Flyersfan

I've learned about the side effects, but what about the boredom... feel like I can not have fun as easy as I used to... there are only so many movies I can go see...

any advice?

Matt

Anna

Hi Matt,

I think the boredom will go away, but you may need to take action for that to happen. What kinds of things do you like doing - music, sports, arts? Take a look around your community and get involved. Maybe sign up for a course in something you're interested in. Volunteer work is such a satisfying thing to do.

jessieb

HI - just want to say, I feel the same way - even tho there is so much in my life to take care of .... others...

hector

Enhance your definition of fun.

Sometime

If you're talking about alcohol it is difficult coz anything's enjoyable after a few beers.

Being sober it is just different and you get used to it and things can be still fun.

stillsleeping

Exercise. Am going out of my MIND right now cos I can't have any (tail end of flu) but when I can it's worked so far for me. Feels good doin it, feels good after it, I look good, it's free, and it reminds me why I don't want to drink. Am on day 24 so it seems to be working. Good luck
xx

least

i've been sober over two years now and my life is most definately not boring, it's predictable. I like predictable. Life doesn't throw me so many curve balls now that I'm living with a clear head, and those it does throw me I'm better able to deal with.

At first I was bored cause drinking was something to do, but then I just did what I always did, only sober. It'll get better. Find something to do with your time.

Flyersfan

That helps me when I have huge urges, 28 days congrats! keep it going

Thanks for all the responses... I don't even know what I find fun when I am not drinking... seriously.... can play video games for a bit, love movies...

Maybe rejoin a soccer league?

LDT

Looking back, I can think of nothing more boring than drinking all day. Where's the fun in that? Just one endless gulp after another.....no thanks. These days I am finding there are just not enough hours..... I'm with hector.....redefine FUN!

Flyersfan

I disagree.... tomorrow Munich plays Marseilles... nothing more that I want to do is take a half day and watch the game outside while pounding mlites

tomorrow will be a test :day1

LDT

Choices, my friend......how badly do you want to pass that "test"?

SOBERINNEPA

Boredom and loneliness are two huge triggers for me. Especially in the late afternoon and early evening hours because that's when I'd start drinking. I go to the gym after work, then a meeting and run an errand or two. Keep it rolling until 7:30 or 8:00 then start to get ready for the next day.

Idle hands and all that...

Mark75

Just give it time, my friend. I was really bored, now I don't have time to do all I want to do.... and need to, LOL

Sapling

I just kept myself busy working on my recovery...It was like learning a whole new way to live...Plenty to learn. I was at a meeting in my first month of AA and a guy shared how bored he was....He bought a whole box of DVD's to take care of that....9 months later I haven't seen that guy since. I guess boredom is what you make it to be.

2granddaughters

Matt, boredom can be a symptom of selfishness, it usually is in my case.

God has given me a new chance in life, a life without booze, and I'm bored !!


I've found that the best way out of my "boredom" is to go to a meeting or call a newcomer and try to help them with their recovery. It gets ME out of ME.

Hang in there, soon boredom will turn to gratitude and life will be a whole lot easier.

Bob R

Flyersfan

Same for me!!! if I make it to 7 then I wont be drinking usually

instant

Boredom is natures way of signalling to us that we have spare capacity. It's up to us to do the rest.

The statement above though indicates you still value drinking above other activities / ways of being ("nothing more"). That is not the same as boredom.

Both of these issues can we worked on.

SASA

When I started sobering up I had a hard time. One of my triggers to drink was boredom. I always felt: oh I have 1h I deserve to relax, lets drink a bottle of wine. Especially when I felt alone. It even was oh itis sunday at 3pm Nothing to do so why nots have some wine to relax. When I stopped I had all this empty time to fill and felt so lonely. Slowly though my life filled up with thigs and I am now so busy doing stuff that I am happy if I have 5 min for myself. It just happened. I often ask myslef now how were I able to drink.
In the ealry stages I spent hours cleaning the house when I was bored, started going for walks etc. I really did not have any friends or anybody to hang out with. Now it is slowly improving

2granddaughters

Matt, Ive also had to re-evaluate my scale of 1-10 that I used.......

A normal person's 1-10 scale (you know, "How's your day going on a scale of 1-10?") would be a 1 if their mother just passed and a 10 if they got a chance to spend some extra time in a warm bath.

My day was a 1 if I went out to get in the car and a tire was flat and a 10 if the Judge let me off on a DUI and I stopped at the strip bar with a $100.00 bill I found to celebrate.

My "frame of reference" was extremely distorted and perverted, you know what I'm saying??

I had to begin to appreciate the simple, little things ... the everyday gifts that God gives us. I had to begin to see the glass half full rather than half empty.

Best wishes to you Matt, stay dry and on the path to recovery.

Bob R

Dee74

I was really bored when I gave up drinking too Matt - I think it's natural for a lot of us.

Over the years of drinking I actually lost the capacity to make my own fun - it was much easier to simply crack open a bottle...I found daytime TV held my interest then, ferpetessake.

'Fun' when drinking is a passive thing - but sober you gotta do a little work I think

Finding fun and not being bored is not hard - little kids do it after all, right? - but we need to redevelop the skill of making our own fun - we have to actively look for things that interest us.

You'll get there - like Mark said - it's rare I have a day when I can actually fit everything in now

D