Author: Charles Frank

Drinking Out of Boredom Hobbies to Replace Drinking

Practicing mindfulness or meditation can reduce the impulse to turn to alcohol when boredom strikes. It teaches you to sit with your feelings, including boredom, without feeling the need to escape them through substances like alcohol. If you find yourself reaching for a drink out of boredom, try going for a walk, heading to the gym, or even taking a dance class. These activities are not only healthier than drinking, but they’ll leave you feeling better in the long run. You can learn more about the benefits of exercise and how to integrate it into your routine here.

DANNY SAN FILIPPO – Clinical Director

Soon it can seem weird NOT to have a glass in your hand, even if the rest of you is thinking about something else (or not thinking about very much at all). As these nights add up, you’ll wake up with less energy, a clouded mind, and the inability to perform at your best. Even when COVID lockdowns ended, we found in the same survey that 17% of respondents who worked from home were more likely to be excessive drinkers. For those who didn’t work from home, only 12% were prone to excessive drinking.

Healthy Hobbies to Replace Drinking

For more information on how alcohol affects physical health, see this article. Studies have shown that drinking as a coping mechanism is strongly linked to depression, anxiety, and emotional instability. When combined with the isolation or loneliness that often accompanies boredom, alcohol can push people further into mental health issues that require professional help to resolve. This article from Stop Drinking Expert explains more about the link between alcohol and depression. By practicing self-awareness and reflection, you can develop healthier habits and coping mechanisms to replace boredom drinking.

What is Bored Drinking?

There’s a very fine line between social drinking and problematic drinking, and one could easily lead to the other and cause serious health implications. Specializing in diverse mental health challenges, including depression, addiction, and trauma, Christy embraces a person-centered approach. She tailors interventions to individual needs, drawing from modalities like mindfulness, DBT, CBT, and EMDR.

She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability. In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and fantasy and going to Marvel movies. She enjoys playing board games and having home karaoke nights with her friends.

Alternative Activities to Replace Boredom Drinking

One of the best ways to deal with bored drinking is to anticipate it — why is not always easy. A drink or two while bored might make you too tired or too wary of driving to meet your friends. You might plan to start learning a new language during downtime, but put it off in favor of having a drink. There are plenty of situations where having a drink is a great way to celebrate an accomplishment. Unfortunately, problems can surface if you use “I deserve it” to justify bored drinking.

Tired of battling alcohol with sheer willpower, only to fall back into the same cycle? You’re not alone—95% of people who try this approach struggle to succeed. Mindfulness also helps you build resilience, allowing you to face challenging emotions with a clear, calm mind. If you’ve never tried mindfulness before, there are many resources available online to help you get started. Reducing alcohol intake may produce withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, shivering, high blood pressure, vomiting, fatigue, etc.

Planning interactions according to “Sober in Seven” can help reduce feelings of loneliness and prevent reliance on alcohol. Having a list of supportive contacts is beneficial because it can provide you with immediate access to people who will encourage and support you on your journey to recovery. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively manage boredom and negative emotions without turning to alcohol, improving your overall mental health and well-being. In the process, you will also learn to balance positive and negative emotions, leading to a more stable emotional state.

  1. She believes in healing the whole person in a safe and supportive environment.
  2. If you find yourself reaching for a drink out of boredom, try going for a walk, heading to the gym, or even taking a dance class.
  3. When this emotion surfaces, it reveals our disconnection or lack of interest in our surroundings or activities.
  4. After graduating, Karlie gained experience working in a residential program for eating disorders and a private practice before joining the AspenRidge team.
  5. Also know what you are going to drink and select from alcohol alternatives.

You’re prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

This will help you regain control of your life and improve both your mental and physical health. Recognizing and addressing personal triggers that lead to boredom drinking is crucial for maintaining a sober lifestyle. By developing self-awareness and reflecting on your emotions and thought patterns, you can uncover the triggers for boredom drinking and take proactive steps to address them. Stress, anxiety, and loneliness can all be potential triggers for boredom drinking. People may turn to alcohol as a way to cope with these negative emotions, but in doing so, they may be putting their mental health at risk. Many scientific studies have proved a positive relationship between boredom/loneliness and excessive alcohol use.