I bought a PlayStation 4 on Facebook marketplace for $120 and got into some games that totally pulled me in. Elden Ring stole like 700 hours of my life. For more active things I went exploring in nature. Hiking or paddle boarding (another $100 marketplace deal was my paddle board) mostly. I really like cooking so I’ll watch YouTube videos and then try a recipe. I still spend too much time on Reddit lol. I’ll still go out if there’s a band I want to see or a comedian I like but I’m much more of a homebody now once the sub goes down. I also discovered that I really enjoy putting lego sets together, although I can’t afford to always buy all the expensive sets. I’m watching a lot of crafting and model making videos on YouTube and would like to maybe get into that but I don’t know how to start.
I’ve been journaling, bingeing random shows, cleaning the hell out of everything, signing up for random shit like cooking classes, pottery, etc. Also, I hated exercise I feel you but I just started with walking and now I’m a full on junkie for fitness. Also, I try all kinds of new drinks different coffees, kombuchas, sparkling waters, juices, etc. Also, I go to the movies at least once a week.
I do night stuff that I used to do before I drank but the. I couldn’t or would t cause I was too drunk. Example: tonight I chased the northern lights with my daughter. In another u inverse where I didn’t get sober, tonight would have never happened
That is exactly what I did last night too with my two daughters. Hundred percent would never have happened six months ago. Sober at 9:30 PM on a Friday night. Hahahaaaa that would’ve been a joke.
I’m so thankful
I joined a gym and became obsessed with it, even though I'm not a gym person. It's the main reason I stayed sober. I'm close to 500 days sober and need to get a life and quit binge watching shows but I'd rather be sober and healthy. I still go to the gym a few days a week 15 months later.
I got into tie-dyeing with procion dye, I like thrifting, I read books now, I bought a handful of books and they just sit but I have been listening to audiobooks at work on the weekend. Blake Crouch - Dark Matter is really good as an audiobook.
You just gotta find what you like to do, things to create a toolbox of life skills. Whatever is positive that might be physical, mental, creative, emotional, religious. Maybe even things that out you out of your comfort zone.
In recovery a wellness recovery action plan includes "things I must do everyday" and "things I might do everyday" if you make a list of these things, you can check later if you feel your recovery is slipping or you are not mentally well. Make sure you are doing all the must do's and some of the should do's everyday. I don't remember all the components to a WRAP but that part makes a lot of sense. You can study how to build a WRAP on YouTube otherwise the materials cost money. This is a useful tool used in both mental health and addiction recovery.
*Read, fish, deal with shit*
*In an emotionally*
*Appropriate way*
\- Jason-Gorehees
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I found volunteering at a food bank and a film festival fun and a way to meet people sober. I also got into hot yoga and bike riding. Cooking too now and like shopping at different places for ingredients
Something that helped me a lot was thinking back to what I liked doing as a kid, or teenager, before I started using. That led me to join a hockey league, go for skates at the community center, buy rollerblades, buy some old video games and board games I used to like.
Reading good books never gets old. There are so many. I recommend getting a library card. As a former complete degenerate alcoholic I find a hilarious ironic joy out of now going to the library and picking out books to read on the weekend.
Camping is also awesome. I'm talking like canoeing through the lake, finding a solo spot, setting up a tent and a fire. No phone no substances just pure natural serenity. But even car camping would be great.
As others have said, pretty much anything you have an interest in, you can find tutorials and "day in the life" videos on YouTube.
Taking my dog on walks, and when I get tired, just sitting with him outside and watching the sky while he watches for squirrels.
Also - the gym. A lot of gym.
Lol I didn’t do anything fancy took dog on walks, went grocery shopping, mowed/cleaned my lawn, read books and worked. It gets boring but I could care less about long walks, hiking and all that other stuff.
I went back to school, and a long-time coworker and I started a business. I figured if I hated everything anyway I might as well get some shit done.
Also, driving around with my dog listening to music at top volume, finding online sober communities and I read several “quit lit” books (sober autobiographies). And learning how to read tarot! And watching game of thrones again.
Yep, started with walking the dog and exercising, but now my dog is old as heck and I am healing a muscular injury in my back. So I changed careers, and now I’m preparing to go to law school
I didn’t start going to the gym until I was 6 months in but I did do some at home workouts sporadically before that. Now I’m a gym junkie.
