There is a strong relationship between boredom, stress, and drug or alcohol use. It’s therefore no surprise that during the pandemic, the rate of alcohol consumption increased among people that reported COVID-19 related stress. The pandemic has been here and, at the time of this writing, is continuing to keep our world in a state of flux. This puts those who have formed an attachment to alcohol in a very vulnerable position. 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.

If your strategy to drink less didn’t work, don’t regret or give in to
guilt. How you respond to setbacks is crucial to succeed and to begin
making a change. Just restart your plan and recognize & reflect on what
challenges need to be overcome and how.

How to Stop Eating When Bored: 10 Tips to Avoid Boredom Eating

When I was finished, it was like someone had hit the refresh button on my brain. I could go back and re-read what I wrote and approach it from the perspective of drinking out of boredom an outside observer. If you have a willing friend or family member, take them along. Plus, you might meet some cool people, and that’s always a double win.

• If your goal is weight loss or just being less bored, an active lifestyle is an especially great replacement for snacking and reduce stress at the same time.
• Whether it’s your partner, friends or colleagues, ask those who know you for ideas of things you can experiment with to fill your time differently.
• Losing relationships to the substance can be challenging but anchoring to others in recovery can be the very thing you need to feel worthy of recovery.
• Acute anxiety and depression from the withdrawal process can ease within a few days to a week.
• When serotonin and dopamine levels are low, we become less motivated and less interested in our surroundings.

An important way to safeguard your sobriety is to be aware of this and take steps to mitigate it. However, feeling bored without alcohol isn’t actually a bad thing. And the sickness and tiredness you feel after the initial high of alcohol consumption wears off is neither fun nor interesting. So drinking because you’re bored isn’t doing much for you in the long run.

Avoid tempting situations

Experts have also suggested that how well you regulate your emotions can influence boredom eating. Poor emotional regulation could potentially lead to an increase in eating when you’re feeling bored (22, 23). The average adult experiences around 131 days of boredom per year, so how you react to this boredom is critical to your mental health.

The current pandemic has highlighted how boredom can trigger the misuse of substances, particularly alcohol. In fact, alcohol sales outside of bars and restaurants surged 24% shortly after stay-at-home orders began. If you are having a very difficult time with urges, or do not make progress with the strategies in this activity after a few weeks, then consult a healthcare professional for support. In addition, some new, non-addictive medications can reduce the desire to drink or lessen the rewarding effect of drinking so it is easier to stop. Boredom usually stems from one’s own lack of motivation, endeavor, or creativity. Everyone gets bored now and then, but there’s a difference between changing that mood through healthy alternatives and turning to drugs or alcohol, either alone or with friends.

Being Bored When You’re Quitting Drinking

Ocassationally, there may still be times when you reach for a snack when you’re bored. One way to prevent boredom https://ecosoberhouse.com/ eating is to maintain a healthy diet. There are many reasons why you might be eating when you’re bored.