What are you go-to ways to "let go" without booze?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 87
What are you go-to ways to "let go" without booze?
I'm sure many of us used to drink to let go of mental stressors, the incessant overthinking that we have in our minds.
Besides booze which is an absolutely terrible option, what are some of the best ways you get a natural release from that overthinking/stressing?
Besides booze which is an absolutely terrible option, what are some of the best ways you get a natural release from that overthinking/stressing?
Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 136
For me it’s binge watching shows on tv like I’m doing tonight. With a Dr.Pepper. Much better than sitting here drinking alcohol. Exercise is my morning routine before work as well. Find healthy habits because it makes you feel like not messing up your workouts with booze during the day.
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,748
Running is a good way for me to stop overthinking but I cant run all the time. 
Overthinking has been one thing that I work on daily.
Baths. Tea. Focusing elsewhere. I chant. Read. Distractions like housework and yard work. Watching a series. Its a work in progress with me and my brain.
Overthinking has been one thing that I work on daily. Baths. Tea. Focusing elsewhere. I chant. Read. Distractions like housework and yard work. Watching a series. Its a work in progress with me and my brain.
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: United States
Posts: 2,547
In early sobriety, I swore by a heating pad. I was really generous with myself when it came to eating whatever and whenever I wanted. I also journaled (opened a blank Word doc and typed until I uncovered my source of stress, and then deleted it, haha). Reading too - I went back a few years with NYT book reviews and then checked out a million ebooks.
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Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: London
Posts: 333
There isn't one that is comparable to the effect of alcohol. It took me a while to get my head around that one. You will feel better if you keep a healthy weight, eat well, exercise, sleep well, get a hobby, read, music, films etc.
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
That spinny, busy brain thing naturally eases off with sober time.
All the above suggestions are really good too. I find I need to catch it (the ruminations/overthinking) right away and not let it spiral down.
There is a great thread in the Anxiety subforum in the stickied threads at the top called, (Emotional Memory Management)"Emotional Memory Management"
All the above suggestions are really good too. I find I need to catch it (the ruminations/overthinking) right away and not let it spiral down.
There is a great thread in the Anxiety subforum in the stickied threads at the top called, (Emotional Memory Management)"Emotional Memory Management"
Blue Belt
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Soberville, USA
Posts: 4,174
I started to respond last night but literally fell asleep while typing. lol...
Basically, sobering up for the last 6 years has been a slow ride out of insanity.
If cleaning up was easy, nobody would do it.
My brain was permanently damaged by my years of booze abuse.
I didn't heal, I got used to what was left. My brain rewired. If I relapse, what is left might not be able to rewire. I will go back to insane and maybe not make it out.
F that!
I work out as much as my body can take. I am a nice person almost all of the time. I constantly do little acts of kindness, without a care for reward. This lifestyle gives me a natural high that is better than any intoxication I ever felt from booze.
I will crave for life. Any decision to drink is a relapse.
Hope this helps you or anyone crawl out of the hell hole of being an active addict.
Love love love.
Thanks.
Basically, sobering up for the last 6 years has been a slow ride out of insanity.
If cleaning up was easy, nobody would do it.
My brain was permanently damaged by my years of booze abuse.
I didn't heal, I got used to what was left. My brain rewired. If I relapse, what is left might not be able to rewire. I will go back to insane and maybe not make it out.
F that!
I work out as much as my body can take. I am a nice person almost all of the time. I constantly do little acts of kindness, without a care for reward. This lifestyle gives me a natural high that is better than any intoxication I ever felt from booze.
I will crave for life. Any decision to drink is a relapse.
Hope this helps you or anyone crawl out of the hell hole of being an active addict.
Love love love.
Thanks.
p***enger
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Posts: 19,025
I get a charge now from making simple gestures of noticing or gratitude. Complimenting people at checkout counters on their haircuts or just their expertise at bagging. Making someone smile. It's silly but it soothes the negative babble in my head and does no harm.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 24
Exercise. I like to jog slow or fast. Also, I drink a Sprite Zero lemon or a lot of water. I set goals and mark them down on my phone calendar. I call a friend. I realize that what ever stress will flow by me. I remind myself that I can only control what I can, so I don’t need to put anymore pressure on myself. One can’t solve all the problems in that moment. Everything takes some time and that’s just fine.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: The Midwest
Posts: 649
Cooking is my go-to. Braising, smoking, grilling — and I love cooking with cast iron. The hobby is so immersive and fulfilling for me, you never stop growing and learning, and I get to share the results with family and friends.
You’ll find a multitude of answers on this one. Medication and careful breathing is another good one. Yard work. Exercise. The trick, I suppose, is to do something that brings you joy.
You’ll find a multitude of answers on this one. Medication and careful breathing is another good one. Yard work. Exercise. The trick, I suppose, is to do something that brings you joy
.bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,759
I love walking my little beagirl. No matter how stressed I am, I always feel better during and after our walks. I walk a lot anyway, but most enjoy my walks with Billie.
And, like Courage, I depend heavily on gratitude. Being grateful has changed my life for the better. Also, showing kindness and thanks to those I encounter makes me feel so good.
No matter how stressed I am, I always feel better during and after our walks. I walk a lot anyway, but most enjoy my walks with Billie. And, like Courage, I depend heavily on gratitude. Being grateful has changed my life for the better. Also, showing kindness and thanks to those I encounter makes me feel so good.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 467
Binge watching Netflix etc, long walks and bike rides, finding new recipes to cook, reading, baths, and my newest thing is yoga - I'm terrible at it and am yet to find a begginers YouTube video I can complete 😂
But I'm trying.
But I'm trying.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 356
Walking
For me, it has been walking. Before COVID I used to walk on the gym track. Now, I am outdoors at the park. I try to do 4 miles a day. Sometimes I don't make it but I try. I listen to podcasts, there are plenty to choose from. Or just walk and think. It helps, and it develops a pattern of exercise. Best wishes on your recovery.
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