So whether you are an absent-minded drinker or a lonely or anxious one, what can you do to prevent drinking out of boredom? Here are 5 tips to help you make changes to your drinking habits that could help you feel better, for good. It’s very common for people, especially those with additional mental health issues like depression and anxiety, to drink out of boredom. At the moment, bored drinking might not have a negative impact on your work or family life. If you start noticing these side effects, it’s time to re-evaluate how you deal with boredom.
- This can eventually meant that the individual develops a dependency.
- One of the reasons why people are reluctant to escape addiction is that they fear that life in recovery will be boring.
- “They might be able to better control these emotions when sober, but they’re still present on some level,” said Edmonds.
- Unfortunately, drinking alcohol because of boredom makes you feel worse which in turn, makes you feel even less confident about going out and making new connections.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, your doctor may even recommend medication to help treat depression and anxiety. My friends and I got together for happy hours after work. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ It all felt normal, even the terrible parts like awful hangovers and hangxiety. It’s why nothing seems fun or exciting, and you struggle to motivate yourself to have a good time.
How to Stop Drinking Out of Boredom
The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) method of goal-setting is quite popular because it is effective. The issue with too much research is that it rarely reflects the actual problems you will experience when you’re doing the thing. You have to have faith in your ability to problem-solve or find someone with the answers. People like to feel as though they are making progress toward something.
When you begin to view your negative thoughts and feelings as problems to be solved rather than the embodiment of who you actually are, you liberate yourself. It also opens up space to approach your internal world differently. One of the biggest drinking out of boredom impediments to my sobriety during my relapse days was my inability to avoid getting consumed by emotions. So much of this list is not just about finding things to do, but treating the underlying causes of extreme boredom in sobriety.
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Things that people do during that day that don’t involve recovering or boozy brunch. When I quit drinking, I was lucky to have a spouse that supported my decision. I have gone to bars with people I genuinely like as a sober person, and I don’t stay for longer than an hour or two if nothing is happening.
That’s why heavy drinking around coworkers is nearly always a bad idea. One minute you and Karen from accounting are exchanging polite jokes over daquiris. The next, she’s running out of the bar in tears because you told her what you really think of her gerbil desk calendar. People — especially men — who are prone to anger or aggression while sober are more likely to act aggressive when they’re drunk.
Eliminate alcohol from your living space
Plus, you might meet some cool people, and that’s always a double win. That being said, drinking FOMO is real and must be dealt with. Sometimes admitting the truth to yourself is the first step.