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It’s often easier to turn down a drink when you don’t have to do it alone. What’s most important is looking at your drinking habits and finding a way to cut back that works for you. Becoming more aware of your alcohol triggers and reasons for drinking can help you plan ways to help manage the urge to drink. Swapping our routines and habits that are damaging you for ones that can strengthen your body and soul will give you a really clear reason why you want to stop drinking out of boredom. If you want to change something, you first need to understand what it is. This might be a bit uncomfortable, as we often drink to reduce the noise of our own thoughts.
Are there things that you can attempt to do to find exciting activities and still stay alcohol-free? In this blog post, we’ll explore some fun and simple ways to keep yourself occupied without having to rely on booze as entertainment. Boredom is an emotion, just like loneliness, anger, and sorrow.
Tip 1: Get conscious about what’s driving your drinking out of boredom
Boredom alerts us to the fact that, for some reason, we can’t or won’t engage in a more meaningful activity. If you are an emotional overeater—meaning, you respond to your emotions by turning to food—boredom is bound to get the best of you when you can’t think of anything else to do. The obvious answer may be “find something else to do,” but that can be difficult if food is what you do. And when I was drinking I thoroughly enjoyed these hobbies.
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But also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and get involved in activities around your community. But it’s comforting to know that you don’t have figure it out on your own. But I’m going to explore solutions for people who sit at various points along the “sobriety is so boring” spectrum. Alcohol merely blurred my perception of social situations.
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Consider writing them down and keeping notes on hand, so you have a physical reminder to look at when you need it to help motivate you to stay the course. Feeling at your best physically can boost resilience and emotional strength, equipping you to weather challenges that trigger the desire to drink. Learn more about the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal here. From monthlong sobriety challenges to the Sober Curious movement, more and more people are taking a closer look at the role alcohol plays in their lives. Take control of the aspects of your life that you have some influence over and watch the world change around you. If you have someone you trust, let them know if you are feeling down or lonely – so they know you won’t mind if they check in with you more often.
Regardless of the intent, there are significant health implications that arguably make alcohol the most dangerous substance on the market. If someone expects that every Friday night they should be out on the town with friends, but they’re alone on a couch, it may be easier to justify boredom and self-pity, followed by booze. Managing our expectations can relieve boredom as well as the unhealthy compulsions to relieve it. But these judgments that we can make about ourselves are rarely fair or accurate. Instead, try to reframe times of boredom as opportunities to do the meaningful things you’ve not had time for until now.
Sober and Bored? Here’s What To Do About It
Drinking out of boredom is how some choose to deal with the dull moments life throws at us. Drinking as a way to cope with boredom indulges in and perpetuates that passivity. It’s hard to think of a more passive activity than lying on a couch with a six-pack of beer. You may think you’re going to feel better after boozing, but in actuality, you’re reinforcing the notion that you need to wait for life to entertain you. Over time, this pattern of behavior can inculcate a kind of learned helplessness, so that every time a person drinks to relieve boredom, they reinforce this learned helplessness. It’s very common for people, especially those with additional mental health issues like depression and anxiety, to drink out of boredom.
- Many people use alcoholic beverages to enhance experiences.
- Most people drink to fill some sort of void, like boredom, loneliness, an unhappy relationship, job-related stress or anxiety.
- When drinking and using drugs become the focus of your social life, it can be difficult to find other enjoyable activities.
Finding a healthy activity that interests you can be a great way to break away from boredom and start enjoying your life in sobriety. It’s important to remember that boredom is a normal part of recovery, and with the right coping strategies in place, you can get through it without resorting to drinking or using drugs. These effects can be very short-lived, but in the long term, they can cause real mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
I’ve been where you are, as have thousands of other sober people who had to learn to have a life again after sobriety. Various factors lead individuals to abuse alcohol, including genetic traits, environmental reasons, and societal factors. Still, alcohol is a highly addictive substance that can lead to dependency, especially when consuming frequently and in large quantities.
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. In more severe cases, drinking out of boredom can lead to severe alcohol abuse disorders. Starting to drink gradually might be considered normal or appropriate, but it can quickly create a dependence and lead to a severe drinking problem. If those thoughts are very negative, then hanging out in your own brain isn’t going to be a great experience. This is where the real work of sobriety is – facing up to your own mind.
Here are 5 tips to help you make changes to your drinking habits that could help you feel better, for good. As with anxiety, COVID has seen rates of loneliness soar, as people have been forced apart for months, or have lost connections to friends or social groups. Many people admit to drinking out of boredom because they drinking out of boredom feel lonely. But self-medicating like this is not just bad for your body, but it is also likely to make your mental health worse. Drinking out of boredom because you feel anxious is likely to make you feel worse because alcohol is a depressant, so if you are already feeling low, it makes those feelings more extreme.
Many people use alcoholic beverages to enhance experiences. Drinking at concerts, sporting events, and dinner can, as one casual drinker put it, transform a situation into a moment. The problem is that overindulgence or even regular drinking is known to cause a number of health issues. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. The reasons people start drinking alcohol is very different than the reasons they continue to drink alcohol.
There can be a bit of stigma around boredom, but it can also fuel so much creativity. 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. Getting outside https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt-for-addiction-and-substance-abuse/ and communing with nature is scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve mental health and cognitive function in both kids and adults. Forming healthy connections with other people is an important of this process.
- It might also be worth checking out a 12-step program in your area, like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery, to see if it feels like something that might be useful for you.
- If this is the situation for you, then it might be time to reach out for professional help and get additional support in your recovery.
- Sarah is an avid Suit`s watcher and in her time off you can catch her dining at one of her favorite Charleston restaurants, Bonefish Grill, or enjoying a sweet frozen treat (preferably ice cream!).
- I’ve been where you are, as have thousands of other sober people who had to learn to have a life again after sobriety.
- If boredom drinking becomes unmanageable or leads to alcohol addiction, seeking professional help can be crucial for taking control of your life and preventing potential health risks.