I certainly felt like the evenings were LONG at first, especially as I stopped drinking during lockdown. Drinking is a social activity for many people, so it may feel like a challenge to give it up. But you and your friends don’t have to involve drinking drinking out of boredom to have a good time. Here are some ways to maintain a social calendar while you’re exploring sobriety. Moreover, drinking literally increases your anxiety.
Nothing Else Has Changed
- All treatments are conducted by licensed therapists.
- It’s why nothing seems fun or exciting, and you struggle to motivate yourself to have a good time.
- It’s one of the many ways you will relearn how to enjoy life again without alcohol.
- The point is to create a space that’s a lovely retreat, but one that every place your eye brings you a sense of joy and peace and comfort.
- Our brains don’t like imbalance and will work very hard to correct it.
- YouTube has been a treasure trove of workout videos for me.
Every single other post that is about something similar has 0 helpful comments. Everyone says “try knitting” or “try reading”….. It isn’t difficult for me to stay away from smoking and drinking because it was starting to cause serious issues mentally and physically, so I really have no desire to start again. I just have no idea what to do with my time now. By participating in addiction treatment programs, you can effectively address your boredom drinking and take the necessary steps towards a healthier and more fulfilling life. Moreover, outpatient rehab can prove to be the most efficient and practical treatment plan for individuals struggling with drinking out of boredom.
Recently I spotted an interesting comment on my blog about feeling bored.
When you use alcohol (or any substance) to artificially boost serotonin and dopamine levels in your brain, you create an imbalance in the brain. I can’t seem to enjoy being alive without stims or alcohol. I’ve quit drugs because of heart issues and I am even on a SNRI that sometimes makes me feel normal sometimes not. I dream about drugs, I see them everywhere (music videos, news etc) I don’t know why the fuck I got into them I want to forget how good they felt but I will never be able to. Simply asking these questions might be enough to take the edge off the urge to drink.
Start Reading To Beat Boredom Without Alcohol
Amanda’s first book, Unbottled Potential, (published with Penguin Random House imprint, Avery) is on shelves now. Welcome to my corner of the internet where I share sobriety tips that make staying Sober FUN, not boring! I’m a sobriety coach, podcast host, and soon-to-be-published author. Megan’s therapeutic approach is multifaceted, drawing from narrative, feminist, and existential therapy modalities. By employing these frameworks, Megan empowers her clients to confront their realities and comprehend the tangible impact Substance abuse of systemic factors on their lives.
- If you want extra motivation to get to sleep, plan an early morning meetup with a friend.
- In fact, the action of drinking is quite boring.
- You may have thought “I can’t stop drinking” a thousand times by now.
- Many scientific studies have proved a positive relationship between boredom/loneliness and excessive alcohol use.
It may feel like you’re just reading a book, making tea, watching TV and going to bed – but that’s ACTUALLY NOT what you’re doing. In this program, I’ll work with you to help re-build your sense of self-worth to the point that you’re comfortable without alcohol in your life at all. Imagine all of the things you’ve dreamed you might do with your life. The accomplishments you might make, the ways in which you might live, the way you will feel.
- When we feel bored, we notice our own thoughts.
- This one blew me away because it was something I really struggled with forever yet I had no idea it was linked to my need to drink.
- And I wanted to get more healthy while I was not drinking.
- Some days are not very exciting, and some days are joy filled.
- Things that people do during that day that don’t involve recovering or boozy brunch.
Go to a playground and rediscover your favorite youthful pastimes like swinging and hanging on the monkey bars (just don’t steal the slide from the kiddos, okay?). Kick back and read a collection of poetry, and allow yourself to read slowly and reflect on the experience and meaning of each poem. Through coaching others, I have found that making time for important activities is one of the big bottlenecks.