Fun Sober Activities
Fun Sober Activities can be crucial for long term sobriety. For most of us, the path to behavioral change reaches many crossroads. Since recovery is a program of action sometimes, we have to move our feet in directions our heads are unwilling to take us. If you are bored, you may be boring. But if you came here, you’re probably on the right track …
Know this: Recovery delivers everything addiction promises.
One of the biggest fears of entering recovery is based on the fear that life of abstinence will no longer be filled with frequently scheduled awesomeness and that life will be so much less fun, guaranteed. When, in fact, life is just different due to having to make significant lifestyle changes that are necessary to maintain their sobriety. Most recovering addicts/alcoholics who have sought-out fun early their recovery avoid the evil satisfaction of punishing ourselves while wallowing in state of boredom. Yourself “When was the last time I had fun?” If your response is “A long time ago” this tells you help is needed. Life without fun is a widely accepted misconception for those entering into or early on in their recovery. Fun will be harder to come by but as you progress. If you don’t work at this the long-term success rates dwindle. It’s a known fact in the treatment industry that when people have more fun in their recovery they tend to stay in recovery. 12-Step recovery practitioners should be familiar with the concept of Contrary Action. This applies to anyone in treatment. Its demonstrating a new behavior or activity opposite to the easier, softer more comfortable one your head is telling you.
Mood follows action so, for those of us once reliant upon “thinking our way into right living”, we must learn that we have to “live our way into right thinking”. Sometimes a simple belly laugh can be so much better and more fun than any high you’ve ever had. In the early days of our transformations we can’t imagine how life can be better without our DOC. Even before the abuse began.
Fun Living Warm-Ups
- Laugh. yes, laugh. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins which are the body’s natural feel-good mechanism. Fun Sober Activities like laughing release endorphins. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can relieve stress and anxiety. How hard is it to start by simply cracking a smile? Learning to laugh again in recovery is important indicator that one is progressing in their recovery. No one is better than beating ourselves up than we are. So, stop it. Try to start being authentic (just be yourself). Don’t try to be someone you’re not by firing your representative. There is a lot of pressure on people in early recovery to present themselves in a way that they think others want to see them. This is a proven starting point on a path of honesty.
- Be willing to go out and mingle with others. If you are in a sober living environment, get out of your room and hangout in the living room/common area. Living in isolation is a natural tendency and NOT conducive to recovery. Inquire about sober social events to check out or see what others in recovery are doing in their sobriety. Groups can be located near you on Smart Recovery or Meetup websites. Having a hobby in recovery is also a stellar idea.
- You need to re-look at the meaning of fun a source of enjoyment amusement and or pleasure. Additionally, it is usually associated with using so, let’s be real here. Using takes up enormous amount of time, and while in recovery we have a lot of free time on our hands. This is why a people have to force themselves into it. Plan if you have to. New substance/DOC-free activities fill an overabundance of newfound free time.
- Lastly, you must commit to and truly believe that you need to put yourself in positions to have fun and asking for help with this if you’re stuck.
Outdoor and Indoor Activities
- Classes on jewelry-making, music lessons or learn how to play the guitar, piano, painting, cake decorating, martial arts, computer classes, cooking classes, photography
- Water fun; jet skiing, kayaking, skin diving and scuba diving / tubing, sailing, sea glass collecting (yes, that’s a thing)
- Land fun; skiing, roller skating, kite flying, snowmobiling, bowling, bike riding, volleyball, running, flying model airplanes, drones, ice skating/roller blading
Getting out of the house it is proven that those who start to have fun in their early recovery are more likely to stay clean in the future here are just some of the activities that people in recovery have gravitated to:
12-Step Oriented Activities
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) have “Young People’s” group activities and committees that organize them. [physical support]
- Facebook – Search for “Recovery/Addiction Support” groups [online support]
- Meetup.com – Search for “Sober Activities” groups (to find local groups, select city under header banner and enter your zip code) [physical support]
Recovery doesn’t have to suck. Try new activities such as: get a hobby, take a class to learn something new, find support groups to socialize and learn. Then, if you still feel like picking up the bottle, six-pack, shooting-up or dropping some acid or pills again, don’t. Sitting down on the couch and watching TV gets you nowhere and miserable.