Stimulate the brain or stimulate the body?
 

Hello SR peeps,

I hope you are all having a sober and peaceful start to 2018. I am lucky to have an ending of IOP that roughly coincides to the new year and what that means is I suddenly go from commitments 3 nights a week to a much lower level of care leaving me with time to fill.

I've been finding that having a schedule really helps me with my early sobriety question of 'what to do with my time' after work; I've also been slowly adding new things back into my life. So, it is time to take a class of some sort and give some structure to my life and stimulate either my brain or my body.

My question is, what would other people recommend choosing? What did you enjoy in early sobriety and why?

The exercise classes are likely to be cheaper but will contribute to my physical well being and likely help me loose weight. The course series I found in data visualization is the first thing I've really been excited about in years. The financial cost and schedule would be hard to coordinate but build my confidence at work and be useful every single day.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hi, Sath.

Happy New Year!

My answer would be: both.

It's like choosing between food and water.

Not taking good care of the body will eventually backfire and undermine brain performance.

Physical activity improves creativity, memory, etc.

Make a schedule to incorporate activities from both areas. Then adjust along the way to make them work for you.

Good luck.

Welcome and Happy New year!

I found both work well for me.

I have beachbody on demand, so hundreds of workouts and my fingertips. I also started painting, busy hands busy mind. Painting is also where I meditate, I get lost in what I'm doing and think about nothing, which is amazing for me.

You'll get lots of advice here.

Happy trails of sobriety!

Yup and doing both makes sense. What I am thinking about is what is the next major structured thing I am going to put into place.

Maybe the answer is to do a little less and pick both. It is an interesting choice to think over.

such a great thing: choices!

Welcome.

Another "vote" for both.

I started in small increments of each - really, in all areas of my life. I have found (at 22+ mo) that both, and again, all things- are vastly different and WIDER than I ever thought.

Take care. Don't drink, and the IME, the rest can follow.