I just read about the book, The Sober Lush, but also about the topic, about how to live a decadent, adventurous, soulful life, alcohol free. And not only did Jardine Libaire and Amanda Eyre Ward were the authors contributing great ideas on this. And by the way, I did a podcast interview just with Amanda and Jardine about their book, and you can go back and listen to that if you’re interested. Welcome to the Hello Someday Podcast, the podcast for busy women who are ready to drink less and live more. I’m Casey McGuire Davidson, ex-red wine girl turned life coach helping women create lives they love without alcohol.
How can I identify my boredom drinking triggers?
Craig Beck is a renowned professional alcohol addiction therapist, coach, and mentor.His unique approach has helped over 250,000 people escape the loop of alcoholism. For many, the lure of alcohol is not just about the taste or the buzz—it’s about escaping uncomfortable emotions. Boredom is one such emotion, and it can be surprisingly challenging. When the mind is left unstimulated, it craves something to engage with. Alcohol offers a quick and easy solution, seemingly transforming a dull moment into something a bit more lively.
- There will always be a long lost friend who arrives on your doorstep looking to catch up over a few drinks.
- Or someone said even listening to it on audiobook was even better, because the stories are so rich and descriptive, and also short so you can listen to them in snippets.
- Drinking to cope with boredom is never a sustainable solution.
If you have stopped drinking, and you leave your days up to chance, it can be detrimental. Boredom can strike, which is exactly what we don’t want. Apologies for the slight tangent, but it’s important to understand that drinking again will do absolutely nothing to relieve your boredom. People often say they drink alcohol to “relieve boredom”. Boredom, a state we’ve all experienced, can be a tricky beast. But remember that, scientifically, boredom is an emotion — just like appiness or sadness.
And surrounding yourself with beautiful things made me really happy not in early sobriety. But oh my god, pets, and taking care of a pet is so joyful and wonderful to be able to cuddle them and to have a physical being that loves you and amuses you and that you have to play with. They were little Siberian Tabby brothers, when they came to us, they were two and a half pounds. It wasn’t even something my kids wanted or my husband wanted.
If I go there at 11am or 2pm, and spend an hour, then I’ve done something, then I’ve seen something that I’m more amused and happy to settle down at the end of the evening and not feel bored. And that’s what it’s like, when we take away our wine, Right? We’re like, there’s nothing to do if we’re not drinking.
Bored Drinking: How to Defend Against the Sneakiest Trigger
On average, members see a 30% reduction in alcohol consumption in 3 months, leading to improved sleep, diet, and overall wellbeing. Bored drinking can sneakily become an unhealthy habit, and it’s not always easy to curb it on your own. You might plan to start learning a new language during downtime, but put it off in favor of having a drink. Or you lose interest in an existing hobby because it’s easier to drink.
When the alcohol wears off, your problems will still be there, and you’ll likely reach out for more alcohol to escape them again. If you find yourself bored without alcohol or drinking simply because you’re bored, you might be developing an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Regular drinking is often considered socially appropriate and normal, but if your drinking extends to when you’re alone, that’s a red flag. There’s a very fine line between social drinking and problematic drinking, and one could easily lead to the other and cause serious health implications.
Practice mindful drinking.
She has a goal to visit every state capitol and has been to 29 so far! If she won the lottery tomorrow, Chanel said she start a bookstore with a bakery inside for guests to enjoy their favorite books with an excellent coffee and dessert. Early sobriety is a critical period when community and support networks are critical. This can be hard if your social life previously revolved around drinking. It’s even harder if your loved ones don’t support your sobriety. On the one hand, you have no idea what you’re supposed to do with yourself.
Sobriety itself isn’t boring
But if you consume alcohol, these signs might indicate that boredom is a drinking trigger. In 2024, the company sold more than half a billion dollars’ worth of Poppis. Last week, it was acquired by PepsiCo (notably a soda company) for just under $2 billion. Pay attention to women you admire, ask yourself, do I want what they have? What sparks your admiration, your joy, start listening to them, start emulating them, you have time and energy.
It’s why some people suffer “hangxiety” after a night of heavy drinking. But the thing is, drinking out of boredom is a type of drinking that can quickly spiral out of control if you aren’t careful. Feeling bored is a natural part of life, but how you choose to cope with it can have a major impact on your well-being. There are healthy ways to deal with boredom and then there are the other options – the things we do to escape it entirely. All these tips are here to help you prevent drinking out of boredom.
There is a strong relationship between boredom, stress, and drug or alcohol use. It’s therefore no surprise that during the pandemic, the rate of alcohol consumption increased among people that reported COVID-19 related stress. The pandemic has been here and, at the time of this writing, is continuing to keep our world in a state of flux. This puts those who have formed an attachment to alcohol in a very vulnerable position. Boredom is totally natural and we all feel it, but it can be hard to find a way out of your rut.
Hailing from Boulder County, Courtney embarked on her academic journey by earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She furthered her education by completing a master’s of science in clinical mental health counseling from Capella University. Additionally, Courtney obtained certificates in Alcohol and Drug Studies and is certified in Branspotting, a clinical treatment technique aiding individuals in processing trauma. Originally from Chino Hills, California, Chanel began her education at Gonzaga University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Philosophy. She continued her education at the University of Denver and earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling.
- Connecting with a support group can also help you build meaningful relationships with people who understand and can support you in your recovery journey.
- When you get sober, you realize there is an entire daytime pulse in your city or town that you never really felt before.
- Chanel completed internships at AspenRidge during her studies and eventually joined the team as a full-time primary clinician.
- Here, experts and sober influencers share their favorite go-to responses.
After managing that program for six years, Danny moved to AspenRidge and now leads the clinical team. I certainly would have if I’d read this article five years ago. 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 nothing else, it starts to chip away at any notion you might have that you’re unworthy. Journaling allowed me to step outside of my emotions.
You can go to a lake and watch your kids splashing around and actually get in the water and splash around with them. And we usually drink at the first hint of being bored. If you have kids, you know that your kids always say, I’m bored, there’s nothing to do.
For those who didn’t work from home, only 12% were prone to excessive drinking. Addiction is a progressive disease; it will only get worse the longer it goes untreated. We work quickly to ensure a place when you’re ready for treatment. If you haven’t read the Sober Lush, go ahead and pick it up. Or someone said even listening to it on audiobook was even better, because the stories are so rich and descriptive, and also short so you can listen to them in snippets.
The Sober School
In the absence of alcohol, regular life starts to feel dull and gray. It’s why so many people wrestle with depression and PAWS once they quit drinking. Over time, this can become a deeply ingrained habit.
Promises Behavioral Health Addiction Treatment Centers
But you can get takeout and have a picnic in a beautiful park alone or with a group or with your family. Drive your car to the mountains, which are only 45 minutes from Seattle and look at the giant green trees and sit by the river. You can go to the waterfront, or to another area that is pretty by your home and look around and take in the view drinking from boredom and bring a chair and bring a book and bring a blanket if you want to.