Bored Drinking: How to Defend Against the Sneakiest Trigger

Even if they aren’t glamorous, they remind your brain what it feels like to finish something. If you’ve already started building mindfulness tools or using platforms like Sunnyside to track your drinking, you have what you need to manage it. It is our mission to provide individuals with the education, tools, and support they need to attain a life lived to its fullest potential. We envision a world where addiction is powerless against strong families and communities founded on empathy, connection, and knowledge.

Don’t spoil things that are already fun

• If you’re ready to take control and build better habits, you’re in the right place.
• Boredom is a normal part of life, but how we deal with it can significantly impact our well-being.
• And many of us were taught that if we’re bored, we must be doing something wrong.
• Mental health needs as much attention as physical health, so if you are suffering, go and talk to your doctor.

Boredom is a state of restlessness or dissatisfaction that shows up when your mind is under-stimulated, under-engaged, or disconnected from meaning. It often arises when in a space that is empty of activity, engagement, or purpose. Waiting for dinner guests to arrive, or helping your kids with math homework, the nagging restlessness that whispers“A glass of wine will make this better” is the same. I still remember as a kid, if I was caught just alcoholism sitting around doing nothing, my mom would say, “If you’re bored, I’ll give you something to do! ”…and I’d be sent off to do chores I definitely didn’t want. I’m not drinking every night, and it’s generally not a big deal to not drink if I’m busy.

Addiction Treatment Programs

Drinking to cope with boredom might feel harmless at first, but it can snowball into a serious problem. By participating in addiction treatment programs, you can effectively address your boredom drinking and take the necessary steps towards a healthier and more fulfilling life. By becoming more involved in your community, you can effectively replace boredom drinking with meaningful connections and activities that improve your overall mental health and well-being. Volunteering and participating in community events can help you stay engaged, build meaningful connections, and reduce boredom drinking. By volunteering at organizations that help people struggling with addiction, you can provide a meaningful sense of purpose and fulfillment, which can replace the fleeting pleasure of boredom drinking. By exploring new hobbies and interests, you can effectively replace boredom drinking with more fulfilling and enjoyable activities.

Schedule a workout, a walk, a call with a friend, or time for a hobby. Platforms like Meetup or local Facebook groups can connect you with interest-based communities. The more intentional you are, the less likely you’ll fall back into old habits out of sheer emptiness. We provide a biopsychosocial assessment for treatment before recommending any program or plan of action. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Recovery is hard work, but we think you’ll find it’s well worth it.

Recently I spotted an interesting comment on my blog about feeling bored.

As these nights add up, you’ll wake up with less energy, a clouded mind, and the inability to perform at your best. Originally from Boca Raton, Florida, Danny moved to Denver to study at the University of Colorado and earned a master’s degree in counseling. Danny spent the first nine years of his career working in youth residential treatment.

The alternative is either a stale, lackluster lifestyle or one where the only entertainment is destructive addictive behavior. Take responsibility and choose the more creative and productive path. 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.

Pillar 4 — Mindset Shifting:

When you join Sunnyside, you’ll start by completing a 3-minute private assessment so we can learn a bit about you. Once that’s done, you’ll get a 15-day free trial to test out everything, including our daily habit change tools, tracking and analytics, community and coaching, and education and resources. It’s a full package designed specifically to adapt to your goals, and help you reach them gradually, so you can make a huge impact on your health and wellbeing. Exercise is a powerful way to rebuild your body in recovery and a healthy coping skill.

Breaking Free From the Cycle

Drinking alcohol is often seen as a very social activity, but in truth for millions of people, it’s the total opposite. Facing your unhappy thoughts can be overwhelming, and it’s natural to need a break or a distraction from time to time. But you should turn to other, more productive ways to cope with your boredom that drunk and bored won’t be detrimental to your health.

• Boredom and binge drinking often go hand-in-hand, as drinking alcohol to pass the time and relieve boredom is a common occurrence.
• Not only this, self-medicating can lead to and exacerbate mental health conditions leading to a dual diagnosis condition.
• It also provides an excellent opportunity to connect with others with similar interests.
• She believes she was probably a rodeo queen in another life and recharges by spending time with friends and family.
• To explore this further, try this 3-step boredom drinking interrupt strategy and take your first step toward a more intentional life.

We’ll also teach you healthy coping skills that support long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol. By engaging in creative pursuits and learning new skills, you can effectively replace boredom drinking with more fulfilling and enjoyable activities. This will help you regain control of your life and improve your overall mental health and well-being. Habitual patterns of alcohol consumption can play a significant role in boredom drinking.

In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery. Jordan describes her approach as eclectic but most beneficial and includes a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and family-oriented practices. If existential boredom is about a lack of meaning, then situational boredom is about a lack of stimulation. Whether it’s folding laundry, waiting for a guest to arrive, or spending hours sitting through an unengaging conversation, situational boredom is a common reason for many of us to feel restless and irritable. For example, exercising or enjoying a nice meal will release dopamine to reinforce the action.

As humans, we’re meant to experience the full spectrum of positive and negative emotions – that’s how we’re designed. There can be a bit of stigma around boredom, but it can also fuel so much creativity. Use Sunnyside to track your drinks and better understand the connection between how much you drink and how you feel. Also, if you have that extra drink, Sunnyside lets you interact with others who struggle with bored drinking. One of the best opportunities to practice mindful drinking is Dry January.

Drinking out of boredom is common, especially among those suffering from other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. To break the boredom drinking loop asks us to upgrade the beliefs that alcohol is the answer to boredom and to build the skill of find engagement and joy even in the tedious tasks. While it once pushed our ancestors toward survival and purpose, today it often drives us toward quick fixes like alcohol. When we see boredom as a cue to seek real engagement rather than numbness, we open the door to healthier, more fulfilling choices.