Some individuals may turn to alcohol as a way to kill time, mistakenly believing alcoholism treatment that a drink can add excitement or ease the monotony. But drinking to cope with boredom is never a good plan, and this habit can spiral into a destructive cycle, bringing more harm than good. At the moment, bored drinking might not have a negative impact on your work or family life. If you start noticing these side effects, it’s time to re-evaluate how you deal with boredom.
- It’s the brain’s reaction to the constant flood of dopamine from alcohol.
- Focus on balanced meals with a mix of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates to keep you satisfied longer.
- My biggest worry when quitting would be the boredom, the everyday type of boredom.
- You can also find support groups through a therapist, doctor or word of mouth from acquaintances with addiction recovery experience.
Sobriety itself isn’t boring
Meditation has beenrecommended for addiction recoverybecause of the way it contributes to creating new neural pathways in the brain. By sitting with one’s boredom and using these mindfulness skills, the boredom loses its power and control. Mindfulness is definedas the ability to be fully present and aware of yourself and surroundings, while not being reactive or overwhelmed by those things. Practicing mindfulness, a person gets in touch with their senses to feel, hear, smell, taste and see the world around them. They will also pay more attention to their thoughts and feelings to understand how people, places and things trigger boredom and the desire to use substances. Boredom can be problematic for anyone, but for people in addiction recovery, boredom can be dangerous.
Anna Smith, LP – Assistant Clinical Director
However, if you are able to schedule your time, it can be a game-changer. One of the best ways to overcome boredom is to have a written schedule. To live a great quality sober life, you need to focus on building it.
Boredom–understanding the emotion and its impact on our lives: an African perspective
In other words, it’s no surprise that many of us end up drinking out of boredom—we’re wired to avoid that restless, under-stimulated drunk and bored state. Jill is a Colorado native who received a master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on women’s studies from the University of Houston. Jill has worked in several inpatient and outpatient centers, treating clients in all levels of care in both individual and group settings.
Discover practical ways to stop reaching for alcohol when boredom strikes.
Take responsibility and choose the more creative and productive path. If you are an adult and active yet bored with work or mundane, tedious activities, push https://unreelobsession.com/alcohol-withdrawal-syndrome-statpearls-ncbi/ yourself to discover new adventures or make new friends. If your job represents a form of security but is painstakingly boring, explore new possibilities for employment even if you never fill out an application or get a job interview. When children or adolescents are spending too much time in front of the television (or screens of any kind) or listlessly whiling away hours, it may be time to step in. Curtail the screen-time hours and help your child look for and plan stimulating activates or hobbies. If they are not interested in pursuing them independently, get involved yourself or recruit other members of the family.
- So is talk therapy with a mental health specialist who understands addiction and substance abuse.
- Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a result of having nothing to do.
- You can also incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, or walking.
For some people, it’s a recliner in the living room, and for others, it’s a familiar setting like a long train ride or sitting on a lawn chair on a hot summer’s day. Pinpointing these trigger environments that can evoke cravings due to boredom or monotony need to be avoided as much as possible. Boredom is a common aspect of addiction recovery, especially in the earliest stages, because of the impact of alcohol and other drugs in the brain. A person using substances exposes their brain to tremendous amounts of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.