We usually think of boredom as a harmless thing, but it can actually be a trigger for our addictive behaviors and can be a factor in whether or not we relapse. A challenge for many of us is that we find ourselves bored without the substances, relationships and behaviors we’ve grown to be dependent on to make ourselves feel good. We feel like we can’t have fun without them. We feel like our daily life, even exciting life events, are simply not as much fun when we’re clean. How do we cope with this boredom and prevent it from making us use or causing us to relapse? When we look at our lives before recovery, we might have been swept up in the thrill of the high. All else pales in comparison to that feeling of ecstasy. When we start to look at that time in our lives more realistically and with more honesty, we see that sometimes we tend to romanticize the high. We cling to those fleeting moments when we felt our pain, fear and worry cease to exist, but what about the fall that ensued? With the clarity of sobriety comes the realization that the good didn’t outweigh the bad, that in fact the fall was not worth the high. Those carefree moments were not based in truth. They were our attempt to escape our pain. Our pain was always there, we just weren’t facing it. Once we’re no longer using, we have to face living our daily lives with all of the emotions that come up, that we once tried to avoid. One of the feelings that might arise, that’s totally normal and natural, is that of boredom. We can’t escape it. We have to live with it. What can we do when this feeling hits, when we would rather get high and numb ourselves? We can learn new ways to occupy ourselves. We can find new ways to have fun that before sobriety might have seemed boring or unappealing. When we stretch ourselves and start exploring new things, we can be pleasantly surprised at the adventures that await us. Spending time in nature, trying new recreational activities, joining a hobby group, taking a class or visiting a new place might become your new favorite thing to do. Have an open mind and allow yourself to be open to exciting possibilities. Spend more time visualizing and imagining the life you want for yourself. Put energy behind consciously manifesting that life. When you feel yourself getting bored, switch over to the reality you are working to create. Being in that beautiful reality and watching it unfold in your current reality might be one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do!
Sober recreation therapy is an important part of our treatment programs. You can learn how to have fun while sober. Call 1-888-986-7848 for more information.
