But if you can’t or aren’t able to do a group class, at the very least, take a tech-free 30-minute walk every day. I promise it will do wonders for your mental health, which, in turn, will help you feel motivated to do more things. So much of this list is not just about finding things to do, but treating the underlying causes of extreme boredom in sobriety.

• Start with going for walks for minutes every day.
• Sometimes we would watch a show, but even that become untenable for me after a couple of drinks because I did not have the attention span for it.
• Simply put, boredom is a lack of stimulation.
• On the other hand, when you’re experiencing boredom hunger — or another type of emotional hunger — you may crave a certain food without any of the traditional signs of physical hunger.

What about Jimmie’s Chicken Shack “Do Right”? Watch as many episodes as you want of your favorite show. Just keep watching it until it stops being fun.7.

What Are Better Ways to Cope With Boredom?

I realized that sobriety was not fundamentally boring. Alcohol merely blurred my perception of social situations. Health2wellnessblog.com is an online resource for peoples who want to drinking out of boredom live a healthier life. Our founders, along with a team of researchers and medical advisors, analyze a wide variety of topics and summarize the information in a clear and usable way.

Despite its negative impacts, more Americans than ever consume alcohol regularly, especially women and minorities. If you’re having trouble making this change alone, Sunlight Recovery offers programs like individual therapy, group therapy and medical detox to help you with drug and alcohol treatment. All treatments are conducted by licensed therapists.

Dry January 2024 – A Guide To Making It Work (From Sober People)

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. One of the best ways to deal with bored drinking is to anticipate it — why is not always easy. Not to mention alcohol also suppresses hormones related to appetite. Even one drink while bored can boost hunger.

However, I’m not saying that when you stop drinking, all boredom will instantly be relieved. “Surely if I’m bored without alcohol, then alcohol makes my life less boring” – they think to themselves. Maybe I just need a vacation or something, but more than that, I want to be able to be ok with myself. Time to pick up some meditation and mindfulness literature again. I always wanted to practice that stuff but never found the time.

You’re prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

You know that 4 o’clock snack you chow down on after a long day at school or work? Well, you may have it ingrained in your mind that you’re always supposed to eat at 4 o’clock. Perhaps a parent takes their child out for ice cream when they’re upset about something. Boredom is a big danger area when we’re trying to quit.

Skipping meals causes you to feel overly hungry, resulting in overeating, or in this case, constant snacking. By eating in regular intervals, you will promote a healthier eating cycle, minimizing additional snack consumption. As someone who never took the “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” spiel very seriously, I suppose I should give it more props. One of the first ways that I’d suggest that you overcome boredom is just to accept that it’s part of the discomfort that you’re going to go through, I mean that’s all it basically is. There’s nothing wrong with boredom, we all get bored from time to time, just don’t get yourself so stressed out about it.

In more severe cases, drinking out of boredom can lead to severe alcohol abuse disorders. Starting to drink gradually might be considered normal or appropriate, but it can quickly create a dependence and lead to a severe drinking problem. I feel less compelled to eat another snack if I have something to do that stops the continuation of my eating. Plus, food and drink just don’t taste as enjoyable after brushing your teeth. Ever drink orange juice immediately after a teeth cleaning? It is crucial to take note of the situations when you eat out of boredom.

• I feel good about my buying decision and the product has added value to my life.
• If you’re having trouble making this change alone, Sunlight Recovery offers programs like individual therapy, group therapy and medical detox to help you with drug and alcohol treatment.
• Alcohol is probably not the only indulgence in your life.
• And to stay motivated, take a moment to jot down in a journal how you feel after making progress in your hobby.

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. Download our Quick Start Preparation course as our FREE gift to help you stop drinking alcohol and get the best start to your new life. The problem is that drinking kills people, and it’s not particularly cool. People put family, friends, food, gym, banter on their Tinder profiles for a reason. No one writes getting slightly boozed whenever possible because I don’t find things as exciting as I did when I was a child.

Make notes in a food journal about what you’re doing and your environment when you feel the urge to eat. This might help identify — and stop — boredom eating patterns. Especially when it comes to psychological types of hunger like boredom eating, external factors often trigger the urge to eat.

Learning to be aware of your emotions, hunger triggers, and fullness cues can help prevent you from eating because you’re bored. I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. Additionally, I examine the way mental and physical health as well as our relationships with others impact the reasons people drink and their role in maintaining sobriety long-term. I took my last drink on December 19, 2016. The reasons people start drinking alcohol is very different than the reasons they continue to drink alcohol. Boredom and isolation are known relapse triggers for people with substance use disorders.