These activities are not only healthier than drinking, but they’ll leave you feeling better in the long run. You can learn more about the benefits of exercise and how drinking out of boredom to integrate it into your routine here. Drinking alone can become problematic when a person has a habit of doing it.

Use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify triggers.

Bored drinking is a surefire way for sneaky calories to throw off your weight-loss goals. Even when COVID lockdowns ended, we found in the same survey that 17% of respondents who worked from home were more likely to be excessive drinkers. For those who didn’t work from home, only 12% were prone to excessive drinking.

Breaking Free From the Cycle

On the one hand, you have no idea what you’re supposed to do with yourself. A lot of people don’t feel good when they first get sober, so it’s totally understandable if your feelings are all over the place. 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. Kathleen was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but spent half of her life in California. She holds a master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy.

Tips For Addressing Boredom in Early Recovery

But drinking water or other hydrating beverages during a night out is still a good idea, he says. It can help you practice moderation and remind you to space out your drinks. Don’t expect products like sports drinks, vitamin-infused patches or hydration packets to work any miracles before or after a night on the town, says Marino. While they may keep you hydrated, they likely won’t address any other hangover symptoms.

By focusing on eating healthy, nourishing foods, you are actively working on reversing those symptoms. If nothing else, it starts to chip away at any notion you might have that you’re unworthy. If you have the time, sign on to a longer-term project like helping with this year’s charity bake sale or the big 5K race your city holds yearly. You’ll get to meet new people and be a part of something positive. When I was finished, it was like someone had hit the refresh button on my brain. I could go back and re-read what I wrote and approach it from the perspective of an outside observer.

• I had a nap after work and I have a beer in the fridge that I was planning on having later as my “last drink ever”.
• Every month, we launch fun challenges, like Dry/Damp January, Mental Health May, and Outdoorsy June.
• My mom and I got to find out that little fun fact together, because his ex called her to warn her that he was crazy when she found out he’d remarried.
• Describing her approach as eclectic, Darcie seamlessly combines person-centered and evidence-based practices.
• If she weren’t excelling in her current role, Christy would likely champion environmental activism, advocating for nature’s preservation.
• It’s likely your doctor will order some bloodwork, which can be the start of your path to physical recovery.

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. See if there are organisations around you where you could help out, that would love to use your skills and talents. 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. But if you can spend time with those thoughts, you will be better prepared to make changes that can positively affect them. Andy explains how a straightforward, 7-stage process enabled him to change a lifelong addiction to alcohol.

Additional resources to fight boredom in sobriety:

And one day, it will occur to you that you’re actually happy and enjoying your life. By removing the alcohol and making those necessary lifestyle changes, we increase the chances of becoming people who can enjoy the simple pleasure of life once again. You have to understand what you’re feeling and WHY you’re feeling this way in order to change it. Getting outside and communing with nature is scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve mental health and cognitive function in both kids and adults. What did you enjoy doing before drinking came around and took over your social life?

• If you’re having trouble making this change alone, Sunlight Recovery offers programs like individual therapy, group therapy and medical detox to help you with drug and alcohol treatment.
• If you want to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it makes sense to avoid busy bars and thirsty friends.
• Soon it can seem weird NOT to have a glass in your hand, even if the rest of you is thinking about something else (or not thinking about very much at all).
• You might believe you should always be doing something useful or constructive, so you reach for a drink to calm the negative emotions boredom creates.

Healthy Hobbies to Replace Drinking

However, the variety of treatment options make it easier for individuals and families to focus on moderate consumption or complete abstinence. If you always have a bottle open when watching TV, then it quickly becomes a very hard habit to break. This is particularly true if you’ve had a hard day at work or with the kids, and you are tired or stressed out. Soon it can seem weird NOT to have a glass in your hand, even if the rest of you is thinking about something else (or not thinking about very much at all). Our brain also becomes accustomed to the presence of alcohol and starts to see it as the “new normal.” So when there’s no alcohol, things seem a bit off.

• 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.
• Say you have downtime on a Saturday afternoon after a challenging week at work.
• Stress management techniques can also help you manage difficult situations without alcohol.
• If you are filling voids in your life with alcohol, then you need to decide what else can fill you up instead.
• Boredom and binge drinking often go hand-in-hand, as drinking alcohol to pass the time and relieve boredom is a common occurrence.
• Finding a new activity and hobby such as working out can provide something to look forward to each day.

If you’re at the point where you’re emotionally drinking and unable to derive pleasure from everyday activities, it can be a sign that you need additional support to break out of this cycle. If you are still in the flirtation stage of drinking out of boredom, it’s a great time to intervene and make a concerted effort to handle boredom in healthier ways. The contrast between the heightened emotional state while drinking and the flatness of mood when sober can make everyday life without alcohol seem uninteresting – sometimes unbearably so.

How can I identify my boredom drinking triggers?

There will always be a long lost friend who arrives on your doorstep looking to catch up over a few drinks. Be ready for these moments when they arrive, and they will, give yourself a wry smile, then make the choice that fits with your goals. Take control of the aspects of your life that you have some influence over and watch the world change around you. Whether it’s your partner, friends or colleagues, ask those who know you for ideas of things you can experiment with to fill your time differently.