It’s particularly therapeutic to find something to do with your hands. When I quit drinking, I was lucky to have a spouse that supported my decision. I have gone to bars with people I genuinely like as a sober person, and I don’t stay for longer than an hour or two if nothing is happening. When you remove alcohol from your life, you free up all the time you spent drinking and recovering from drinking.
- Remember, how one adjusts to the circumstances of their life is more important than the circumstances themselves.
- It’s particularly therapeutic to find something to do with your hands.
- Remember, it’s not that sobriety is terrible, but that your brain is trying to grapple with the sudden loss of dopamine.
- Managing our expectations can relieve boredom as well as the unhealthy compulsions to relieve it.
- Learning to identify
the triggers to drinking is the first step towards preventing drinking out
of boredom.
That being said, drinking FOMO is real and must be dealt with. Sometimes admitting the truth to yourself is the first step. But I’m going to explore solutions for people who sit at various points MASH Certified Sober Homes along the “sobriety is so boring” spectrum. It’s not as simple as “getting out there” and “trying something new.” It’s hard to do that when you suffer from extreme depression and anhedonia.
Creative Pursuits and Learning New Skills
Yet, no matter how much pain it causes to the individual or family, alcohol is one of the most difficult substances to remove. There is a strong relationship between boredom, stress, and drug or alcohol use. It’s therefore no surprise that during the pandemic, the rate of alcohol consumption increased among people that reported https://accountingcoaching.online/alcoholic-ketoacidosis-wikipedia/ COVID-19 related stress. The pandemic has been here and, at the time of this writing, is continuing to keep our world in a state of flux. This puts those who have formed an attachment to alcohol in a very vulnerable position. It may require a bit of soul-searching, especially when your motivation is at historically low levels.
But for many people, lingering feelings of anxiety, depression, and general malaise can last weeks, months, or even longer. Finding resources for ongoing drinking issues, even when simply drinking out of boredom, can make a world of difference. Catching signs of abuse early also minimizes the risks of adverse health effects and increases the probability of achieving sobriety much more quickly. While alcohol abuse is common, it doesn’t mean you have to face it alone.
Why Shouldn’t You Drink Out of Boredom?
I promise it will do wonders for your mental health, which, in turn, will help you feel motivated to do more things. So much of this list is not just about finding things to do, but treating the underlying causes of extreme boredom in sobriety. What did you enjoy doing before drinking came around and took over your social life? If you must dig WAY back into childhood for this answer, then do that. Staying busy is a great way to stave off boredom and create space for healing the parts of your brain that took a walloping from drinking.
Will eating salads and drinking water make your boredom go away? Not exactly, but it can make you feel better, which has a ripple effect on whether or not you enjoy your life. One of the best things you can do for yourself when you’re feeling bored in sobriety is to find a way to serve others.
Alternative Activities to Replace Boredom Drinking
It can be your friends,
colleagues, or family who know you for ideas of things you can do to fill
your time differently. Meet and connect with such people regularly and let
them know when you are feeling down or lonely. If you know you will feel lonely or down, try and plan some interactions to reduce those feelings and your reliance on alcohol. Whatever the reason for your boredom, drinking can create a negative cycle around it. So whether you are an absent-minded drinker or a lonely or anxious one, what can you do to prevent drinking out of boredom? Here are 5 tips to help you make changes to your drinking habits that could help you feel better, for good.
- I’ve been where you are, as have thousands of other sober people who had to learn to have a life again after sobriety.
- When you remove alcohol from your life, you free up all the time you spent drinking and recovering from drinking.
- One of the best ideas to stay busy and engaged is by pursuing new hobbies or interests.
In other words, it’s about suspending the need for instant gratification. But truthfully, it’s something we all experience—and struggle with—throughout our lives. Sunnyside is not designed to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website.