If you have trouble reaching your goal, consider reaching out to a trusted healthcare provider for help. If your partner is, or may be, pregnant, there is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant and there is no safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy. All types of alcohol can be harmful, including all wines and beer.
Practice mindful drinking.
Sometimes I would just drive or walk to new places, try new foods, new smells, new workouts, new places. And you know what, I was bored, there are times to this day that I am bored, where I know I wouldn’t be bored if I was drinking. It’s tough to be bored while you are drinking, it keeps your mind occupied, it creates artificial happiness, it’s artificial entertainment. It slows and dulls my mind to contentment, our brains want to be entertained and occupied at all times. One of the first ways that I’d suggest that you overcome boredom is just to accept that it’s part of the discomfort that you’re going to go through, I mean that’s all it basically is.
- These are the things where there’s not an infinite amount of leeway in them, I mean, if you sit and do these things all the time you’re going to be bored with them.
- Through counseling, you can gain guidance, support, and learn behavioral treatments to help you change your drinking behavior.
- When use ends, everyday actions seem much less rewarding and exciting due to the lower dopamine levels.
- Every time you think he can’t sink any lower, it gets worse.
- If you know your willpower weakens after 9 pm, get up before then and go and have a warm shower instead.
Make a meal plan
The average adult experiences around 131 days of boredom per year, so how you react to this boredom is critical to your mental health. If you justify to yourself, “I drink when I’m bored,” it can quickly lead to overindulgence and health concerns. If you’re a casual drinker, you should understand the ramifications of regular drinking. Boredom and binge drinking often go hand-in-hand, as drinking alcohol to pass the time and relieve boredom is a common occurrence.
Practicing Mindfulness and Stress Management Techniques
If you start noticing these side effects, it’s time to re-evaluate how you deal with boredom. I loved Catherine’s honest and heartbreaking account of how booze affected her relationships, health and career as a magazine journalist. As well as recounting her rock bottom moments and inspirational recovery, she also shares some brilliant practical advice for enjoying a sober life. Unbeknown to me at the time, reading this was the first step I’d taken to giving up alcohol. There are many reasons for this, from previous patterns of alcohol use to brain chemistry. 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.
- Another method to eat mindfully is to count the number of chews a person makes before swallowing the food and to try to increase that number.
- And if you routinely drink on other occasions too, you’ll experience worse sleep disruptions.
- 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.
Building a Supportive Social Network
If a person eats in front of the TV or computer when bored, they may overeat or eat unhealthy foods. Similarly, eating while on the go or while traveling may cause overeating and lead to unhealthy dietary choices. At any point during recovery, you may struggle with finding boredom drinking enjoyment or sober fun, which can lead to thinking that boredom is inescapable. Or, after attempting to recapture the excitement and interest of activities that were previously pleasurable only to find them no longer appealing, it’s natural to become disappointed.
16. Other tips
By recognizing and addressing these habits, you can break the cycle of boredom drinking and take control of your life. 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.
WAYS TO PREVENT DRINKING OUT OF BOREDOM
If you’re feeling creative, you can have a go at whipping up some non-alcoholic cocktails at home such as this virgin Pina Colada recipe or a Cranberry Cutie cocktail. As well as reading the book, I also attended Allen Carr’s Easyway to Give Up Alcohol workshop in London (there are several around the UK). This full-day session is led by someone who’s also given up following the method.
If you want to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it makes sense to avoid busy bars and thirsty friends. But many of us should because millions of us resort to drinking out of boredom whilst relaxing at home. It’s very common for people, especially those with additional mental health issues like depression and anxiety, to drink out of boredom. Parties, seasonal events, family meals or work gatherings might spring to mind. Drinking alcohol is often seen as a very social activity, but in truth for millions of people, it’s the total opposite. Sunnyside is the leading alcohol health platform focused on moderation and mindfulness, not sobriety.
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