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. There are plenty of situations where having a drink is a great way to celebrate an accomplishment. Unfortunately, problems can surface if you use “I deserve it” to justify bored drinking.
First, a Quick Explainer on Dopamine
By engaging in healthy activities such as exercise and connecting with other people in recovery, you can begin to build a new and more meaningful life without alcohol or drugs. It’s easy to slip back into old habits when you’re feeling restless or unmotivated, which is why it’s important to find healthy ways to occupy your time and keep yourself busy. I definitely have my ptsd/trigger days when I feel like I neeeeed to drink. But it’s just occurred drinking out of boredom to me that a lot of my drinking is just habit or boredom. 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”. I want this beer about as much as I want to do my laundry.
2.1. Frequency of alcohol use
What did you enjoy doing before drinking came around and took over your social life? If you must dig WAY back into childhood for this answer, then https://vivadouro.wedev.pt/sober-living/what-is-the-average-lifespan-of-an-alcoholic/ do that. Staying busy is a great way to stave off boredom and create space for healing the parts of your brain that took a walloping from drinking. It’s particularly therapeutic to find something to do with your hands. Forming healthy connections with other people is an important of this process. It’s one of the many ways you will relearn how to enjoy life again without alcohol.
- I read recently that looking at what you enjoyed doing as a child is a clue as to what you should be doing to fulfil yourself as an adult.
- How we react to the state of boredom is critical to our ongoing mental health, experts state.
- Alcohol’s reinforcing effects can be attributed to the way cortisol interacts with the brain’s reward system, causing a person to feel pleasure and therefore reach for more of it when stressed.
- If “for no reason” pops up frequently in your list, it might help to seek a CBT professional to understand your why in those situations.
Find New Hobbies and Interests
There are many reasons why people might choose to drink alone; some are more harmless than others. However, drinking alone can signify deeper emotional, psychological, and mental health problems. Addiction centers pair you with trusted healthcare professionals who are there to offer medical support through patients’ journeys to quit drinking.
Sometimes I would just drive or walk to new places, try new foods, new smells, new workouts, new places. And you know what, I was bored, there are times to this day that I am bored, where I know I wouldn’t be bored if I was drinking. It’s tough to be bored while you are drinking, it keeps your mind occupied, it creates artificial happiness, it’s artificial entertainment.
What if you’ve tried to do the “normal” stuff people do for fun and don’t like any of it? You feel like an automaton simulating a life, but not finding any real purpose, joy, or meaning. Any of these activities are natural mood lifters and a much better option than drinking to pass the time. This is what happened to me towards the end of my drinking days, I didn’t want to do anything that didn’t involve getting drunk. That would just get in the way of being able to drink as much as I wanted.
I went and bought soda water and fruit and I’m now trying to figure out what to do with my evening instead. However, because it’s so common, we can fail to recognize the importance of addressing it. Boredom can cascade into serious issues like battling loneliness, uncovering deeply seeded shame and self-loathing, and even feelings of high stress can become prevalent. Drinking out of boredom is how some choose to deal with the dull moments life throws at us. 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.
In response, some people seek outlets that drug addiction treatment are detrimental to their well-being. Drinking out of boredom is common, especially among those suffering from other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Reflect on your drinking patterns and keep track of them to identify your boredom drinking triggers. With self-awareness, you’ll be better equipped to understand and address your habits.
- Reaching out to others will give you the proper support needed to get through this lull in your recovery.
- Moderate alcohol consumption has the potential to enliven social situations.
- 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.
- You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our licensed Reframe coaches for more personalized guidance.
Healthy Hobbies to Replace Drinking
But many of us should because millions of us resort to drinking out of boredom whilst relaxing at home. Think of times or places where alcohol is normally found. Parties, seasonal events, family meals or work gatherings might spring to mind. Drinking alcohol is often seen as a very social activity, but in truth for millions of people, it’s the total opposite. And one day, it will occur to you that you’re actually happy and enjoying your life.
Alternative Activities to Replace Boredom Drinking
Anything to change up that routine of drinking out of boredom and make it harder for drinkers to find a place to get comfortable. When you don’t feel you have anyone to talk to or anywhere to go, drinks can feel like a constant, a friend. Unfortunately, drinking alcohol because of boredom makes you feel worse which in turn, makes you feel even less confident about going out and making new connections. 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.
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