These facilities are equipped to treat addictions to various drugs, including but not limited to, alcohol, opioids, stimulants, etc. Mindfulness practices and stress management techniques can empower you to cope with boredom and negative emotions without turning to alcohol. Practicing mindfulness can help you become more aware of your emotions and triggers, so you can avoid turning to alcohol out of boredom. Stress management techniques can also help you manage difficult situations without alcohol.

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

• Our addiction specialists are here to help 24/7.
• And the call I just got off of what’s a zoom call and it was about the book, The Sober Lush.
• Take what applies to you and leave whatever doesn’t.
• In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery.
• They give you alternatives to drinking to fill gaps in your life.

And it says, “You’ll need coffee shops and sunsets and road trips, you’ll need airplanes and passports and new songs and old songs. There are many reasons for this, from previous patterns of alcohol use to brain chemistry. There is a sense in which dopamine and serotonin—two essential brain chemicals that influence our sense of pleasure—are on hiatus from their normal function when one is drinking excessively. It can take time for both our personal habits and our physical bodies to adapt to not using alcohol. As a kid, whenever I was bored I would read a book, look for friends to play with, go for a walk, or make up my own games such as kicking rocks on the ground to see how far they could go.

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• This proactive approach will empower you to break the cycle of loneliness, addiction, and more loneliness, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling life in the present moment.
• Dreams that I had that I didn’t think were ever going to come true because I was so busy with work and kids and life.
• As part of your daily “boredom prevention plan,” schedule a reward for not drinking when you otherwise would.
• A drink or two while bored might make you too tired or too wary of driving to meet your friends.
• One source of unhappiness is, unsurprisingly, boredom.

Jordan continued her studies and earned a master’s in clinical and mental health counseling. Between post-graduate work and additional training courses, she honed her skills in treating first responders and military personnel from a trauma-informed perspective. In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery.

Understanding the Link Between Boredom and Drinking

Whether or not you realize it, drinking is the shame cycle. And it held me in a place where I was stuck and where my world got smaller and smaller. Once you stop drinking, your world becomes more open. And you get to find out what life looks like, and feels like without drinking.

I posted incredible pictures on my Pinterest board about beautiful vegetable gardens and flower gardens. I went to the garden store and I bought the seeds and the plants. I ordered the cedar raised beds from the gardeners supply company, I planted dahlias and then took pictures of them when they grew and gave myself bouquets of fresh flowers. I planted cherry tomatoes and ate them right off the vine. I planted strawberries so that I could eat them and gather them with my daughter and take pictures.

It’s important to think about what you’re consuming on social media. Be deliberative, who you’re looking at, and what you’re watching. This drinking out of boredom can be another way to inspire you, for a healthy and exciting life without alcohol, but also to not focus on everything that’s going on in your life that you’re not partaking in.

Darcie finds fulfillment in working with the LGBTQ+ population, leveraging her skills to support and empower. The best piece of advice she’s ever heard is to never take advice from someone who does not have what you are seeking. Christy Schuett, originally from Aberdeen, South Dakota, holds a master’s degree in counseling from Northern State University. Her journey began with crisis intervention for families, evolving into roles in community counseling, corrections, and residential facilities. Christy’s worked inthe field for more than 30 years.

• If you want to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it makes sense to avoid busy bars and thirsty friends.
• When you get sober, you realize there is an entire daytime pulse in your city or town that you never really felt before.
• Practicing mindfulness can help you become more aware of your emotions and triggers, so you can avoid turning to alcohol out of boredom.
• For members who report drinking out of boredom, I often remind them that there are probably a lot of other things to do within their busy lives, if they take a moment to reflect.
• However, the variety of treatment options make it easier for individuals and families to focus on moderate consumption or complete abstinence.

Start journaling.

If you are still in the flirtation stage of drinking out of boredom, it’s a great time to intervene and make a concerted effort to handle boredom in healthier ways. Eventually, this leads to an unhealthy pattern of emotional drinking that is much harder to quit. When you’re drinking out of boredom, that easy ‘high’ can feel like an effective solution to the dullness or lack of stimulation that’s bothering you. Warren is a Licensed Master Social Worker, who specializes in substance abuse and mental health treatment. Clinically, Warren has developed a therapeutic skillset that utilizes a strengths-based perspective, Twelve Step philosophies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.

As the saying goes, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.” Anyone with too much time on their hands may find themselves in hot water. People who tend to be bored may also be weary or restless because of a lack of personal interests. They may be bored with themselves, their jobs, and their life.