Dry January has a bit of a reputation problem. For many people, the idea of going alcohol-free isn’t about missing the drink itself — it’s about missing the connection . The pub catch-ups. The Friday decompression. The feeling of doing something social, together, in the middle of winter. And that’s where Dry January often falls down. Too often, it becomes about staying in, opting out, or saying no. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Dry January can be a reset without isolati

I'll be honest: when a friend from my office suggested we hit the sauna together, I was a little taken aback. Festive celebrations don’t usually require you to strip down to your swimming costume. I’m far more accustomed to the standard “book a table in a local pub” or pay over the odds for a four-course meal type of affair. But this was different. While a sauna Christmas party may not be your first choice, it turned out to be one of the most memorable events of the year. Her

Two winters ago, my German friend gave me a sauna gift card for my birthday, which falls at the end of November, right in the middle of my annual sickness season. She’d spent years watching me try to survive winter on coffee, energy drinks, and every supplement imaginable, shaking her head in disapproval. It was a simple gift (and a bit of an intervention), but that one voucher changed my life, and turned me into a serial sauna gift-giver. How a Sauna Voucher Changed My Winte