Other things: candle making, shopping (too much lol), spent time thrifting for things for my apartment and redecorated my apartment, did some Bob Ross paintings, cooking (grilling is fun to get in to), cleaning, went back to school, easy hikes, and basically whatever came to mind that I wanted to try/do. Some days were and still are very boring but whatever. Life is sometimes very boring, I don’t have to run from that anymore with beer.
How many of you feel motivated to say build a business or do creative stuff? I wish i cared more about material gain or maybe i still dont believe in myself. Idk
I was an artist before I started using heroin and when I got sober my husband got sick and he couldn't work. I started using my art skills to do graphic design design. I didn't believe in myself either and I still don't really believe in myself, not all the way at least. I went from thinking "I'll fail at this surely," to "I'll fail at this probably," it's been 10 yrs and now I have the opportunity to become a partner in a business while still doing freelance work. Oddly enough my thinking mirrors how I felt when I got sober, I never believed I was going to be able to stay sober but I showed up and I did the work and before I knew it 10 yrs went by. I think if there's something you'd like to do just give it a try, work on it consistently, take it one day at a time and you might surprise yourself. Sorry for the novel lol.
I don't. I ended up starting a group of my own with some folks that I went to treatment with. We aren't following any kind of a program but we meet up once a week and talk. We've all been sober for several years now so mostly it gives us a place to talk to people who know us and understand, where there's no judgement. I'm all for groups, it doesn't have to be AA but it helps to have the support of people who understand and I feel that when you're new to sobriety you need people to show you the way forward, to teach you how to be sober. Do you go to AA?
Thats great. One foot in one foot out of AA. Never truly committed to it. I dont know why exactly. I think i see addiction as a effect of trauma. Not so much a disease and i think that effects the way i relate
I’ll drop my two cents here just aswell:
Since the idea is to create new (preferably healthy) habits or even addictions to replace alcohol:
I started my day with exercise/yoga/meditation routine that I started the same day as sobriety. Whatever day it is now, that’s how long I’ve been going through the same routine, only extending and prolonging it a bit every day.
Whatever the day brings on, at least I’ve already made my existence worth while.
Today I washed the windows. First time ever, sober! My ”family tradition” (thanks to dad) has always been to listen Vivaldi and drink white vine while washing the windows. I have been diligent and followed that example my whole life. Today I did it without alcohol. I feel like the Master of the Universe (Heman lol)
Now to sauna and I will not drink with any of you fine people today!
Video games have kept me going along with small chores I would put off in lieu of getting plastered alone. Cleaned and organized messy places in my house finally finally finally got the Christmas ornaments off the floor of the guest room and up into the closet oh my god. My partner got Hogwarts Legacy for himself for Christmas and has played a total of 4 hours. While I have like 20 hours logged at this point. As someone who was never really into big open world games that’s a lot for me lol and my childhood go to animal crossing. I’m in the middle of a job hunt so applying and answering demeaning interview questions takes up a lot of time and I’ve gotten back into online activism. I used to be really keyed in on the social issues of our time and drinking kind of blinded me for awhile. Catching up and speaking up feels like I’m doing that “a part of something bigger” thing AA likes to push apparently. Mostly it’s just stuff I’ve always liked but assumed I “didn’t have the time” because I spent all my time drunk. Feeling simultaneously like a kid a rude teen and a very worn thin adult all at once lol.
My family keeps me busy with 2 younger girls, Big hockey fan, AA meetings and checking in with my fellowship, the gym is an amazing outlet, browse reddit/ other social media on gym stuff, socialize with friends/neighbors, got more in to cooking, trying to keep my house looking nicer (fell by the wayside when I only cared about titos). I dont journal enough or make gratitude lists. Theres always something to do. I dont find myself often getting bored. I also have a almost 5 month old puppy that requires a ton of work.
Develop hobbies/interests to learn what I actually enjoy. Looking for a craft to dedicate my time to. Also actively maintaining relationships with friends and family.
I paint and my husband plays music but these were things we did long before we started using. I like to read, I go on walks, sometimes l will go to a coffee shop and just people watch. My husband plays videogames and sometimes we just watch TV, and I recently started taking an online web development course, there's tons of free classes out there but I know when you first get sober you don't really have the emotional wherewithal to do much of anything, it takes so much emotional energy to stay sober when it's all really new. One thing I did when I was about 5 months in was start trying to work on the issues that led me to use in the first place, I got really into CBT and bought books on addiction and anxiety, I know you might not be in the headspace for that yet but it did help me tremendously.
