At the beginning of those days, plan to work on a hobby or some other activity when nothing else is scheduled. You’ll find it easier to settle into the activity should boredom strike. Before you know it, your list of things to celebrate when bored gets longer, and the number of drinks you enjoy each week goes up. 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. Bored drinking takes place when people reach for alcohol to kill time, simply because they have nothing else to occupy their minds.
Start walking
Danny specializes in brainspotting and reality therapy. Danny has extensive experience in effectively treating incidental and complex trauma. He further describes his approach as science-driven, constantly reviewing the latest literature and theory. Danny ensures he has as many techniques as possible to help people improve their well-being and achieve their goals. Outside of work, he divides his time between family, drinking out of boredom basketball, and rock climbing.
Create deeper relationships
Hobbies occupy the mind and give you a sense of accomplishment. They improve your overall sense of well-being. Bored drinking might elevate your mood briefly, but it won’t ever match the satisfaction of mastering a hobby. 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. Boredom no doubt played a role in this scenario.
Drinking Out of Boredom
- It gives you something to work with, and you’re not spending money on a ton of new clothes.
- What can I do with a picnic to feel amazing?
- Say your main drinking occasion is when you socialize with friends.
- If you must dig WAY back into childhood for this answer, then do that.
- We’ve all felt it — that nagging sensation of boredom.
This shift in routine, coupled with earlier darkness and cold temperatures, can lead to SAD. Once SAD and downtime collide, bored drinking can result. Being alone doesn’t automatically make a person bored. But if you enjoy alcohol, and boredom suddenly strikes while isolated, reaching for a drink is an easy way to satisfy the need for stimulation. As a drinking trigger, boredom affects more people than you might think.
- I always have, but they really really helped me in early sobriety.
- We’ll also teach you healthy coping skills that support long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol.
- When we get bored, drinking is not one of the options we have to relieve that boredom.
Join the FREE web class
- By recognizing your emotions and thought patterns, you can uncover the triggers for boredom drinking, empowering you to make positive changes in your life.
- That is how we’re used to changing our mood.
- 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.
This self-published no-nonsense book has become a sensation and answers all the questions you have about how alcohol affects your body and mind. Follow the Facebook group for weekly live Q&As with the author. First up, I read Catherine Grey’s The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober.
There’s No Such Thing as a Pain-Free or Easy Sobriety
- When I quit drinking, I was lucky to have a spouse that supported my decision.
- Be careful not to become a recluse though as having a strong social circle is really important to have.
- If you quit drinking and experience any new or worsening mental health symptoms, please consider therapy.
- When you remove alcohol from your life, you free up all the time you spent drinking and recovering from drinking.
- There are loads of great books out there offering advice on how to stop drinking.
Another woman on my call said that she had found during quarantine a local farm that did vegetable deliveries and also the freshest eggs she’s ever seen. Seen, and buckets and buckets of local flowers that are lush and gorgeous and beautiful and a total treat. But she can afford it because she’s not drinking. And she arranges the flowers, and she puts them in front of her house for neighbors to pick up as a little dope dose of joy for other people or leave them on their front stoops.
Whether it’s picking up a musical instrument, learning a new language, or engaging in outdoor adventures, these activities can provide a sense of accomplishment and joy. Joining clubs or groups related to your interests also offers social interaction without the focus on alcohol. Studies have shown that alcohol can impair cognitive functions and dampen emotional responses. This means that while it might provide temporary feelings of euphoria, it can also prevent you from fully engaging with the world around you. By removing alcohol from the equation, you open yourself up to experiencing life more authentically and intensely. If you’re not into going to the gym then simply going for a run or a bike ride would be a great alternative if it’s safe to do so.