What You Can Do When You Are Bored in Sobriety

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. It’s responsible for more than 95,000 deaths annually.

• And every day, you are navigating your entire life.
• Many people admit to drinking out of boredom because they feel lonely.

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I posted incredible pictures on my Pinterest board about beautiful vegetable gardens and flower gardens. I went to the garden store and I bought the seeds and the plants. I ordered the cedar raised beds from the gardeners supply company, I planted dahlias and then took pictures of them when they grew and gave myself bouquets of fresh flowers. I planted cherry tomatoes and ate them right off the vine. I planted strawberries so that I could eat them and gather them with my daughter and take pictures. We have raspberries and I’ve made jam out of them.

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In the process, you will also learn to drinking out of boredom balance positive and negative emotions, leading to a more stable emotional state. So this is the perfect time to record this episode. The quote is something I had on my vision board when I was quitting drinking, and I still have it on now. It was something I looked at every day, and it inspired me to keep going. And it says, “You’ll need coffee shops and sunsets and road trips, you’ll need airplanes and passports and new songs and old songs.

Additional resources to fight boredom in sobriety:

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. We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol. Not to mention alcohol also suppresses hormones related to appetite. So when you reach for a snack, you add even more pounds.

• 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.
• When you decide to quit drugs or alcohol for good, you’re giving yourself a new lease on life that can be challenging, fulfilling, and even boring.
• Instead, it’s a step-by-step formula for changing your relationship with alcohol.
• My friends and I got together for happy hours after work.
• So there is reason to suspect that boredom and self-control can exist independently—but there is not yet enough evidence to understand much beyond that.
• You have to understand what you’re feeling and WHY you’re feeling this way in order to change it.

Use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify triggers.

• Alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States.
• I’ve decided to allow all forms of drinking (Including beer) until I finish this article.
• If your dose of stimulation is mostly a walk to the fridge, you might be a bored drinker.
• Tracking your alcohol consumption can help you identify patterns and situations that lead to boredom drinking.
• It’s okay to take risks in recovery if those risks don’t involve drugs or alcohols, even encouraged.

Specializing in diverse mental health challenges, including depression, addiction, and trauma, Christy embraces a person-centered approach. She tailors interventions to individual needs, drawing from modalities like mindfulness, DBT, CBT, and EMDR. She is a trauma-informed clinician who prioritizes the relationship between clinician and client. Addiction impacted her own family and influenced her compassionate and empathetic relationship with clients. She believes in healing the whole person in a safe and supportive environment.

Drive your car to the mountains, which are only 45 minutes from Seattle and look at the giant green trees and sit by the river. You can go to the waterfront, or to another area that is pretty by your home and look around and take in the view and bring a chair and bring a book and bring a blanket if you want to. You can go to a lake and watch your kids splashing around and actually get in the water and splash around with them. Welcome to the Hello Someday Podcast, the podcast for busy women who are ready to drink less and live more. I’m Casey McGuire Davidson, ex-red wine girl turned life coach helping women create lives they love without alcohol. But it wasn’t that long ago that I was anxious, overwhelmed, and drinking a bottle of wine and night to unwind.

But for many people, lingering feelings of anxiety, depression, and general malaise can last weeks, months, or even longer. When serotonin and dopamine levels are low, we become less motivated and less interested in our surroundings. This can lead to feelings of extreme boredom and apathy. Getting sober is like learning to walk again after a terrible accident. You should be able to go about living your life without drinking alcohol, but you feel utterly useless and have no idea what to do with yourself. Many researchers likewise hope to expand on the types of study being done.