Alternative Lifestyle Living

enoughalready

Okay so I am currently off the booze for good and to fill the void and to keep my self occupied I was hoping to get suggestions of what to do in my spare time. I have started making my own juices, carrot, ginger and apple yesterday and have found joy in reading again, so that's two positives so far. What are you guys doing to fill the void? I thought maybe it's time to treat my body as a temple instead of my previous reckless behaviour when I used to drink. Now instead of all that poison going in, I have good healthy nutritional juices. Feeling good today but felt a little itchy earlier and every where I looked there was a reminder of drink. Ran to the room and started a new book to get my mind away from it. Not tempted but hate seeing all the reminders around.

beano345

enoughalready wrote: »

Okay so I am currently off the booze for good and to fill the void and to keep my self occupied I was hoping to get suggestions of what to do in my spare time. I have started making my own juices, carrot, ginger and apple yesterday and have found joy in reading again, so that's two positives so far. What are you guys doing to fill the void? I thought maybe it's time to treat my body as a temple instead of my previous reckless behaviour when I used to drink. Now instead of all that poison going in, I have good healthy nutritional juices. Feeling good today but felt a little itchy earlier and every where I looked there was a reminder of drink. Ran to the room and started a new book to get my mind away from it. Not tempt
ed but hate seeing all the reminders around.

Reading is excellent especially when you first go off it,I fill my time with reading, im back weightlifting again and general everyday chores even going into shops for a browse around you might see something you like with the extra cash you save being off the booze. .oh and fishings lots of fishing! I get reminded of it daily as I work in the industry and surprisingly it really puts you off it!

Carpet diem

Exercise is very important imo. Not just physically but mentally and you start to get a natural high from it.

A nice gym with steam rooms and saunas and classes and you be sorted.

Deleted User

Something I posted on a similar thread

Deleted User wrote: »

Sober living is amazing but you need to put the effort in with whatever you start gaining or regaining(in most cases) an interest in. The days need to be filled to kept the craving of alcohol at bay. When I first gave up drink I needed to go to 2-3 meetings a day at the weekend as they were the days I would have gone mental. That's eased off in a huge way since and I might go to one at the weekend while replacing the time with numerous activities such as ;

- Playing football with the lads or with my team
- Running, I got very in to running as doing the Dublin Marathon was always a goal of mine which I achieved 3 weeks ago with a lot of hard work. Now I still enjoy going for a run 2-3 times a week it really clears the head can't recommend it enough. I find while running it's very hard to think negatively so that's a huge help for someone like me.
- Watch movies or tv shows, both at home & at the cinema with my girlfriend/family. This was something I totally lost interest in during my drinking. I wouldn't go anywhere unless there was a session guaranteed by the end. I'm really enjoying getting back in to it and I don't think I've missed a highly recommend movie in the cinema in the last year!
- I go out for dinner so much more now with either the girlfriend or friends or both. This wouldn't appeal to me before as I couldn't drink the way I would have liked to at a dinner table.
- Reading, I read so much more then I ever did even before I drank as a child. A good book can fill necessary voids with in the day. I only started reading the ASOIF(Game of Thrones books)in my first year off the drink and they were a brilliant time filler.
- I go to concerts,gigs & stand up comedians a lot more now while when I was drinking I'd generally avoid them as it was always hassle getting up and going to the bar.
- I spend a lot more time with my family now. I actually like dropping in for a chat with them and spending time with my niece. While before when I was drinking I absolutely despised both my parents and blamed them for my drinking.

Overall these days I find myself almost too busy, I don't know how I had all that time to drink to be honest! . It also helps that I work full time Monday - Friday.

KeefF

Deleted User wrote: »

Something I posted on a similar thread

On this being busy. Can you be too busy in early sobriety which is where I am?

I am up for work Mon-Fri at c. 6:30 am - so trying to make sure I get to bed before 11 pm. I'm getting in 3 gym sesssions Mon/Weds/Fri plus getting in runs Sat & Sunday mornings. On top of that I'm trying to get to enough AA meetings - I'm trying to get some lunchtime meetings during the week so that I can have a bit of breathing space on Tues/Thurs eves to do some cleaning etc around the gaff and see some family and relax. Also go to meeting in town on Saturdays. I always seem to be flying about the place with very little explict chilling out time. But I suppose gym/AA is a form of therapy/chilling out. Also when I sit back and think of it if I wasn't in the gym Mon/Weds/Fri, what else would I be doing - wathcing TV or working? I suppose it's not a bad deal if I'm staying sober - just a little concerned that if it's all a bit too manic I may not be allowing myself the room to "recover" and do other things I love like reading and playing guitar. Anway - all is good.

KeefF

KeefF wrote: »

On this being busy. Can you be too busy in early sobriety which is where I am?

I am up for work Mon-Fri at c. 6:30 am - so trying to make sure I get to bed before 11 pm. I'm getting in 3 gym sesssions Mon/Weds/Fri plus getting in runs Sat & Sunday mornings. On top of that I'm trying to get to enough AA meetings - I'm trying to get some lunchtime meetings during the week so that I can have a bit of breathing space on Tues/Thurs eves to do some cleaning etc around the gaff and see some family and relax. Also go to meeting in town on Saturdays. I always seem to be flying about the place with very little explict chilling out time. But I suppose gym/AA is a form of therapy/chilling out. Also when I sit back and think of it if I wasn't in the gym Mon/Weds/Fri, what else would I be doing - wathcing TV or working? I suppose it's not a bad deal if I'm staying sober - just a little concerned that if it's all a bit too manic I may not be allowing myself the room to "recover" and do other things I love like reading and playing guitar. Anway - all is good.

What you're doing there worked for me. Keeping as busy as possible while getting in a good number of meetings. I found when I did have time to be lazy and watch tv/play computer games/reading or whatever that is when the negatives would creep in which followed thoughts of drink. However with time this gets a lot easier trust me on that! While when you are kept busy it gives you less time to think about negative stuff. Exercise is amazing anyone I've met with similar experience to us have said the same, it just can flip your frame of mind within a few minutes.