... find yourself a hobby
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
If there are things you know you definitely won't enjoy.... don't think about doing them. Pointless dwelling in negative places.
Many of us lost touch with who we were sober, and what we were interested in. It takes a while to rediscover all that stuff. And there's likely to be some false starts when we try out new hobbies for size. For example, I tried bell-ringing. What a fiasco! My sewing exploits weren't so clever either. However, I've also done choir, running club, tap dancing, some volunteering and taken up my trumpet playing again after years of neglecting it, which I have enjoyed. I've also read much more, and started creative writing group, both of which I love. AA has helped me find other sober friends, so there's usually someone about for coffee and a natter, or a walk along the river, or a train ride to another city, or some gawping in a museum. There's a big world full of stuff to do, and we'll probably never get to try everything, but while we're earning ourselves another shot at this thing called life, we might as well try living it by trying some new things, and rekindling some old interests.
Maybe go on an opportunity spotting walk and use your mobile to photograph any posters advertising things you could try. The walk will do you good if nothing else. I found the public library and newsagent windows a good place to start looking. That sowed some seeds of ideas in my head as well as finding some opportunities, and I could come home with some Google searches in mind.
Good luck.
Many of us lost touch with who we were sober, and what we were interested in. It takes a while to rediscover all that stuff. And there's likely to be some false starts when we try out new hobbies for size. For example, I tried bell-ringing. What a fiasco! My sewing exploits weren't so clever either. However, I've also done choir, running club, tap dancing, some volunteering and taken up my trumpet playing again after years of neglecting it, which I have enjoyed. I've also read much more, and started creative writing group, both of which I love. AA has helped me find other sober friends, so there's usually someone about for coffee and a natter, or a walk along the river, or a train ride to another city, or some gawping in a museum. There's a big world full of stuff to do, and we'll probably never get to try everything, but while we're earning ourselves another shot at this thing called life, we might as well try living it by trying some new things, and rekindling some old interests.
Maybe go on an opportunity spotting walk and use your mobile to photograph any posters advertising things you could try. The walk will do you good if nothing else. I found the public library and newsagent windows a good place to start looking. That sowed some seeds of ideas in my head as well as finding some opportunities, and I could come home with some Google searches in mind.
Good luck.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 38
I know getting out of alcohol dependency is very different than marijuana, but when I was quitting pot it wasn't so much "get a hobby" as it was "distract yourself when the cravings hit until they stop". This is the big key, IMHO. Not to necessarily find something that you can do for fun (which is always nice anyway) but to find something that you can do regularly that will help take your mind off the fact that you are not going to go back to the addiction no matter what.
What worked best for me was to take a walk when I felt a craving coming on. If it wasn't possible to walk, I turned to something else I could easily do that didn't require me to spend much time setting up or spending money on it. Reading, playing guitar (or other instrument), playing with the cats/dogs -- anything which is both easily at hand and not difficult to begin that you can do for enough time to take your mind away from returning to the addiction.
What worked best for me was to take a walk when I felt a craving coming on. If it wasn't possible to walk, I turned to something else I could easily do that didn't require me to spend much time setting up or spending money on it. Reading, playing guitar (or other instrument), playing with the cats/dogs -- anything which is both easily at hand and not difficult to begin that you can do for enough time to take your mind away from returning to the addiction.
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Coast
Posts: 1,906
I have soo many hobbies...i guess i always have. i just didn't do them when i was drinking.
I paint, illustrate, write, restore classic cars...I also love radio control cars, drones and airplanes.
I love motocross (although i really can't ride anymore) stadium truck racing and dune buggies.
I'm in a constant distraction mode. Some days it's the only things keeping me out of my head.
I'm so blessed for that.
For when i live in those 12 inches between my ears, it can be quite scary.
I paint, illustrate, write, restore classic cars...I also love radio control cars, drones and airplanes.
I love motocross (although i really can't ride anymore) stadium truck racing and dune buggies.
I'm in a constant distraction mode. Some days it's the only things keeping me out of my head.
I'm so blessed for that.
For when i live in those 12 inches between my ears, it can be quite scary.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 15,238
The emptiness will soon be filled, the
longer we further ourselves away from
our last drink or drug.
When the fog clears and we become
teachable, willing, openminded and
honest to allow a program of recovery
to be taught to us as a guideline to
live by, then we will begin to experience
many awesome gifts to enjoy for yrs
to come.
What use to be hopelessness and despair
will turn into a life filled with gratefulness,
respect, a life worth living for.
Focus on getting healthy first and the
rest will follow remembering none of
us started off running after we sobered
us, for if we did we'd surely crash. So learning
to crawl like and infant, small steps and
before you know it, just like a toddler, you'll
be walking and this time with an inner
peace and quiet confidence to sustain
you for many more one days sober or
clean down the road.
Grab a hold of others who have paved
the road of recovery for you and allow
them to show you the way so you never
have to go thru this alone.
We here in SR and those in face to face
meetings are here and there for you.
longer we further ourselves away from
our last drink or drug.
When the fog clears and we become
teachable, willing, openminded and
honest to allow a program of recovery
to be taught to us as a guideline to
live by, then we will begin to experience
many awesome gifts to enjoy for yrs
to come.
What use to be hopelessness and despair
will turn into a life filled with gratefulness,
respect, a life worth living for.
Focus on getting healthy first and the
rest will follow remembering none of
us started off running after we sobered
us, for if we did we'd surely crash. So learning
to crawl like and infant, small steps and
before you know it, just like a toddler, you'll
be walking and this time with an inner
peace and quiet confidence to sustain
you for many more one days sober or
clean down the road.
Grab a hold of others who have paved
the road of recovery for you and allow
them to show you the way so you never
have to go thru this alone.
We here in SR and those in face to face
meetings are here and there for you.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
Great question, and one I believe many of us struggled with. When actively drinking, the only thing that interested me was....more drinking. Once I got some time between my last drink and my sobriety I started to see that I indeed have some interests and there were thing I was curious to learn. My "hobbies" are excruciatingly boring but what I have done for months was to get involved in our elections here in the US and I read A LOT. I also started a real estate practice.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: West Tn
Posts: 3,043
Hobbies are great pursuits, usually, unless they include some inherently unhealthy activity like gambling, etc.
But I have to remember that my enjoyment of hobbies has been made possible by my recovery.
When I was in the treatment center, a wonderful counselor required us to write down 10 things we really wanted to pursue (e.g. trout fishing).
He then asked us to identify the ones that we could still do if we kept drinking and using.
It was a fairly teachable moment for those of us who wanted to get clean and sober.
I agree wholeheartedly with Sharon's assessment of pursuing recovery and savoring the promises of the program, along with our hobbies and other pursuits.
But I have to remember that my enjoyment of hobbies has been made possible by my recovery.
When I was in the treatment center, a wonderful counselor required us to write down 10 things we really wanted to pursue (e.g. trout fishing).
He then asked us to identify the ones that we could still do if we kept drinking and using.
It was a fairly teachable moment for those of us who wanted to get clean and sober.
I agree wholeheartedly with Sharon's assessment of pursuing recovery and savoring the promises of the program, along with our hobbies and other pursuits.
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