Meetings, work, recovery, family, doing the dishes, paying bills. You get the point. Life in recovery is a cycle of maintaining your family, work, and personal responsibilities, while also keeping up with your recovery. You have the right idea, but don’t get stuck in the boredom trap. Recovery is also about enjoying your life, after all, this is the reason you got sober.

A lot of addiction professionals believe that boredom can actually be a trigger for relapse. Let’s face it, using drugs and alcohol was a way to pass the time, reward yourself for a long week, and even the socially acceptable thing to do on the weekends. Using drugs and alcohol was also a way to unwind and have fun, but substance use is not a positive source of pleasure.

The after work drink has almost become a staple for working Americans. Many people may wonder what to do next if bars and clubs are no longer a positive place to be. How do you actually overcome boredom in recovery?

The solution is to be honest with yourself and think outside the box. Being honest with yourself is important. If you feel yourself becoming bored, acknowledge how you are feeling.

Once you’ve acknowledged that you are feeling stagnant, the next step is to take action. Figure out what types of action you want to do to replace old behavior of using or drinking.

There are tons of ways to stop boredom, try one of these:

• Read
• Journal
• Cook
• Exercise
• Go on vacation
• Learn martial arts
• Do yoga
• Book a weekly massage
• Learn a new language
• Pick up cross stitching
• Go skydiving
• Fishing, hiking, camping

Some people may feel that without alcohol and drugs, life can get boring. This is not the case! The beauty of recovery is that you will have the stamina and concentration to really enjoy life. No regrets and no embarrassment.

Having fun and overcoming boredom can actually extend your life. Getting out there and staying active not only gives you purpose, but recovery becomes enjoyable. Enjoying nature and having passions adds to the quality of your life. Being active helps reduce risks for cardiovascular and other health problems.

The Kimberly Center can help you figure out recovery. Call us now at 855-4-KCENTER. We are committed to putting you and your recovery first. At the Kimberly Center, we want to teach you that fun can be part of your  recovery.