Accessories
It’s similar to how drinking makes some people more likely to become violent or to gamble — actions that may cross their sober minds, but they would have the wherewithal to avoid. But if you neglect these responsibilities, their presence in the back of your mind can create a cloud of anxiety and woe that will hang over you. It’s hard to enjoy what you’re doing and have a good time when you know you have a sink full of dishes waiting for you when you get home. And when I was drinking I thoroughly enjoyed these hobbies. But now it just feels like I’m doing them to avoid drinking and not for the fun of it.
You may need to make other changes
You need to reset your reward pathways and that’s not going to be possible as long as you are drinking alcohol. What if you’ve tried to do the “normal” stuff people do for fun and don’t like any of it? You feel like an automaton simulating a life, but not finding any real purpose, joy, or meaning. If our body perceives a harmless situation as dangerous, we start to experience increased levels of stress and anxiety. This can lead to drinking more and more, potentially developing into harmful patterns or alcohol use disorder.
Avoiding Relapse Due to Boredom
Unstructured time leads to unpredictable behaviors, which are problematic in recovery. I founded The Sober School to show you there’s another way out of your shame that doesn’t involve AA or rehab. In the meantime, the Soberish community is here to support you and help you get there. I certainly would have if I’d read this article five years ago. This is the part where you figure out how to enjoy life without a little something extra to help loosen you up.
Understanding the Link Between Boredom and Drinking
While your liver and stomach can usually rebound if you stop drinking, with inflammation comes an increased cancer risk over time. One common response to this sense of emptiness is to reach for food, especially comfort food. In fact, when we’re bored, we are 37% more likely to engage in emotional eating compared with when we’re not. Download drinking because of boredom our Quick Start Preparation course as our FREE gift to help you stop drinking alcohol and get the best start to your new life. Those heightened emotions might lead people to say what’s on their sober mind, but they can also put someone in a volatile state where they say something they don’t really mean or deeply regret later.
Sobriety itself isn’t boring
Fortunately, there are more ways than ever to connect with like-minded people who are fellow travelers on this path. When I quit drinking, I was lucky to have a spouse that supported my decision. It’s important to have the right mindset about sobriety.
A sure sign of problematic bored drinking is failing to achieve hobby-related goals. Hobbies give you goals, and if you especially enjoy them, you’ll be motivated to reach these goals. Without hobbies, it’s more tempting to take the easier route of having a drink. For many people, an antidote to boredom is picking up their knitting, grabbing a book, or writing in their journal. These healthy diversions fill a gap that drinking might otherwise fill.
If you drink alone, monitor how often you do this and consider why. If it becomes frequent, try to taper off or contact an alcohol addiction treatment center. At Recovery Centers of America, we offer a range of programs for substance use disorders and mental health conditions. From https://ecosoberhouse.com/ addiction treatment to aftercare and alums programs to weekly events and meetings, we are committed to helping you every step of the way. Mindfulness practices and stress management techniques can empower you to cope with boredom and negative emotions without turning to alcohol.
An important way to safeguard your sobriety is to be aware of this and take steps to mitigate it. Understanding your drinking patterns empowers you to take proactive steps to prevent boredom drinking and stay on track with your goals. You can use this knowledge to create a personalized plan for overcoming boredom drinking and maintaining a sober lifestyle. At the moment, bored drinking might not have a negative impact on your work or family life. If you start noticing these side effects, it’s time to re-evaluate how you deal with boredom.
A lack of direction may be at the root of your boredom. You may be bored because you don’t feel like you’re advancing or accomplishing anything. Speak to an accredited and experienced therapist to help you find a solution to the chronic boredom you feel. You may want to try speaking to one via BetterHelp.com for quality care at its most convenient. Fucking around on my phone while drunk was so entertaining. Finding interesting articles and talking to my coworkers about them, or finding funny videos to share was fun.
- Though boredom in early recovery can be challenging, remember that many before you have figured out how to sustain the changes they want for themselves.
- Volunteering is a great way to meet people with a shared interest because you ought to pick a cause that relates to something you are interested in or passionate about.
- This kind of patterned behavior can lead you down a path toward alcohol addiction.
- Many scientific studies have proved a positive relationship between boredom/loneliness and excessive alcohol use.
- It’s not necessarily the enjoyment of a particular activity that is filling your cup.
- This is your brain’s way of trying to restore balance.
I’ve included this separate from hobbies because I don’t believe that journaling is a hobby. We are stressed-out, overstimulated, tech-obsessed creatures. Pile on some sobriety struggle, and it’s a recipe for madness. Choosing a new hobby to occupy your time is not always easy. It may require a bit of soul-searching, especially when your motivation is at historically low levels. But also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and get involved in activities around your community.