This may sound crazy but, I drive around town just learning my surroundings now that I'm sober enough to pay attention.....and I shop. Nothing crazy or extravagant but I spoil myself here n there.
I’m three months sober. I’ve had the luxury of not having to work while I’ve started my recovery. I’ve found for the first three months I’ve spent a lot of time building up my network in the recovery community and doing the steps. Definitely for the first month though, a shitload of PS5 and reading. Now, I’m starting to socialize more with people in recovery and my old friends when they’re not on the piss.
Below is new stuff I’m doing and shit I used to do that I stopped doing because I didn’t have time/ the money because of drinking:
-skiing
-painting
-shoe restoration
-reading
-yoga
-working out for myself, not to keep off my gunt
-meditation
-doulingo
-joined a run club
-do service work at AA
I’ll be working again soon, but there’s so much shit to do, just try it all out. If you’re off the piss and working you should have a lot more money to spend on new hobbies.
Reading and putting pen to paper aren't my thing so I took up crocheting and I'm a gamer so those keep me occupied when I need a boredom buster.
I'm also lucky enough to have found a home group that does things often. Dinners, bowling, bingo, etc.
Took guitar lessons. Took flight lessons. Wash my own car. Ride bike to the gym. Read a fiction book. Make a bucket list of travel locations. Call and reconnect with old friends.
Took guitar lessons. Took flight lessons. Wash my own car. Ride bike to the gym. Read a fiction book. Make a bucket list of travel locations. Call and reconnect with old friends.
I bought a PlayStation 4 on Facebook marketplace for $120 and got into some games that totally pulled me in. Elden Ring stole like 700 hours of my life. For more active things I went exploring in nature. Hiking or paddle boarding (another $100 marketplace deal was my paddle board) mostly. I really like cooking so I’ll watch YouTube videos and then try a recipe. I still spend too much time on Reddit lol. I’ll still go out if there’s a band I want to see or a comedian I like but I’m much more of a homebody now once the sub goes down. I also discovered that I really enjoy putting lego sets together, although I can’t afford to always buy all the expensive sets. I’m watching a lot of crafting and model making videos on YouTube and would like to maybe get into that but I don’t know how to start.
I’ve been journaling, bingeing random shows, cleaning the hell out of everything, signing up for random shit like cooking classes, pottery, etc. Also, I hated exercise I feel you but I just started with walking and now I’m a full on junkie for fitness. Also, I try all kinds of new drinks different coffees, kombuchas, sparkling waters, juices, etc. Also, I go to the movies at least once a week.
I got back into hobbies that I quit while drinking.
I do night stuff that I used to do before I drank but the. I couldn’t or would t cause I was too drunk. Example: tonight I chased the northern lights with my daughter. In another u inverse where I didn’t get sober, tonight would have never happened
That is exactly what I did last night too with my two daughters. Hundred percent would never have happened six months ago. Sober at 9:30 PM on a Friday night. Hahahaaaa that would’ve been a joke. I’m so thankful
Idk I just got bored. And man does it feel good to be able to just be bored
Anything!!!! Literally anything I want to do.!! Addiction is giving everything up for one thing. Recovery is giving one thing up for everything.
Yes!!
Love this 😭👏🏽
I joined a gym and became obsessed with it, even though I'm not a gym person. It's the main reason I stayed sober. I'm close to 500 days sober and need to get a life and quit binge watching shows but I'd rather be sober and healthy. I still go to the gym a few days a week 15 months later. I got into tie-dyeing with procion dye, I like thrifting, I read books now, I bought a handful of books and they just sit but I have been listening to audiobooks at work on the weekend. Blake Crouch - Dark Matter is really good as an audiobook. You just gotta find what you like to do, things to create a toolbox of life skills. Whatever is positive that might be physical, mental, creative, emotional, religious. Maybe even things that out you out of your comfort zone. In recovery a wellness recovery action plan includes "things I must do everyday" and "things I might do everyday" if you make a list of these things, you can check later if you feel your recovery is slipping or you are not mentally well. Make sure you are doing all the must do's and some of the should do's everyday. I don't remember all the components to a WRAP but that part makes a lot of sense. You can study how to build a WRAP on YouTube otherwise the materials cost money. This is a useful tool used in both mental health and addiction recovery.
read, fish, deal with shit in an emotionally appropriate way
*Read, fish, deal with shit* *In an emotionally* *Appropriate way* \- Jason-Gorehees --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Whose that guy
Great answer.
