Your friends are out getting drunk, the same as they always do. Meanwhile, you’re at home wondering how many days it would take someone to find your body after you’ve choked on those peanut M&M’s you’ve been knocking back during your latest Netflix binge. That being said, drinking FOMO is real and must be dealt with. Sometimes admitting the truth to yourself is the first step.

• In such scenarios, our brain searches for something exciting or rewarding, leading us towards behaviors that can stimulate and intrigue us.
• Serotonin depletion can cause major mood swings and feelings of sadness, anxiety, and irritability.
• This is especially true if you’re triggered by experiences like boredom or isolation.
• Getting outside and communing with nature is scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve mental health and cognitive function in both kids and adults.
• Jeanette Hu, AMFT, is a decade-long daily drinker turned psychotherapist and the creator of the Empowered Alcohol-Free 4-Pillar System.

Many people I’ve worked with say that learning to say “no” gracefully is one of the most empowering skills of their alcohol-free journey. That’s why we have dedicated a lesson specifically to the skill of saying no. After a few sips, the irritable boredom fades, replaced by a buzzing numbness. You exhale, “Now this feels better,” and conclude that the ad is right — a glass of wine is indeed the solution for boredom. In other words, it’s no surprise that many of us end up drinking out of boredom—we’re wired to avoid that restless, under-stimulated state.

Reasons You Might Feel Bored in Sobriety

If we held an office talent show, he’d try to win it with comedy. In another life, he’s pretty sure he was a Viking explorer—and he might still lobby for a holiday that celebrates Viking culture. To replace alcohol with empowering tools to meet the needs that alcohol once helped us meet in life.

Boredom Drinking: A Major Roadblock to an Alcohol-Free Life

We recently launched our in-app chatbot, Melody, powered by the world’s most powerful AI technology. Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol. These stories remind us that boredom isn’t merely a state of inactivity or idleness — it can also be a time for reflection, creativity, and unexpected discovery. Understanding this connection is the first step towards breaking the cycle.

If you know you will feel lonely or down, try and plan some interactions to reduce those feelings and your reliance on alcohol. As with anxiety, COVID has seen rates of loneliness soar, as people have been forced apart for months, or have lost connections to friends or social groups. Many people admit to drinking out of boredom because they feel lonely. But self-medicating like this is not just bad for your body, but it is also likely to make your mental health worse. Drinking out of boredom because you feel anxious is likely to make you feel worse because alcohol is a depressant, so if you are already feeling low, it makes those feelings more extreme. It’s very common for people, especially those with additional mental health issues like depression and anxiety, to drink out of boredom.

Steps to Break the Boredom Drinking Loop

Chanel describes herself as a humanistic therapist focused on building rapport and trust. She knows that when both of those are realized, they can accomplish each client’s unique goals together. She specializes in mood and personality disorders as they relate to addiction and is passionate about healing trauma by way of brainspotting and other trauma therapy methods. She has a goal to visit every state capitol and has been to 29 so far!

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 an outside observer. But I didn’t know what to do with them besides feel them. And the more I felt them, the more intense and blinding they would get. I over-identified with every negative feeling in my body.

How to Stop Drinking from Boredom: The 4 Pillars of an Alcohol-Free Life

This is particularly true if you’ve had a hard day at work or with the kids, and you are tired or stressed out. Soon it can seem weird NOT to have a glass in your hand, even if the rest of you is thinking about something else (or not thinking about very much at all). Beyond her clinical practice at AspenRidge, Courtney finds solace in outdoor activities, sports, reading, and cherishing quality time with her family and beloved dog.

Get counseling or therapy.

We’ll also teach you healthy coping skills that support long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Karlie is originally from Dayton, Ohio, and began her education in psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She participated in research studying ADHD in children, mindfulness and anxiety, and embodied cognition.

Why do we resort to drinking out of boredom?

• Despite its negative impacts, more Americans than ever consume alcohol regularly, especially women and minorities.
• Alcoholism profoundly affects the entire body, especially the brain, heart, pancreas, mouth, liver, and the immune system.
• If you quit drinking and experience any new or worsening mental health symptoms, please consider therapy.
• She knows that when both of those are realized, they can accomplish each client’s unique goals together.

I did math, even if we live to 90, that’s just 32,872 days drinking out of boredom on Earth. It’s made of small moments—including the mundane, repetitive ones. That leaves us with the other 60–70% of boredom—the kind that sticks around even after we’ve quit drinking, and can lead to relapse if we don’t know how to handle it.

Scan the QR code to get started!

” …and I’d be sent off to do chores I definitely didn’t want. And those messages don’t just live in commercials or sitcoms—they show up in our real lives, too. A few years ago, researchers at the University of Virginia did a really interesting experiment.

But I’m going to explore solutions for people who sit at various points along the “sobriety is so boring” spectrum. It’s not as simple as “getting out there” and “trying something new.” It’s hard to do that when you suffer from extreme depression and anhedonia. The very things you should be doing to feel better require a level of motivation you might not be able to fathom.

Many people say that they drink alcohol to manage anxiety – to numb it or take the edge off difficult feelings. Originally from Chino Hills, California, Chanel began her education at Gonzaga University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Philosophy. She continued her education at the University of Denver and earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. Chanel completed internships at AspenRidge during her studies and eventually joined the team as a full-time primary clinician. Justin was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he began his clinical education at Colorado State University. He received his bachelor’s in health and exercise science with a concentration in sports medicine and eventually earned a master’s of psychology in addiction counseling.