Ok, so you’ve been sober for a little while, and things are going well. You are out of the rehab and drying out phase, and things are calmer, so things might seem a little… boring? What do you do when sobriety gets boring? I’ve been there. I was sober for a little while and things were uneventful. I’ve since overcome the boredom, and in this post I’ll be covering:
- Reasons you get bored
- How to prevent boredom and relapse
- A list of things to do to spice up your recovery
BOREDOM
I was always active and loved to be out and social when I was drinking. After I got sober, my life was a lot calmer and I wasn’t as social since most of my friends were drinking friends. I was bored, and didn’t like the way I felt.
One day, I was absolutely fed up with being bored and knew I didn’t get sober just to live a bland life. I also knew that if I stayed bored that I would eventually get frustrated with life and I would drink again, so I set out to figure out what I could do to start having fun again so that I would not drink again.
I started going to places where I could meet like minded people: to the gym, self help workshops, and 12 step meetings.
From there, I finally started making friends with the same interests as me. These friends did things that did not revolve around alcohol. I made great friends and I have kept my life active and interesting ever since.
1. REASONS YOU GET BORED
This is your new normal and it might feel unusual.
According to The Recovery Village:
“Drugs, unlike the natural reinforcers in life, create a huge release of dopamine in the brain that promotes strong feelings of pleasure, happiness and satisfaction. Over time, the brain becomes accustomed to this artificially high dopamine level, and substance use must continue and escalate as a way to re-experience and maintain this desirable feeling.
When use ends, everyday actions seem much less rewarding and exciting due to the lower dopamine levels. Instead of the person feeling like they are jetting down a runway at 200 miles per hour, it feels like life is moving in slow motion.
With lower rewards, normal behaviors are less appealing, and people find themselves feeling bored. That unwanted feeling in addiction recovery is boredom, but it is fueled by the impact of substance use in the brain.”
2. HOW TO PREVENT BOREDOM AND RELAPSE
When sobriety gets boring, you need to do something to shake it up. One research survey showed that 77% of people who had stopped drinking cited boredom as a reason for relapse. Getting bored is dangerous for a sober alcoholic.
I am a huge advocate of Recovery or Self Help Groups. In the groups you meet other people on the same journey as you are and have similar interests. Recovery is all about self discovery and figuring out who you are, and who you are not. It is a shedding of the old, and rebirth of the new. What is it that you have always wanted to try and never have? Ask yourself this: What activity can I do and lose track of time? What did I love to do as a child?
3. LIST OF THINGS TO DO
- Rock Climbing
- Start a Blog
- Get a Pet
- Join a Gym
- Create a Vision Board
- Volunteer
- Train for a Half Marathon
- Coffee date with a sober friend
- Take a workshop or class
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Paddle Boarding
- Kayaking
- Walk on the beach
The biggest factor in not getting bored in sobriety, is creating fun things to do to stay busy, continue to work on your recovery, and have fun!
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