Alcohol is a shortcut to pleasure and reward. Individuals who frequently rely on alcohol for enjoyment may find that sober activities become less appealing. This is because the brain has become accustomed to the heightened dopamine levels associated with alcohol, making other, less stimulating activities seem dull or uninteresting. Here are 5 ways to keep you sober and having fun:
1.) Discover local events and like-minded individuals.
Search up local events in your area, and reconnect with the past you that had fun without alcohol. Meetup.com is a good start for finding free and fun things to do. Get out of your shell–if things get awkward, you never have to meet up with them again!
2.) Get creative with free stuff.
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Mercari, and Vinted are websites with free/cheap items that you can get creative with. Repurpose a table, renovate a dresser and sell it, get free paint stuff and make art, so many things to do!
3.) Move your body.
Even if it’s just for ten minutes. Make it a daily routine to do something physically fun. Whether that’s Nintendo’s Ring Fit or a free Zumba class on Youtube. My ADHD-self CANNOT do the same thing every day, so I change my physical activities all the time. My latest interest is learning how to belly dance with free videos on Youtube.
4.) Revisit the Things You Loved Doing as a Kid.
Get a piece of paper and writing utensil, put on a five minute timer, and write down all the fun things you remember doing as a kid. Convert those interests into things you can do today. Here are some examples from my list:
-I would buy magic kits from the Scholastic book fair, and was just obsessed with anything spells. So, I’ve gotten into tarot, and I love it. People now ask me to do readings for them because of the accuracy–I always had the magic in me!
-I used to daydream about being in a band, being on stage and applauded, and just being a badass. So I bought a cheap bass guitar and am learning to play it through Youtube videos…I probably won’t be famous, but I can almost say I play an instrument!
5.) Learn Something.
Read a book, cook a new recipe, find a new podcast, learn how to make candles…It doesn’t have to be pricey, in fact in can be free. Look into your local library’s books and audiobooks & lookout for free items on Craigslist/Facebook marketplace. Recently I have learned how people make custom stickers…not gonna make some (yet) but I know how to if I ever do!
Sober Magic 