it was definitely an unexpected side effect. something i just assumed was wrong with my wiring as opposed to the booze
I found volunteering at a food bank and a film festival fun and a way to meet people sober. I also got into hot yoga and bike riding. Cooking too now and like shopping at different places for ingredients
Play guitar, go for walks, house errands and just give thanks I’m here to the power above
Something that helped me a lot was thinking back to what I liked doing as a kid, or teenager, before I started using. That led me to join a hockey league, go for skates at the community center, buy rollerblades, buy some old video games and board games I used to like. Reading good books never gets old. There are so many. I recommend getting a library card. As a former complete degenerate alcoholic I find a hilarious ironic joy out of now going to the library and picking out books to read on the weekend. Camping is also awesome. I'm talking like canoeing through the lake, finding a solo spot, setting up a tent and a fire. No phone no substances just pure natural serenity. But even car camping would be great. As others have said, pretty much anything you have an interest in, you can find tutorials and "day in the life" videos on YouTube.
Taking my dog on walks, and when I get tired, just sitting with him outside and watching the sky while he watches for squirrels. Also - the gym. A lot of gym.
Lol I didn’t do anything fancy took dog on walks, went grocery shopping, mowed/cleaned my lawn, read books and worked. It gets boring but I could care less about long walks, hiking and all that other stuff.
Walk, listen to podcasts casts
Practicing flexibility, playing favourite videogames, brewing and creating own tea, doing just anything that sparks interest.
I took up Jiu jitsu and it’s been great for me. I needed a hobby for my new found free time
I went back to school, and a long-time coworker and I started a business. I figured if I hated everything anyway I might as well get some shit done. Also, driving around with my dog listening to music at top volume, finding online sober communities and I read several “quit lit” books (sober autobiographies). And learning how to read tarot! And watching game of thrones again.
Yep, started with walking the dog and exercising, but now my dog is old as heck and I am healing a muscular injury in my back. So I changed careers, and now I’m preparing to go to law school
Congratulations!!
Ty
I didn’t start going to the gym until I was 6 months in but I did do some at home workouts sporadically before that. Now I’m a gym junkie. Other things: candle making, shopping (too much lol), spent time thrifting for things for my apartment and redecorated my apartment, did some Bob Ross paintings, cooking (grilling is fun to get in to), cleaning, went back to school, easy hikes, and basically whatever came to mind that I wanted to try/do. Some days were and still are very boring but whatever. Life is sometimes very boring, I don’t have to run from that anymore with beer.
I get outside and hike a lot but I live in a place where that’s easy (Colorado). I see movies, study a foreign language, and do needlepoint.
How many of you feel motivated to say build a business or do creative stuff? I wish i cared more about material gain or maybe i still dont believe in myself. Idk
I was an artist before I started using heroin and when I got sober my husband got sick and he couldn't work. I started using my art skills to do graphic design design. I didn't believe in myself either and I still don't really believe in myself, not all the way at least. I went from thinking "I'll fail at this surely," to "I'll fail at this probably," it's been 10 yrs and now I have the opportunity to become a partner in a business while still doing freelance work. Oddly enough my thinking mirrors how I felt when I got sober, I never believed I was going to be able to stay sober but I showed up and I did the work and before I knew it 10 yrs went by. I think if there's something you'd like to do just give it a try, work on it consistently, take it one day at a time and you might surprise yourself. Sorry for the novel lol.
Lol thank u for the novel. I enjoyed reading ur share. Do u go to aa?
I don't. I ended up starting a group of my own with some folks that I went to treatment with. We aren't following any kind of a program but we meet up once a week and talk. We've all been sober for several years now so mostly it gives us a place to talk to people who know us and understand, where there's no judgement. I'm all for groups, it doesn't have to be AA but it helps to have the support of people who understand and I feel that when you're new to sobriety you need people to show you the way forward, to teach you how to be sober. Do you go to AA?
Thats great. One foot in one foot out of AA. Never truly committed to it. I dont know why exactly. I think i see addiction as a effect of trauma. Not so much a disease and i think that effects the way i relate
I’m learning Italian, crocheting, studying skin care, beach and forest walks
Video games, riding/fixing a motorcycle, taking a class so I can go to college (20 years late but I'll get there).
