1,000 Hours Dry with Kayla Lyons

What if there was a magic pill you could take that gave you more energy in the morning, helped with mood swings, mental fortitude, and overall health?

According to Kayla Lyons, the Newport-Beach based founder of 1,000 Hours Dry, (a movement that includes a 17k-member strong Instagram, a podcast called The Dry Life, and an accountability app), all these benefits and more occur when one becomes “sober curious.” Birthed during the pandemic, the challenge serves as a no-guilt, non-obtrusive, and supportive way to dip your feet into the “dry” waters of sobriety.

“During quarantine many people are realizing that their relationship with alcohol isn’t as functional as they once thought it was,” states Lyons, explaining what sets 1,000 Hours Dry apart from the major players such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

“In AA you need to identify as an alcoholic and not everyone is ready to do that… you don’t need to be an alcoholic to be sober curious.” 

1,000 Hours Dry is structured as on online community where people can find non-judgmental support during their alcohol-free journey, sharing stories and encouragement. Posts on social media are from men, women, young and old, from all walks of life.

There are no sobriety dates, “chips,” “old-timers,” or “newcomers.” The hierarchy of AA is completely removed, paving the way for a level playing field that begins with a simple challenge of being sober for 1,000 hours (42 days, which is the minimum amount of time to start experiencing all the positive results from going alcohol-free).

After four years sober, Lyons felt the strain of quarantine and decided to have two drinks. When she shared her struggle with the AA community, she felt ostracized and was encouraged to start over, re-identifying as a newcomer despite her solid foundation. Lyons longed to find a program that was more relevant to the times. When she couldn’t find what she was looking for she decided to create one of her own. 

With her weekly podcast, fact-ridden social media, and motivating app, the 1,000 Hours Dry community has rapidly grown in just a few short months, full of people who are tired of the alcohol-based culture our society has adopted (i.e., wine = “mom juice”) and who are striving for something different — something where you don’t have to have a drink in hand to hang out with friends.

The movement is a challenge to be better, but if you slip up, you’re encouraged to view it as “falling forward,” getting right back up to start again. Lyons realizes that many people who relapse in AA often fall back deeper into their alcohol-related problems because their self-worth and status is tied to their sobriety date. 

With 1,000 Hours Dry you don’t have to give back your sobriety date and start from day 1; you don’t have to feel like you’ve lost all the work you’ve done thus far. 

Whether it’s changing your diet, implementing a new morning routine, or giving up alcohol for 42 days, the re-set helps us to become more aware of what we’re putting in / doing to our bodies. Positive habits lead to positive results — and it’s up to each of us to choose if we want to continue them or not. 

After the challenge, people are encouraged to continue their alcohol-free journey with the community serving as a support system. At the very least people become more aware of the benefits offered from sobriety and can take pride in completing the challenge — which sounds like 1,000 hours well spent to us! 

Are you feeling sober curious? Follow the movement on Instagram at @1000hoursdry.