whatcouldbe

Day 43 and still doing good. Curious as to what you find to fill your time that used to be with your drinking friends (especially if that was all you had). I know to get out and meet new friends but what kind of non deinking things do you do on weekends in particular? Just need some fresh ideas...

MeSoSober

On New Year's Eve 2016 I volunteered for the first time with our local soup kitchen. I have also GREATLY enjoyed walking dogs at the Humane Society. Good physical exercise and emotional/mental dog therapy!

Are there parks in your area you have yet to explore? When I was living with my parents I "discovered" one about 30 minutes away that had marvelous trails and beautiful views. Loved it.

I haven't really done it lately but am very much looking forward to creating another junk journal from an old book cover. I always seem to spend all this time looking for and buying things to make them and then not actually working on them! But I know I'll be completely absorbed in it when I start.

And then there's all THIS:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ething-do.html

gettingsmarter

I love waking up early on weekends exercising and getting things done. I'm coming up on 2 years and it still amazes me that a weekend is actually longer than 2 hours of fragmented memories. Sorry not anything specific. I just love spending my weekends not drunk and depressed.

BrendaChenowyth

Oh yeah, it's a common discussion topic round these parts.

My advice is that if you have anxiety you want to do anything physical, stay moving somehow. If you are feeling a little stuck or down, do something creative that you haven't done before.

rascalwhiteoak

I agree. I've picked up a walking habit of late; I also find myself reading more and listening to new podcasts.

melki

Congrats on 43 days! Funny, I was just asking myself "when did I even find the time to drink?" Of course, I did, because it eventually took over all my interests, responsibilities, and anything I cared about. After you stop, you go back to finding yourself, what interested you before, and all the things you didn't get to try. Have fun exploring! I second the advice to find some physical activities you enjoy.

rubythrill

I go to the same AA meeting every night of the week, and one on Sunday morning. I will have 4 months on Friday. This has helped fill time and allowed me to meet people who are going through or have been through very similar circumstances. Despite being very introverted I've actually managed to make a couple friends and we get together and have dinner or coffee and chit chat.

I also spend my time exercising, playing games on my phone, watching various TV shows, coloring in adult coloring books with colored pencils (I invested in a pricey high quality set) and needlepoint.

Congrats on 43 days, you can do this! Just stay in the moment the best you can, and even if the present moment completely and utterly sucks, just remember that it too shall pass. Staying present and radical acceptance has really helped keep me sober.

Dee74

You do whatever you want whatcouldbe

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ething-do.html

eggcup25

I agree 100%.

Enjoying time with my family on walks, getting a book read, cooking up tasty wholesome food, cleaning cupboards out (not exactly glam but necessary and wouldn't have got done if I'd chosen a date with the bottle instead!), taking my son to parks, museums, riding my bike...

Early days for me, but already feel like I have my life back!

SnazzyDresser

Sometimes I like to go shopping for snazzy new clothes.

MissPerfumado

After the first weeks of sobriety, I spent some weekends doing big clean-outs - I went through old clothes and shoes, gave away things, had stuff mended, organised my music collection, and just got generally sorted. I've kept quite tidy and it's a joy to be that sort of person.

These days, if I'm not with family, I spend a lot of my weekend reading, being on SR, running and going to the gym. I've taken up flying - which has been a secret ambition for a long time and my big goal this year and I do that every other Saturday. I've worked out I spend less on flying lessons than I did on booze.

FeelingGreat

probably some sporting thing suitable for your age.....I'm thinking cycling, hiking, walking groups, hobby stuff like racing model cars. Competitive pistol shooting, air pistol's a good one to start with.
Something you do with others.

entropy1964

My daughter, 16, is always bored. She always 'needs' to be doing something. She is so busy with school, debate, girl scouts, her friends, volunteering. But if she just has to sit around (even when she has chores she 'could' do) she goes crazy. Restless, irritable, discontent. She's always having to buy something, do something, eat something, drinking something (non alcoholic obviously ) She's a human doing and a human consuming. Of course, she's 16 so this is pretty normal.

She is now burnt out completely. Stressed to the max and sick as hell. Not to go into detail but she realizes she needs to be a human being, not a human doing. She is not the sum total of her exterior activity and consumption.

Ha. Don't know why I'm saying this. I guess I'm a master at just doing small things and feeling content (this is after decades of being a consumer, needer, wanter, fill the void kinda person).

There is ALWAYs something to do. Its learning to BE that leads to peace.

AdelineRose

I do anything and everything that does not include drinking, drugs, or addicts.

-Shopping
- cleaning
- taking loooonnnggg walks and I also visit new parks every weekend where I can explore; sometimes I bring a friend or family member and sometimes I go alone.
-I joined the library so I can read as many books as I want
-I color if I want to get out of my own head (adult coloring books can be perfect for down time)
-I journal
- I go out with friends and family- dinner, movies, shopping- anything and everything
- I started a healthier lifestyle that includes healthy cooking, meal planning, at home work out routines and walking.
- Netflix is a great way to not think about drinking at night for me


I like to make lists for the next day so I can keep myself busy- also keeps me really productive- I can't say I have "nothing to do" if I have a list of things that I need to do!

Gottalife

You reminded me of that 5th step promise "we can be alone at perfect peace and ease"

Once the alcoholism is treated, and we have freedom from its clutches, we can go anywhere and do anything that others can do, except drink and maybe one or two other things.

My thing was always boating. I had a little sail boat in early sobriety and was out on it at every opportunity, usually with an AA buddy along for the ride. Now I am sailing in SE Asia. I have been in various clubs, Toastmasters was good fun, a very good confidence builder, travel, an actual career from unemployable to national manager for a major franchise, self employment for the last 20 years. The limit is your imagination.

Sadly, the imagination that was such a great inventor of excuses can desert us for a while when we first get sober. That is where SR is really great. You can borrow our imaginations, and pick whatever looks like fun.