Or is it just fun and fulfilling and it makes you happy without the wine? And you will never drinking out of boredom know that if you don’t try. My biggest worry when quitting would be the boredom, the everyday type of boredom. It would make playing games and watching YouTube less fun, it would make ME less fun.
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. Kathleen was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but spent half of her life in California.
Promises Behavioral Health Addiction Treatment Centers
They bought themselves watercolor paints, or beautiful crayons. They sit on their front porch, and they paint pictures and they learn. I, personally, in early sobriety, took an online style class called “style and style mobility”. And it was a whole bunch of videos and prompts and notebooks. And that’s a great activity in early sobriety. It gives you something to work with, and you’re not spending money on a ton of new clothes.
- And if you routinely drink on other occasions too, you’ll experience worse sleep disruptions.
- Describing her therapeutic approach as evidence-based, Courtney champions a humanistic or person-centered approach as the ideal foundation.
- Pile on some sobriety struggle, and it’s a recipe for madness.
The Cycle of Drinking to Cope With Boredom
If you’re a casual drinker, you should understand the ramifications of regular drinking. Have you ever found yourself pouring a drink not to celebrate, but simply because there’s nothing else to do? In fact, boredom has been linked to anxiety, depression, and even addiction. During the pandemic, this issue became even more apparent, with alcohol sales outside of bars and restaurants surging by 24% as people sought ways to escape the monotony of life at home. When discussing boredom in recovery, I often suggest that my clients look at some of the activities they are willing to do to help pass the time when feeling bored.
What Are Better Ways to Cope With Boredom?
It makes everyday local errands much more fun and fruitful, plus it’ll cut down on your gas usage. Have a bonfire (make sure it’s contained properly and check current fire regulations for your area first). Spend time with your loved ones — or just have a quiet evening alone. Go to a playground and rediscover your favorite youthful pastimes like swinging and hanging on the monkey bars (just don’t steal the slide from the kiddos, okay?). You can make simple syrups (here is a simple one to start with), use your soda maker, and add beautiful garnishes for the full treatment.
- These are all things you’re trying to overcome from drinking.
- Or, host brunch at your home with elaborate fixings.
- 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.
- Drinking because of boredom happens because home is where we feel safe, unjudged – it’s where we can relax.
In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and fantasy and going to Marvel movies. She enjoys playing board games and having home karaoke nights with her friends. Karlie says the best advice ever received is to not fall in love with potential. Fall in love with what is, then work to grow from there.
Without hobbies, it’s more tempting to take the easier route of having a drink. 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. It also opens up space to approach your internal world differently. One of the biggest impediments to my sobriety during my relapse days was my inability to avoid getting consumed by emotions. You have to understand what you’re feeling and WHY you’re feeling this way in order to change it.
- That latter experience feeling like everything is gray and dull and lacks meaning?
- If you’re nice and relaxed you’re not really too bothered about what’s going on in the outside environment then you’re not likely to be bored.
- Because you were so busy working and socializing and improving your home and taking care of your kids and commuting and going to sports practices.
- You might plan to start learning a new language during downtime, but put it off in favor of having a drink.
- This is probably new for your friends and family, too.
Similar Posts
Exploring creative outlets and learning new skills can be a great way to find fulfillment and combat boredom without relying on alcohol. Recognizing and addressing personal triggers that lead to boredom drinking is crucial for maintaining a sober lifestyle. By developing self-awareness and reflecting on your emotions and thought patterns, you can uncover the triggers for boredom drinking and take proactive steps to address them. The average adult experiences around 131 days of boredom per year, so how you react to this boredom is critical to your mental health. If you justify to yourself, “I drink when I’m bored,” it can quickly lead to overindulgence and health concerns.
What to do instead of drinking at night
People often use alcohol to enhance experiences, but this kind of drinking is problematic because it makes you dependent on alcohol to not feel bored or to have a good time. For example, most people drink at concerts, sports events or parties to transform their experience and heighten the moment. Early sobriety is a critical period when community and support networks are critical. This can be hard if your social life previously revolved around drinking. It’s even harder if your loved ones don’t support your sobriety.