6 Ways to Deal With Boredom in Addiction Recovery

An important way to safeguard your sobriety is to be aware of this and take steps to mitigate it. Boredom is not fundamentally different from any other challenging emotion. It’s typically some mix of restlessness, dissatisfaction, and lethargy. You want to do something but you’re not sure what.

Learning healthy coping skills, unfortunately, is not as intuitive as it might seem. According to Medical News Today, the average adult in the United States experiences around 131 days of boredom per year. How we react to the state of boredom is critical to our ongoing mental health, experts state. Take care of your body by staying active.

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Eventually, you’ll become good enough that you can get lost in it. You’ll lose time and feel much calmer and refreshed after you’re finished. Learning a new skill is going to take 100% of your undivided attention. The time you spend learning to knit is time you are NOT spending thinking about how much you want to drink.

If you’re feeling a bit agoraphobic or shy when first getting sober you should still reach out to online support drinking because of boredom groups. Any outreach and connection will help you get outside of yourself and will dash away boredom.

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I have plenty to do as a single Mom who lives with her elderly Mother. So my goal is to put the bottle down to become a more productive person. I just tell them why I quit , and I think their insecurities get triggered. This is when they start joking that I must have gotten a DUI… to make themselves feel better, I suppose. On the one hand, you have no idea what you’re supposed to do with yourself.

So, the next time you get that boredom feeling, I challenge you to first notice where your mind goes. Use your imagination, and you’ll surprise yourself. With lower rewards, normal behaviors are less appealing, and people find themselves feeling bored. That unwanted feeling in addiction recovery is boredom, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ but it is fueled by the impact of substance use in the brain. Although many may not think of it initially, boredom is a powerful trigger insubstance use disorders. If a person is newly sober and feeling bored, they could look to substance use a way to cure boredom and increase excitement in their life.

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Drinking out of boredom is how some choose to deal with the dull moments life throws at us. Find a support group and make contact with them regularly. This consistent connection will help foster healthy relationships in recovery with people who can support you and what you’re going through in the present moment. Losing relationships to the substance can be challenging but anchoring to others in recovery can be the very thing you need to feel worthy of recovery. You may not need to completely reinvent your life to quit drinking, but making a few changes in your surroundings to help avoid alcohol triggers can make a big difference.

Because without beer I just find no interest in doing these things anymore. Some of these things I used to like to do was fishing and taking road trips. I don’t do it anymore because without beer, it’s like I might as well just stay home and do nothing. Because everything is meaningless without my beloved beer. You’re much better off mixing with those who don’t have the problem. Spend some time with these people, model what they do, learn new skills, and you’ll soon leave alcohol behind. I just quit as my new years resolution.

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We have the seasons where we can stroll around in the fine warm weather and other seasons where we have to get all dressed up in our woolen winter clothes. If every day was the same we’d soon get bored. Free time leads to boredom and boredom can lead you back to drinking or drug use. Boredom is an enemy in sobriety but there are several ways you can fill your time with healthy, productive activities.

• Recent research indicates that adolescents and teens who are frequently bored or who have plenty of spending money are at doubled risk for drinking and illicit drug use.
• If the person then consumes a high dose, an overdose is likely since the brain is not prepared for the effects.
• Keep in mind that your boredom may be trying to tell you something.
• On the one hand, you have no idea what you’re supposed to do with yourself.
• This conversation made me think I should find a different expert.

In active addiction addicts spend the bulk of their time obsessing over their habit, worrying about where they’re going to find their next fix, and using. Once all those are taken away addicts are left with plenty of spare time. As mentioned early spare time is usually bad for recovery but you can re-devote yourself to your hobbies to fill the void. There is nothing wrong with being bored after stopping drinking. If you are thinking about writing a schedule, one of the best ways to do it is in the evening. Write down all the things you have to do the next day, and write down the time for each activity.