I’ve been where you are, as have thousands of other sober people who had to learn to have a life again after sobriety. Facing your unhappy thoughts can be overwhelming, and it’s natural to need a break or a distraction from time to time. But you should turn to other, more productive ways to cope with your boredom that won’t be detrimental to your health. Often, being bored without alcohol seems intimidating because when there’s no task to put your mind to, you’re forced to notice the things that are making you unhappy.
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This provides quick access to those who empower you on your recovery journey. Surrounding yourself with people that support you can help alleviate possible remnants of guilt and shame from past behaviors. Describing her approach as eclectic, Darcie seamlessly combines person-centered and evidence-based practices. Drawing from her background in local improv groups, she infuses sessions with laughter and humor, fostering a non-judgmental space for clients. Darcie believes in collaborating with her clients, tailoring interventions to suit their individual needs.
- And one day, it will occur to you that you’re actually happy and enjoying your life.
- The more you’re bored, the better your chances your mind has to drift to dark places so take care of that boredom with healthy activities including meetings, hobbies, volunteering, and more.
- She is a trauma-informed clinician who prioritizes the relationship between clinician and client.
- If you ever sit down to do that math, you will shock yourself with how much time went towards drinking.
The Role of Habit in Boredom Drinking
Be deliberative, who you’re looking at, and what you’re watching. This can be another way to inspire you, for a healthy and exciting life without alcohol, but also to not focus on everything that’s going on in your life that you’re not partaking in. I mean, literally, stop following the winery that you’ve drinking out of boredom been following forever. And now, I want to talk about life after early sobriety after the law when you start to look around and try to imagine what your life is going to look like without alcohol. This is when it’s time to look backwards to the things that gave you joy when you were 12.
Why Do People Think Alcohol Relieves Boredom?
- When you don’t feel you have anyone to talk to or anywhere to go, drinks can feel like a constant, a friend.
- Bored drinking takes place when people reach for alcohol to kill time, simply because they have nothing else to occupy their minds.
- Volunteering is a great way to reconnect with your community.
- During the day, there were all-inclusive brunches.
- And I would be so grateful if you would take a few minutes to rate and review this podcast so that more women can find it and join the conversation about drinking less and living more.
- Before I started drinking too much, I loved to write.
It is literally our companion for everything a lot of times more than even our best friend or spouse or our kids. So yes, you will feel a void when you remove alcohol. By engaging in creative pursuits and learning new skills, you can effectively replace boredom drinking with more fulfilling and enjoyable activities. This will help you regain control of your life and improve your overall mental health and well-being. I found that other people who exercise, especially exercising early in the morning, are not the people getting drunk every night.
In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery. She typically works with people interested in taking a holistic approach to treating their addictions. This will include healthy eating, movement, meditation, mindfulness and spirituality.
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Everyone reacts to boredom differently, but the way we react is vital to our health and well-being. Please also visit the following sites to learn more about having a healthy and safe pregnancy. Here are the barriers you face in drinking less alcohol along with tips for overcoming them.
But remember that, scientifically, boredom is an emotion — just like appiness or sadness. It typically occurs when we find ourselves disengaged from what’s going on around us or when there’s a lack of interest or enjoyment in our activities. Use Sunnyside to track your drinks and better understand the connection between how much you drink and how you feel. Also, if you have that extra drink, Sunnyside lets you interact with others who struggle with bored drinking.
What to Do When Bored in Sobriety
What we do—the behaviors we choose to engage in—heavily affect how we feel about ourselves. What this means is that we have personal control and responsibility for reducing boredom in our lives. 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. Each person who succeeds at modifying, ending, or improving their relationship with alcohol must find ways to handle boredom, and any other unpleasant feelings connected with new habits. If you drink to alleviate boredom, your brain starts associating alcohol with relief from that negative feeling.
