No one likes to be bored, but it can be especially troublesome when you’re in recovery. You don’t want your mind to wander as this can cause you to start reminiscing about drugs or alcohol. And you certainly don’t want to feel that substance use is the only way to fill your time.
However, it takes time to find fun and constructive activities, and it can also take time to feel pleasure from them. This happens because your brain is still recovering and is likely to be deficient in neurotransmitters. Until your brain starts producing them on its own again, you may experience anhedonia, which is a loss of pleasure from everyday experiences.
Fortunately, there are ways to keep yourself busy in recovery while preventing boredom. Let’s explore five of them.
1. Find a New Hobby or Passion
Explore sober hobbies and activities until you find something that gives you fulfillment. It could be anything—painting, drawing, playing an instrument, playing a sport, scrapbooking or knitting. The key is to find something that brings you joy. When you fill your time with a meaningful activity, you’ll also be learning new skills, improving self-esteem and increasing your sense of accomplishment. You can even set goals for yourself or track your progress to fully flesh out the hobby. For example, if you love to fish, you can track the fish you catch, their weight, their type, etc.
2. Volunteer in Your Community
If you’re not sure what you enjoy, expand your horizons by volunteering. Not only does volunteering give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment, but also you get to meet positive people and develop new skills. Plus, you can’t deny the wonderful feeling of being able to give back to your community. This can be especially rewarding when others have supported your journey—it’s a domino effect! Look into local food banks, homeless shelters, community centers, senior living facilities and pet shelters to find ways to volunteer.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is part of a holistic recovery. It allows you to be present in the moment and pay attention to your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Mindfulness can even help you stay focused and appreciate the small things in life as these are often the most precious! There are many ways to practice mindfulness, such as with yoga, meditation or deep breathing. If you can do this out in nature, even better!
4. Stay Active with Sports and Exercise
Many people find physical activity to be an effective way to spend their time and get their mind off drugs and alcohol. You can sign up for a class, join a sports team or simply go walking with a friend each day. Some people also purchase a gym membership so that they have access to a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, exercise classes, gym equipment and more, and they make an effort to go daily. Staying active not only passes the time but also releases feel-good chemicals in the brain that support positive health and well-being.
5. Travel and Explore New Places
You don’t have to board an airplane to see somewhere new. Consider exploring your own nearby towns and cities—you’ll be surprised by how many things there are to do! Between walking trails, museums, coffee shops, restaurants, farmers markets, historical landmarks, etc., you can explore all types of places and broaden your view of the world. You may also want to plan a vacation or camping trip. This gives you something to look forward to and redirects your energy into something constructive.
Recovery Cove gives our clients the tools they need to succeed in recovery. We work with them to create healthy, structured schedules that include many of the components above, such as meaningful activities, volunteer work and exercise. To learn more about starting your journey to recovery, contact us today at 484-549-COVE.
