Another way to fill time meaningfully is by connecting with others. Socializing doesn’t have to involve alcohol, and there are many ways to engage with friends, family, or new acquaintances in a sober setting. Whether it’s a game night, book club, or even a group walk, spending time with others can make the days feel more fulfilling and purposeful. That’s worrying because self-medicating feelings of boredom with alcohol can invite health problems.

Accept that you are in a transitional phase, which will take time.

Feeling bored, sad, lonely, or anxious about something are all very human things to feel. By focusing on eating healthy, nourishing foods, you are actively working on reversing those symptoms. If you have the time, sign on to a longer-term project like helping with this year’s charity bake sale or the big 5K race your city holds yearly. You’ll get to meet new people and be a part of something positive.

Signs of Becoming an Almost Alcoholic

• Not only does volunteering give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment, but it also helps you connect with others and positively impact your community.
• She tailors interventions to individual needs, drawing from modalities like mindfulness, DBT, CBT, and EMDR.
• While a drink might provide a brief moment of relief, alcohol is a depressant that can have negative effects on mental health over time.
• Alcohol is one of the world’s most commonly accepted drugs, so it’s also regularly left off the list of addictive drugs that negatively impact people’s lives.
• Additionally, because alcohol can impair judgment and lower inhibitions, people who drink out of boredom may make unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as overeating or skipping exercise.

So many people quit drinking and end up walking around in a dopamine deficit state, struggling to find joy in anything. So it’s not that sobriety is inherently boring; it’s that your serotonin and dopamine levels are now very low. Our brains don’t like imbalance and will work very hard to correct it. Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and happiness. It is also responsible for regulating movement and emotional response. Dopamine depletion can cause apathy, boredom, and lack of motivation.

By incorporating mindfulness practices and stress management techniques into your daily routine, you can effectively manage boredom and negative emotions without relying on alcohol. Danny has extensive experience in effectively treating incidental and complex trauma. He further describes his approach as science-driven, constantly reviewing the latest literature and theory. Danny ensures he has as many techniques as possible to help people improve their well-being and achieve their goals. Outside of work, he divides his time between family, basketball, and rock climbing. If Danny won the lottery, he’d start a tech company focusing on deep learning to support people in coping strategies.

Practice Mindfulness

If you want to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it makes sense to avoid busy bars and thirsty friends. But many of us should because millions of us resort to drinking out of boredom whilst relaxing at home. 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.

It Impacts Mental Health

Boredom is totally natural and we all feel it, but it can be hard to find a way out of your rut. So seek the help of other, non-judgy supportive people to help you stop drinking out of boredom. 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. Regularly consuming alcohol when you’re bored has both short-term and long-term effects on your health, even if it doesn’t lead to a drinking disorder. Let’s address another reason life without alcohol feels boring.

Fill your idle time with hobbies and activities to keep your brain from drifting to dark places. Drinking as a way to cope with boredom indulges in and perpetuates that passivity. It’s hard to think of a more passive activity than lying on a couch with a six-pack of beer.

People who drink regularly to deal with boredom or other emotions may find that it worsens feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression. Instead of alleviating these feelings, alcohol can amplify them, creating a negative feedback loop that is hard to escape from. Therapy and counseling can play a vital role in addressing underlying mental health issues that contribute to boredom drinking. Through counseling, you can gain guidance, support, and learn behavioral treatments to help you change your drinking behavior. There are various strategies available to help you overcome boredom drinking and maintain a sober lifestyle in 2024.

I’ve included this separate from hobbies because I don’t believe that journaling is a hobby. So much of this list is not just about finding things to do, but treating the underlying causes of extreme boredom in sobriety. Plus, you might meet some cool people, and that’s always a double win. I kept a notebook and pen beside my bed in case I woke up in the middle of the night with a brilliant song lyric or poem.

The winter months often meet a halt to favorite outdoor activities. This shift in routine, coupled drinking boredom with earlier darkness and cold temperatures, can lead to SAD. Many bored drinkers likely don’t realize they’re bored drinkers.

• Before moving to AspenRidge, Nate served as operations director at a local organization that has sober living homes throughout the Denver area.
• Volunteering helps fill in stretches of boredom, helps you think about others, and can help you get a great night’s sleep.
• Boredom can also lead to complacency, as you may begin to take your sobriety for granted and believe that you are no longer at risk of relapse.
• The cycle of drinking to fill time leads to mental, emotional, and physical challenges that can be hard to reverse.

When boredom strikes and you find it more difficult to muster the motivation to work on your hobby, read these journal entries. That reminder of how good you’ll feel should keep you from heading to the fridge. Moderate alcohol consumption has the potential to enliven social situations. But when you add bored drinks to social drinking, alcohol has the opposite effect.

They give you alternatives to drinking to fill gaps in your life. If you want to get better control of your drinking, you need to think about what your future drink-free life will look like. If you always have a bottle open when watching TV, then it quickly becomes a very hard habit to break. This is particularly true if you’ve had a hard day at work or with the kids, and you are tired or stressed out. Soon it can seem weird NOT to have a glass in your hand, even if the rest of you is thinking about something else (or not thinking about very much at all). Boredom is a key reason people give for drinking too much and drinking out of boredom like this can become almost a subconscious activity, something that you do whilst doing something else.

Moreover, outpatient rehab can prove to be the most efficient and practical treatment plan for individuals struggling with drinking out of boredom. By engaging in creative pursuits and learning new skills, you can effectively replace boredom drinking with more fulfilling and enjoyable activities. This will help you regain control of your life and improve your overall mental health and well-being. Alcohol addiction rehab programs should address substance use as well as any underlying co-occurring mental health disorders. The most effective treatment provides access to ongoing therapy, skills training, group or peer support, relapse avoidance techniques, and prescribed medications, if necessary. Taking a personalized approach allows many families and individuals the chance to adjust treatment to best suit lifestyle, needs, and long-term goals.

We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol. As part of your daily “boredom prevention plan,” schedule a reward for not drinking when you otherwise would. Not to mention alcohol also suppresses hormones related to appetite. If you do manage to meet your friends, the added drinks from socializing might affect your ability to get home, placing a burden on your friends. The reality is there are other, healthier ways both to celebrate that milestone and deal with the boredom trigger. 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.

Traveling can also help you gain a new perspective and appreciate the world. It’s important to remember that traveling in recovery may come with its own set of challenges, such as navigating triggers or finding supportive resources in unfamiliar locations. Planning and staying connected with your support network can help ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. Taking the opportunity to travel and discover new places can be a great way to break out of your routine and discover new experiences. It doesn’t have to be extravagant; can provide a change of scenery and stimulate your senses. Boredom can be a common relapse trigger for those in recovery, especially in the earliest stages.