007

I find evenings the hardest part. Im newly sober and I don't sleep well. What do you all do in place of a drink in the evenings? Anybody found anything satisfying?

Mizz

HELLO!
I have found that structure is what helps. I plan out my evenings.

When I get home from work I make tea. Drink tea. Take bath. Eat food.
I then attend an online meeting.
Read for a bit.
Watch a series or movie.
Sleep
Rinse and repeat.

There is a ton of stuff that you could do.
Go for a walk
Participate here.
Read

Notch8

I take it you don't have a family or live with other people?

I re-discovered some former hobbies and interests. Took up exercising. I try to incorporate the family into it as much as possible, but also believe in having designated "alone time."

least

My favorite way to pass the time is to walk (or just interact with) my little dog. The walking helps me to sleep better and I always feel good after watching her just 'being a dog', checking her peemail.

Coldfusion

I celebrate happy hour with an AA meeting on Zoom.

https://eastsideaa.org/meetings/?tsml-type=ONL

nez

This might sound stupid or snarky but it is my truth, I still do the same things I did when I was drinking...I am just more present and cognizant of the activities that I am participating in.

Dee74

I'd try to steer away from looking for some 'thing' to 'replace' drinking.

I used to sit on the couch and drink, watching tv - I was still sitting on the couch watching tv and drinking something else in early recovery and wondering why I felt the pull towards drinking again.

Vary your routine if you can, try new activities....build a new sober life

D

ringoffire

Hey, I get it, I was there a few months ago. Everybody says, and yah yah, I know I know, you know you know - sleeping does get better. But it does. Took me a few months actually, but the sleeping thing levelled off and I get decent sleeps.

Evenings? Its tough, especially now with winter coming. But, I get home and immediately do some exercise. As in before I have a chance to sit down - get the gym clothes on, or get out of the house to go to the gym. Even if its not too intense, or too long, that habit does eat up some time, keeps you busy and you can think too. As a plus, the moving helps you sleep - and doing that for a few weeks (newly sober) eats up a lot of your time, so when you are done working out, make something healthy to eat, do the dishes - and its bed time!

Anyways, that is what I did, and it seemed to work. 8 months and counting....

anxiousrock

Evenings are hard. I have been exercising a lot during the day and then I like to go to bed early.
so at night I usually either do bootcamp or walk, then dinner, then get ready for work the next day. Boring, but keeps me occupied.

matrac

I love a good book. I was doing my drinking in the evening and so I found that I really wasn’t able to enjoy what I read Because my mind was dulled. I am enjoying it now however. I read every night before bed. If I don’t have anything to read, I watch a little tv and do needlework or draw.
I also have been getting some things done during the weeknights That I used to only do on the weekend. This way My weekends are more open and that allows me to get out and hike and enjoy my time off more. Making good Sober memories To carry me through

Dropsie

Netflix, Amazon Prime, baths, netflix, prime....and I do sleep like a baby since I stopped drinking and I do love my sleep.

Tynesider22

I found myself getting back into my hobbies before the alcohol took hold of me.

Mostly music and gaming. I've got myself a nice little console collection now, I'm back playing the guitar and I've started learning the ukelele.