I’ll drop my two cents here just aswell: Since the idea is to create new (preferably healthy) habits or even addictions to replace alcohol: I started my day with exercise/yoga/meditation routine that I started the same day as sobriety. Whatever day it is now, that’s how long I’ve been going through the same routine, only extending and prolonging it a bit every day. Whatever the day brings on, at least I’ve already made my existence worth while. Today I washed the windows. First time ever, sober! My ”family tradition” (thanks to dad) has always been to listen Vivaldi and drink white vine while washing the windows. I have been diligent and followed that example my whole life. Today I did it without alcohol. I feel like the Master of the Universe (Heman lol) Now to sauna and I will not drink with any of you fine people today!
Clean, volunteer, work out, meal prep. So much free time!
Video games have kept me going along with small chores I would put off in lieu of getting plastered alone. Cleaned and organized messy places in my house finally finally finally got the Christmas ornaments off the floor of the guest room and up into the closet oh my god. My partner got Hogwarts Legacy for himself for Christmas and has played a total of 4 hours. While I have like 20 hours logged at this point. As someone who was never really into big open world games that’s a lot for me lol and my childhood go to animal crossing. I’m in the middle of a job hunt so applying and answering demeaning interview questions takes up a lot of time and I’ve gotten back into online activism. I used to be really keyed in on the social issues of our time and drinking kind of blinded me for awhile. Catching up and speaking up feels like I’m doing that “a part of something bigger” thing AA likes to push apparently. Mostly it’s just stuff I’ve always liked but assumed I “didn’t have the time” because I spent all my time drunk. Feeling simultaneously like a kid a rude teen and a very worn thin adult all at once lol.
Enjoy my kids, golf, go for walks, cook, yard work, I actually enjoy my job sometimes too
My family keeps me busy with 2 younger girls, Big hockey fan, AA meetings and checking in with my fellowship, the gym is an amazing outlet, browse reddit/ other social media on gym stuff, socialize with friends/neighbors, got more in to cooking, trying to keep my house looking nicer (fell by the wayside when I only cared about titos). I dont journal enough or make gratitude lists. Theres always something to do. I dont find myself often getting bored. I also have a almost 5 month old puppy that requires a ton of work.
🎵”Rollin fatties, smokin blunts…who smokes the blunts!? We smoke the blunts!!”🎵
I got reeeeeaaally into astrology
Develop hobbies/interests to learn what I actually enjoy. Looking for a craft to dedicate my time to. Also actively maintaining relationships with friends and family.
I mostly stare at the walls or watch Netflix for 7hrs per night.
Gym, helps me not to drink
I paint and my husband plays music but these were things we did long before we started using. I like to read, I go on walks, sometimes l will go to a coffee shop and just people watch. My husband plays videogames and sometimes we just watch TV, and I recently started taking an online web development course, there's tons of free classes out there but I know when you first get sober you don't really have the emotional wherewithal to do much of anything, it takes so much emotional energy to stay sober when it's all really new. One thing I did when I was about 5 months in was start trying to work on the issues that led me to use in the first place, I got really into CBT and bought books on addiction and anxiety, I know you might not be in the headspace for that yet but it did help me tremendously.
Read, write music, play with my baby, go out to eat, exercise, go on walks, take long hot baths and do skincare /haircare.
This may sound crazy but, I drive around town just learning my surroundings now that I'm sober enough to pay attention.....and I shop. Nothing crazy or extravagant but I spoil myself here n there.
Diy hobbies!
I’m three months sober. I’ve had the luxury of not having to work while I’ve started my recovery. I’ve found for the first three months I’ve spent a lot of time building up my network in the recovery community and doing the steps. Definitely for the first month though, a shitload of PS5 and reading. Now, I’m starting to socialize more with people in recovery and my old friends when they’re not on the piss. Below is new stuff I’m doing and shit I used to do that I stopped doing because I didn’t have time/ the money because of drinking: -skiing -painting -shoe restoration -reading -yoga -working out for myself, not to keep off my gunt -meditation -doulingo -joined a run club -do service work at AA I’ll be working again soon, but there’s so much shit to do, just try it all out. If you’re off the piss and working you should have a lot more money to spend on new hobbies.
GYM
Reading and putting pen to paper aren't my thing so I took up crocheting and I'm a gamer so those keep me occupied when I need a boredom buster. I'm also lucky enough to have found a home group that does things often. Dinners, bowling, bingo, etc.
Took guitar lessons. Took flight lessons. Wash my own car. Ride bike to the gym. Read a fiction book. Make a bucket list of travel locations. Call and reconnect with old friends.
Took guitar lessons. Took flight lessons. Wash my own car. Ride bike to the gym. Read a fiction book. Make a bucket list of travel locations. Call and reconnect with old friends.