Being Bored When You’re Quitting Drinking

If you want to access my free video training on how to make stopping drinking effortless and enjoyable, click here. There is nothing wrong with being bored after stopping drinking. If you drinking out of boredom 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.

Practicing mindfulness can help you become more aware of your emotions and triggers, so you can avoid turning to alcohol out of boredom. Stress management techniques can also help you manage difficult situations without alcohol. Connecting with a support group can also help you build meaningful relationships with people who understand and https://ecosoberhouse.com/ can support you in your recovery journey. Planning interactions according to “Sober in Seven” can help reduce feelings of loneliness and prevent reliance on alcohol. Having a list of supportive contacts is beneficial because it can provide you with immediate access to people who will encourage and support you on your journey to recovery.

Why do we resort to drinking out of boredom?

I can do it for a night or two but that’s it, what do I do after that? 5% is also the rate of annual spontaneous remission, or those who quit entirely on their own with no specific treatment whatsoever. In other words, AA has the exact same success rate as… To get sober and stay that way, we have to learn to take care of ourselves in new ways.

But I’m going to explore solutions for people who sit at various points along the “sobriety is so boring” spectrum. Take what applies to you and leave whatever doesn’t. Getting drunk did not magically change the dynamics of that situation. We were all just sitting around and getting drunk, perfectly content to not really do anything together.

Anticipating Drinking

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. Exercise is a powerful way to rebuild your body in recovery and a healthy coping skill.

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. Right now, you’re doing a very hard thing, and sometimes hard things feel lonely. Fortunately, there are more ways than ever to connect with like-minded people who are fellow travelers on this path. This is probably new for your friends and family, too.

I drink because I’m bored

I just decided one day enough was enough and stopped drinking and smoking at the same time. Three weeks later, I was in the cardiac ward, where they discovered if I hadn’t stopped when I did, I’d have been dead in a year, at the age of 50. The alcohol had enlarged my heart and I had an ejection fraction of 10.

• When we get bored, drinking is not one of the options we have to relieve that boredom.
• 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.
• 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.
• An almost alcoholic may engage in activities such as drinking out of boredom or alone.
• If boredom drinking becomes unmanageable or leads to alcohol addiction, seeking professional help can be crucial for taking control of your life and preventing potential health risks.
• It’s therefore no surprise that during the pandemic, the rate of alcohol consumption increased among people that reported COVID-19 related stress.