It definitely feels like there’s some kind of psychologically soothing effect of cracking open that booze-free beer or popping that ‘Nosecco’ cork. I learnt recently that it takes alcohol seven minutes to hit the brain, so perhaps it’s not too dissimilar to that fake initial ‘relief’ you get when drinking the real thing. Reading, taking online courses, learning a language, writing a blog, or a journal or starting a side project are all great alternatives to hitting the pub and drinking at night. Before I get into the list, it’s going to be really important for you to look at how you can change your habits around alcohol, and what you should do before taking a break from the booze. It clears my head, let’s me think, presents answers to questions that would never drinking out of boredom come when I’m sat at my desk. I listen to audio books or podcasts while I’m walking, I get too restless to do that while I’m sat at home.

Boredom can be Destructive

• Some days are not very exciting, and some days are joy filled.
• I promise it will do wonders for your mental health, which, in turn, will help you feel motivated to do more things.
• Because you had a glass of wine next to you?
• And they also are navigating life without alcohol.
• Schedule a spa day, class, or outing based on what deals you can find.

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. Volunteer at your local shelter or thrift store. Sign up to do some work in your community garden. I’ve included this separate from hobbies because I don’t believe that journaling is a hobby.

Quitting Alcohol Timeline: What Happens When You Stop Drinking?

• It wasn’t even something my kids wanted or my husband wanted.
• Her expertise encompasses group and individual work, with a particular focus on trauma.
• You’ll feel empowered to resist the urge next time.
• A Qualified mental health professional or psychiatrist can help and assist in managing these symptoms.
• You don’t need to work your life around group meetings or classes at a specific day or time.
• Boredom, a state we’ve all experienced, can be a tricky beast.

A sure sign of problematic bored drinking is failing to achieve hobby-related goals. Say you have downtime on a Saturday afternoon after a challenging week at work. “Getting through the week” might be your rationale for pouring a glass of wine. There are plenty of situations where having a drink is a great way to celebrate an accomplishment. Unfortunately, problems can surface if you use “I deserve it” to justify bored drinking.

Family

The current pandemic has highlighted how boredom can trigger the misuse of substances, particularly alcohol. In fact, alcohol sales outside of bars and restaurants surged 24% shortly after stay-at-home orders began. 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. At the moment, bored drinking might not have a negative impact on your work or family life.

Have everyone chip in a few bucks and snag some canvases and paints from a local craft store. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks top it all off. If you’re not feeling date night, bake yourself a loaf of bread. There’s nothing more satisfying than hand-kneading a gooey dough, smelling the yeast as it rises, and eating a slice of bread you made from scratch. Play trivia with your friends or family—or just listen to a podcast like Triviality for casual and less competitive trivia. Write it out or talk it out with a friend (or your voice memos app).

Learn & create

These are the kind of people who are hiding in plain sight, who you’ve never noticed before. But they are smart and interesting, and do activities that aren’t centered around alcohol. There is a quiet time between drinking and your life after drinking. You sleep a lot and you feel a little down your body and your mind and your emotions are adjusting to life without alcohol. But it will lift little by little and new interests and joy will come into the picture. Various addiction treatment programs are available for those struggling with alcohol use disorder and boredom drinking.

Build a strong support network.

After destroying her sister’s wedding, Sandra Bullock’s character is forced to confront her issue with alcohol, then enters rehab and comes out 28 days later. I actually started running a couple of years ago, but stopped when my hangovers started lasting several days. Back then, I couldn’t run for more than two minutes without wanting a break, but, I very gradually worked my way up to 5k with the Couch to 5k podcast. This is a brilliant and FREE podcast of guided runs that very gradually build up, until before you know it you can run for 30 minutes without stopping. As the title suggests, she records the highs and lows of giving up alcohol in her first year. During this time, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer – something she’s sure would’ve had her reaching for the wine even more frequently if she hadn’t already quit.