the alcohol.
- Nikol encourages facing emotions that come up when cutting back instead of pushing them aside.
What does "going damp" actually mean?
Nikol explains that going damp is a trending lifestyle approach that sits somewhere between Dry January and a fully sober lifestyle. It's a more sustainable, moderate way of drinking that's been gaining traction on social media, with many creators sharing their own versions of the journey.
She's clear that there's no single right way to do this. It's simply her personal experience and the pieces of it that have worked for her over the past few years.
Why did Nikol start rethinking her drinking habits?
Nikol traces her own reflection back to 2020, when stress and extra time at home made it easy to default to 'just one more glass of wine.' She noticed this pattern wasn't sustainable for her and started paying closer attention to how alcohol was affecting different parts of her life, from her skin to her sleep.
She references a statistic showing a sharp rise in heavy drinking among women during the pandemic, which is part of what motivated her to look more closely at her own habits and start making gradual changes.
How do you figure out your "why" for cutting back?
The first step Nikol recommends is getting clear on your personal reason for wanting to change: better sleep, clearer skin, more energy for morning workouts, or simply feeling better overall.
For her, tracking her sleep with a wearable ring made the benefits visible and reinforced that small changes were adding up, even when they felt subtle day to day.
What tools helped Nikol track her progress?
Nikol uses a mindfulness-style app that lets her log drinks privately, without sharing her journey with anyone else. The app offers a daily fact about how alcohol affects the body, a motivational quote, and a short breathing exercise.
She likes that it lets her plan ahead for social events and intentionally choose which days she'll drink and which days she'll go without, rather than deciding in the moment.
What does Nikol drink instead of alcohol?
Rather than cutting out her evening wind-down ritual entirely, Nikol kept the routine and simply swapped what's in the glass. She still pours something into a wine or champagne glass at the same time she normally would, just without the alcohol.
She's tried several non-alcoholic options and admits some didn't taste as good as she expected. Her favorite so far is an alcohol-free sparkling rosé, with a sparkling option she found at a grocery store as a solid runner-up.
What should you expect emotionally when you cut back?
Nikol notes that when you start drinking less, emotions you may have been avoiding can surface, including pain, sorrow, or past stress. She encourages addressing those feelings directly instead of pushing them aside.
She frames this as part of living intentionally and making the most of the time we have, rather than staying complacent with habits that don't serve your best self.
What's Nikol's main takeaway for women considering this?
Nikol closes by encouraging viewers to look at their own habits, whether related to drinking or anything else, and consider what small, intentional change might help them feel their best. She describes this process as 'reframing' and 'upgrading' her life, one habit at a time.
Her hope is that even if just one viewer walks away wanting to make one change, the video has done its job.
Shop the look
Nikol uses Upgrade Lip Gloss #94. Explore the lips collection for more of the pro-aging makeup she created for women over 40.
Frequently asked questions
What is "going damp"?
It's a lifestyle trend between Dry January and full sobriety, where someone drinks less and more intentionally rather than cutting alcohol out completely.
Why did Nikol start looking at her drinking habits?
She noticed that pandemic stress in 2020 made it easy to drink more casually, and she wanted to reassess that pattern for her own health and sleep.
What's the first step to cutting back on drinking?
Nikol recommends starting by identifying your personal 'why,' such as wanting better sleep, clearer skin, or more energy.
What does Nikol drink instead of wine in the evening?
She keeps her same wind-down ritual but pours a non-alcoholic sparkling option into her usual wine or champagne glass instead.
Is this video a makeup tutorial?
No, this is a personal lifestyle video where Nikol shares her own experience with mindful drinking rather than a step-by-step makeup tutorial.
